Surgery for patients with athritis
Hi Dr. Chynn,
Sorry for e-mailing you and taking time off your busy schedule, but I forgot to ask two important questions on my visit your office on Tuesday, since I was in a rush because I took time off during my lunch break to come in. My first question concerns that I told you that I have rheumatoid arthritis on my knees and shoulders. You told me that you would prescribe me some steroid pill to take immediately after the Epi-Lasik surgery with all other eye drops. My question is that the major reason for this is with taking the steroid pills, I want to make sure that I would heal properly?
Dr. Chynn:
We give oral and topical (drop) steroids to all our patients to prevent scarring. In your case, this will just coincidentally alleviate your knee pain, although, fortunately for you, this will be mostly temporary (although I have seen several patients like you get longer term relief, probably because the steroid knocks out the inflammation in the joint, and it doesn’t return). There is no additional healing concern.
My second question is that I currently have GPC and I was thinking about getting the surgery done on Thanksgiving week, maybe on that Tuesday because it would fit my schedule and I probably be able to go to work by the Monday after Thanksgiving. Would I be able to do the surgery if my GPC is almost gone because the Epi-Lasik bandage contact stays in for less time? I have an appointment with Dr. Puri this Saturday.
Dr. Chynn:
Yes, if I were you I would schedule for the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, then you would do your 1-day postop the day before Thanksgiving, and rest over the long weekend. Your GPC will be gone when you are on steroids, by the way, so don’t worry about the bandage lens for those few days, it won’t be a problem at all.
But good questions, I like that because it indicates to me (after 11,000 procedures) that you will be a “good patient!”
