Laser treatments

We perform laser treatments (not surgeries) such as Argon or Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty and Laser Peripheral Iridectomy, and others, in the Ophthalmology department. I can usually schedule these treatments while you are in my office. If that is not possible, someone from my office will call you to make the arrangements.

Before your treatment

• Arrange for someone to drive you home after your procedure, especially if we are treating both of your eyes.
• Take an over-the-counter pain reliever such as Tylenol before your procedure. This will prevent you from developing a headache after the procedure.
• If you suffer from anxiety, or feel anxious about the procedure, talk to your personal physician about anxiety medications. If you have anxiety medications and feel you need to take these, bring them with you to your appointment.

The day of your treatment

When you come in to the Ophthalmology department for your appointment, we will ask you to sign a consent form. After we pre-treat your eye with eye drops, we will ask you to sit at a slit lamp machine that we use to perform the laser procedure. Most laser procedures take around 15 to 30 minutes, but some take longer and the entire appointment may take 1 hour or longer. We will remind you to relax and breathe throughout the procedure in order to prevent dizziness. 

After your laser treatment

Depending on the procedure you are having, we may prescribe eye drops or ointments for you to use for several days after your procedure. Please follow the medication directions closely. Remember: Do not rub your eyes after laser treatment.

Surgery and Laser Surgeries

Surgeries, such as trabeculectomy and laser surgeries such as endocyclophotocoagulation, are performed in the Eye Surgery Center located in Dept. 494, directly opposite the Ophthalmology Department on the 4th floor of the Medical Office Building. My surgery scheduler will contact you to arrange your surgery date.

Before your surgery

My surgery scheduler will schedule a pre-operative visit with me approximately a week before surgery. If you have questions about your surgery appointment, please call 408-851-4100. During your pre-operative appointment, we will review the pre- and post-surgery instructions and ask you to sign a consent form.

If you are taking a blood thinning medication like warfarin (Coumadin), we will ask you to visit the Santa Clara Anticoagulation Clinic, located at 710 Lawrence Expressway, Room 462, 4th Floor, 408- 851-3939. The team will review all the medications you are taking to determine whether any modifications are necessary before, during, or after the procedure.

Alternately, please ask your preferred coumadin clinic to contact the Santa Clara Anticoagulation Clinic to request the glaucoma surgery or combined surgery protocols. Not following this important protocol could result in the cancellation of your surgery.

Day of Surgery

Before you come to the Eye Surgery Center

• Do not eat or drink anything except clear water after midnight the night before surgery. This includes gum, candy or mints.
• If you do not fast, we will need to cancel your surgery.
• On the morning of your surgery, take your daily medications as usual, with small sips of water.
• If you are diabetic, do not take your diabetic medications (including insulin) on the morning of surgery, because you are fasting. Please bring them with you.
• You may drink clear water up to 3 hours before your surgery arrival time.
• You may brush your teeth on the morning before surgery.
• You may wear your hearing aid or dentures.
• Bathe or shower the morning of surgery to minimize the chance of infection.
• Wear clean, loose-fitting, comfortable clothing.

Arriving at the Eye Surgery Center

• We perform all glaucoma surgeries in the Eye Surgery Center, which is located in Dept. 494, directly opposite the Ophthalmology Department on the 4th floor of the Medical Office Building.
• The best place to park is on LOT B near Homestead Road next to Valet Parking. Enter through the Homestead West Lobby entrance and take the elevator to the 4th floor.
• Please register at the Eye Surgery Center at your scheduled arrival time, or 15 minutes early if you prefer. It is important that you arrive no later than your scheduled arrival time.
• Remember to bring your Kaiser Permanente card, Social Security Number, photo ID, MediCal /Medicare card, and the co-payment required for your surgery.
• Expect to be with us for approximately half a day. The exact time depends on the type of procedure.
• We try to stay on time. However unanticipated events do occur. If there are delays, we will let you know. We appreciate your patience. 
• Please arrange for someone else to drive you home, as the medications we give you will probably make you feel very drowsy. The person driving you can either wait for you while you are in surgery or we can call them when you are ready to leave.
• Bring your inhalers and insulin with you.

After the Surgery

• Before you leave, my nurse will discuss your post-surgery instructions with you and show you how to use the eye drops.
• You will need to come back to the Ophthalmology Department the day after your surgery so that we can check your eye. You may not feel comfortable driving yourself to this appointment because your eye will still be dilated and blurry. If so, arrange for someone to drive you. 
• We will also schedule a number of other postoperative visits for you. Please bring the postoperative instructions that you received when you were discharged from the Eye Surgery Center and your medications to all of these appointments.
• If you will be having surgery on your other eye soon after the first, it may be best to wait for both eyes to heal before you get new glasses.
• If you have any questions, please call the Ophthalmology department 408-851-4100.

Post-operative instructions

We will talk to you about recovering at home. You can also review and print the post-surgical instructions that are provided under Additional References.  If you are having a combined surgery, for example, cataract surgery combined with trabectome, please follow the post surgery instructions titled “Glaucoma: Cataract combined with Endocyclophotocoagulation or Trabectome Post-surgical Instructions.”

• Please note: Mild discomfort is normal. However, if you have severe throbbing pain, loss of vision, or marked worsening of vision, you may have an infection. If this occurs, please call us immediately:

• You will be using drops for several weeks. It is very important to keep a schedule, so you do not miss a single drop. This will help your eye to heal well. .
• Remember to keep using your regular glaucoma medications in the non-operated eye.
• You will have unusual visual sensations after surgery while the eye is healing. You may see shimmering streaks, flashes of light, or a grey area in the corner of your vision. Do not worry about this. It is normal and will settle down over a few weeks.
• We will give you a rigid eye patch  to wear. We recommend that you continue to wear it for several weeks.
• You may read, write, watch television, or use the computer although your vision will be quite variable for a few weeks. This is normal and will gradually stabilize.
• Shower or bathe as normal, but keep your eye closed and avoid getting water, soap, or shampoo in the operated eye.
• Wear glasses or sunglasses when you are outside. Wearing your old glasses will make your vision blurry in the operated eye, but it will not harm your eye.
• You may resume driving after your first post-op appointment if your vision is clear. We will discuss this with you at your appointment.
• Air travel is fine after the first week.

Medications

You can collect your pre- and post-surgical medications from the Pediatric Pharmacy in Dept. 194 on the first floor of the Medical Office Building. Please tell me if you prefer to collect your prescriptions from one of our pharmacies at our satellite medical offices in Campbell, Mountain View, or Milpitas. I can also arrange to have your medications mailed to you at home.