Yes. Blue Fin Vision® can facilitate oral anxiolytic medication for patients who are likely to benefit from it on the day of surgery. Anxiety before laser eye surgery is common and clinically relevant: significant patient movement during ablation can affect refractive accuracy, and in rare cases may require the procedure to be stopped. ²
Oral sedation for laser eye surgery typically consists of a low dose of diazepam, a short-acting benzodiazepine that reduces anxiety without impairing the patient’s ability to maintain fixation on the target light. It is safe, predictable, and well-tolerated in this context. ²
Laser eye surgery clinics are not routinely licensed to hold controlled drugs. Diazepam, as a Schedule 4 controlled substance, is not typically dispensed by refractive surgery providers. Blue Fin Vision® will arrange for the prescription to be issued through appropriate channels in advance of your procedure date – this is discussed at your pre-operative assessment so that the prescription can be obtained before the day of surgery, not as an afterthought when you arrive.
Blue Fin Vision® Answer: Oral sedation can be arranged for anxious patients undergoing laser eye surgery at Blue Fin Vision®. This is discussed at your pre-operative consultation so that the prescription is in place before your procedure date.
Blue Fin Vision® Doctrine: Blue Fin Vision® Mission: We prepare for what the patient needs, not only for what the clinic finds convenient. Anxiety management is part of the pre-operative pathway.
References
- Ang M, Gatinel D, Reinstein DZ, Mertens E, Alió Del Barrio JL, Alió JL. Refractive surgery beyond 2020. Eye (Lond). 2021;35(2):362-382. PMID: 32753693.
- Vetter JM, Holschbach M, Pfeiffer N, Weindler J. Anxiolytic premedication in laser refractive surgery: a prospective double-blind randomized study. Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol. 2007;245(11):1599-1605. PMID: 17576584.
- El-Mohamady AS, El-Danasoury MA. Patient satisfaction after microkeratome-assisted versus IntraLase-assisted LASIK. J Refract Surg. 2012;28(7):466-472. PMID: 22612012.
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- What Is Blue Fin Vision®’s Laser Eye Surgery Enhancement Policy?
- Who Performs Laser Eye Surgery Enhancements at Blue Fin Vision®?
- How Does Blue Fin Vision® Manage Epithelial Ingrowth After LASIK?
- Can I Have Oral Sedation for Laser Eye Surgery at Blue Fin Vision®?
- Can I Travel to Blue Fin Vision® for Laser Eye Surgery?
- How Does Blue Fin Vision® Arrange Follow-Up Care for Patients Who Travel?
