Eyeworld

46 | EYEWORLD | OCTOBER 2020 R EFRACTIVE Contact Wu: franceswu07@gmail.com on during pregnancy," Dr. Wu said. "Or these women are just waiting to update their prescrip- tion for the duration of their pregnancy." Dr. Wu thinks women who experience blurry vision later in pregnancy should consider updating their glasses prescription rather than delaying it out of concern that their pregnancy is affecting their refraction. However, considering refractive surgery for pregnant women is somewhat controver- sial. The classic thinking is that pregnancy is a contraindication for refractive surgery, Dr. Wu noted. "At least at UCSF, it's not our practice to do refractive surgery on women who are pregnant," she said, adding that even though no major changes were shown here, physicians should still proceed with caution given that the study was not prospective. "I still would not be encouraging women to get LASIK or PRK during their pregnancies," she said. While most pregnant women are likely willing to postpone refractive surgery until after they give birth, some may already be invested in having the procedure done. Those who wear contact lenses, for example, must commit to not wearing them for a period of time in order to obtain the best measurements, Dr. Wu pointed out. If a woman has already been planning to have refractive surgery and then finds out that she is pregnant after investing time in getting ready for the procedure, she may still wish to undergo the surgery. "In the U.S., 50% of pregnancies aren't planned," she said. Still, Dr. Wu maintains her recommendation to wait until after delivery for refractive surgery. Dr. Wu hopes that others come away from this study with the realization that there is no definitive change in refraction during pregnancy. The difference found late in pregnancy between the patient's spectacles and her autorefraction may simply reflect a delay in getting a new refraction rather than real physiologic changes. "But we're not able to say what the true cause is, given the study limitations," she said. continued from page 44 Reference 1. Wu F, et al. Refractive status during pregnancy in the United States: results from NHANES 2005–2008. Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol. 2020;258:663– 667. Relevant disclosures Wu: None The latest ophthalmology news delivered to your inbox every Friday Subscribe to the mailing list by emailing ellen@eyeworld.org. WEEKLY

• Blank Page
• Blank Page (1)