Patient Info

We want you to be as prepared for an appointment, surgery or recovery as best as possible. Below are pre-op and post-op instructions as well as our general insurance information.

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Questions about your surgical procedure, coverage and/or insurance? Please contact our office at (210) 983-3937

Surgery Pre-Operative Instructions

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Arrival time:

(usually given to you the appointment before your procedure). Please arrive about 90 minutes before your scheduled surgery time.

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Surgery Location

American Surgery Center, San Antonio
12838 Vista del Norte, San Antonio, TX, 78216

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EYE DROPS PRE-OPERATIVE and POST-OPERATIVE:

Please pick up your eye drops before your scheduled surgery. You will be prescribed an antibiotic eye drop, a steroid eye drop and a non-steroidal eye drop. Please pay attention to the instruction schedule we have provided you as well as the directions on each bottle. Following the instructions for your post-operative medication drops will provide you with optimal healing. If there are any questions about your drops please contact our office before your surgery.

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For glaucoma surgical patients:

Continue your glaucoma drops unless told otherwise by Dr. Velasquez.

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FOOD & MEDICATION INSTRUCTIONS:

Do not eat or drink anything after midnight (12:00 am) the night before your procedure, not even water. If you are on heart or high blood pressure medication you may take this the morning of surgery with a small sip of water. If you are a Diabetic, do not take your diabetic medication the morning of surgery. Please bring it with you to the surgery center.

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DAY OF SURGERY INSTRUCTIONS:

You must arrange to have someone bring you to and from the surgery center. A taxi or bus is not acceptable, as you must be released to an actual person. Wear comfortable clothing as you will be placed in a hospital gown. Please do not wear any make-up the day of surgery as it makes prepping your eyes for surgery difficult. Plan to be at the surgery center for several hours.

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POSTOPERATIVE APPOINTMENT:

You will be given an appointment to see Dr. Velasquez the next day. We will remove your patch, check your vision and eye pressure and you will be given instructions on how to use your drops postoperatively.

General Post-Operative Instructions

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You will have mild discomfort following surgery. If you require pain medication we recommend Tylenol 1000 mg by mouth every six hours as needed.

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If you are wearing a patch or eyeshield following surgery, leave in place until removed at your one day post op visit, unless you are told otherwise.

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After surgery, you will need to wear your eye shield while you sleep for two weeks.

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Immediately following surgery your vision may be blurry. Depending on the type of surgery you have, your vision may fluctuate for several weeks after surgery.

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If you experience significant pain, visual loss, or excessive discharge, call (210) 983-3937.

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Crusting and debris on the eyelids is common after surgery. This can be removed with clean soft tissue, but remember that care should be taken not to apply pressure to the eye.

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You should avoid the following activities: bending with your head below your heart, lifting heavy objects (greater than 10‐15 pounds), physical exertion, straining while using the bathroom (may require stool softener), hard coughing (may require cough suppressant), washing hair for 48 hours. Discuss with Dr. Velasquez when normal activities may be resumed.

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Avoid direct tap water in the eyes.

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You may resume the following activities immediately: watching television, reading, riding in the car, going out to dinner, bathing, and shaving.

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Please use your eye drops as directed as this will ensure proper healing of your eye after surgery.

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Insurance and Coverage

Please call to confirm any insurance information with the office.

If you have an HMO insurance plan, you will need a referral from your primary doctor. If you are not sure if you have this, please contact your insurance or call our office to verify.

**Please note we may not be on the insurance websites as a provider but we are contracted with the insurance companies below.

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