LASIK eye surgery is an extremely safe procedure that provides suitable candidates with clearer vision without glasses and contacts resulting in an improved quality of life. The most common questions patients have are how long is the LASIK eye surgery recovery time, does LASIK recovery hurt and what can I expect during my LASIK recovery time?
Providence Eye & Laser Specialists discusses the 10 most common things LASIK patients may experience during their LASIK eye surgery recovery, and a timeline with some tips to help you get through the recovery time.
Almost everyone experiences some level of burning, tearing and light sensitivity during the first 4 hours of LASIK eye surgery recovery. This can range from barely noticeable or quite bothersome, depending on the type of technology used and how your eyes react, however, it should only last 2-4 hours. After your LASIK eye surgery:
Some people will have some redness during their LASIK eye surgery recovery. It is completely normal to have dark red spots on the whites of your eyes for several days. Similar to bruising, it may take several days or even a few weeks before these spots disappear completely.
Prior to your LASIK eye surgery, you will be instructed to take prescription eye drops. You should always follow your surgeon’s instructions. During your LASIK eye surgery recovery, you will continue to take prescription drops for several days to prevent inflammation and infection and you will add preservative-free lubricating drops to your regimen. Using the lubricating drops as instructed is important to combat temporary ocular dryness; they are also necessary to help your cornea heal. You will use the lubricating drops for several weeks but they will taper down every week.
One day after your surgery, you will visit your LASIK specialist for your first LASIK post-op appointment to have your vision checked and to verify that your corneas are healing properly. At this time, you can also discuss with your LASIK surgeon any post-op symptoms you are experiencing. Your LASIK surgeon should see you a couple of times over the next 12 months. Even though you may feel your vision is great, it is important to have your corneas examined by the LASIK surgeon who can easily detect any issues even before they arise. At Providence Eye, Dr. Nunnery makes it a priority to meet with every LASIK patient to ensure the eye surgery has provided them with clearer, higher-quality vision.
Your vision will likely be great, and you will be anxious to get back to your normal routine. However, it is important to remember that your corneas are healing, and they need to be cared for. For this reason, there are some things you need to avoid:
Anxious to start working out and exercising with your new vision? No problem! Our LASIK surgeon Dr. Nunnery tells his patients after about two days they can begin their normal exercise routine, but they should wear special eye protection with racquet sports and be extra cautious with their eyes when playing contact sports or sports with a ball. Will provide you with written post-LASIK instructions, so you will know exactly what you should and shouldn’t do.
Protecting the corneal flap immediately after your eye surgery is extremely important. When your LASIK surgery is completed:
On the day of your LASIK surgery, patients should not apply eye makeup and continue to not wear eye makeup for one week afterward. If applying lotion avoid the eye area and use light strokes. Putting on eye makeup or applying lotions around the eye increases the chances of getting those materials in the eye. This could increase inflammation and possibly cause pain, infection or post-op complications.
A good way to stay moisturized is to drink lots of water. While this is always a good practice, any time your body is under stress, like when you’re sick or after surgery, you should boost the amount of water you drink by a few glasses per day. This should help the areas around your eyes stay nice and hydrated!
As difficult as it may be, fight the urge to jump in the pool or unwind in the hot tub. Dr. Nunnery requires that you wait two weeks before swimming after LASIK eye surgery. Chlorinated water irritates the eyes and has the potential to cause post-op issues. This is true for all bodies of water: pools, hot tubs, oceans, lakes or ponds. Protecting your corneas and preventing infection is the reason for these instructions.
Although you should see well the day after your procedure, it is possible and normal for your vision to be a bit blurry or hazy for one to two weeks. The higher your original prescription, the longer it will take for your vision to clear during your LASIK surgery recovery time.
Do not be surprised or worried if your vision fluctuates after LASIK eye surgery. Your LASIK surgeon should tell you what to expect for your specific situation. It is important to understand your reshaped corneas must stabilize completely before your new, clear vision is stabilized. This means symptoms such as glare, haloes and difficulty driving after sunset may occur for the first days, week or sometimes a couple of months after LASIK eye surgery. Always communicate clearly to your LASIK surgeon what you are experiencing, even if you think it is minor. There are no dumb questions when it comes to your recovery.
We saved this one for last because there is no exact recovery time. The vast majority of people are cleared to drive 24 hours after their LASIK surgery. Although, as we’ve hinted at above, it all depends on a variety of factors like your original prescription, the technology that was used for your LASIK surgery and how your body reacts to the surgery. Taking everything else into account, your eyes should start to heal immediately, and with our post-op schedule, you should be on your way to feeling better in no time! For more information, see our blog post about the average LASIK recovery time.
In learning what you may experience during your LASIK eye surgery recovery time, take your newfound knowledge to your eye care specialist’s office, so you can better discuss everything related to laser correction during your initial consultation.
Contact us and have all of your questions about LASIK recovery answered by a Providence Eye vision coordinator.
