You have decided that LASIK eye surgery was the best path to restore your vision. But what can you expect after the LASIK surgery is over? How long is the LASIK healing period?
On your day of surgery, you will need to ensure that a professional is available to drive you home. The doctor will also ask you to wear UV-protective sunglasses on the way. Before the surgery lasik, your doctor places anaesthetic drops in your eye; when it wears off, you may feel minor pain, burning or discomfort. Your surgeon will most likely recommend a pain reliever if this happens.
Your eyes may tear or water during the first 24 hours; this is natural. Patients go home and rest after surgery. You will receive some protective shields to wear during your rest and at night. That keeps foreign objects out and stops you from rubbing your eyes accidentally.
How Long is LASIK Surgery Recovery?
You are probably excited to learn how you can see after taking off the eye shield. But do not be disappointed if:
- You are sensitive to light
- Your vision is hazy at first
- Your eyes are bloodshot
- You see halos around lights
These symptoms are natural responses to LASIK eye surgery and healing (especially if you had a prescription requiring a higher level of correction. They should dissipate over the first 24 hours and days of recovery.
Related: Are You In The Best Age To Have LASIK Eye Surgery? Find Out Here
Your doctor will send home antibiotic drops, and anti-inflammation eye drops with you to put in your eyes at specific intervals.
Before your LASIK eye surgery, you consulted with a technician, a vision correction counsellor and your doctor. After your eye surgery, the doctor will want to see you in the first 48 hours to examine your eyes, test your sight and hear about any concerns you have.
This point should improve your vision – the vision you need to do everyday tasks like drive or use the computer.
The First Weeks After LASIK Eye Surgery
In the first weeks after LASIK surgery, you should be driving, back at work and back to enjoying your regular activities. You can shower but must take care not to get soap or water in your eyes for about a week.
Wear safety or sports eyeglasses with polycarbonate lenses due to their high impact resistance if you do physical work. In general, it’s advisable that you wait one to three days after surgery before you resume low-impact sports. You can also wait up to two weeks for more vigorous sports and four weeks for contact sports. Swimmers can use chlorinated pools seven days after their LASIK surgery but need to wait 30 days before swimming in natural bodies of water. If you are an athlete, you will need to be careful not to allow sweat to enter your eyes. And above all, be aware and don’t rub your eyes for the first few weeks.
If you wear makeup, you should refrain for about two weeks after surgery. Specks of mascara, eye shadow and eyeliner can get into your eyes and increase your risk of infection. It is OK to use lotion, moisturizer or foundation. However, you want to be careful not to put any of it around your eyes. If you perceive anything in your eyes, don’t rub it! Instead, use your eye drops, in excess if needed, to rinse it.
Six Months After LASIK Eye Surgery
During these six months, you have had regular visits and checkups with your eye surgeon to ensure your eyes continue healing and recover correctly. By now, any lingering visual problems like light sensitivity, glare, or halos around lights are gone. You shouldn’t use the wetting drops as you did in the first weeks after the surgery.
During your six-month checkup, your surgeon may recommend a follow-up procedure if the vision problems persist. They will want to be sure that your vision has completely stabilized for two consecutive visits. At least, it would be perfect if you considered three months apart before any further work.
Common FAQs about what to expect after LASIK eye surgery
How Long Does LASIK Surgery Take to Heal
Within the first two days, you will have a follow-up appointment with your surgeon to assess your recovery. The time to heal after LASIK surgery will differ from one patient to another. Generally, patients experience improved vision within 24 hours after the LASIK surgery.
A commonly recommended tip for healing after the surgery is to rest. Among many benefits of rest, one is healing. So it is best to get plenty of rest to allow your eyes to heal properly. Some patients will need to wear soft goggles for a few days after surgery—these aid in healing while you sleep so you can avoid irritating the eyes.
After a few weeks, patients can fully recover from LASIK. Contact your surgeon if you begin to experience pains or irritation while recovering.
When Will My Blurry Vision Vanish After LASIK?
After LASIK surgery, your vision might be blurry for about 5-6 hours. You should then experience an improvement in your blurriness and clarity within the first 48 hours.
Another after-effect some patients experience is minor dry eyes. Most doctors can prescribe eye drops to alleviate dry eye irritations. These dry eye symptoms will heal within the following weeks after the surgery.
How Long After LASIK Can I resume my daily routines?
Understandably, you want to return to the things you love after LASIK. Nevertheless, your health is just as important! Knowing your responsibility is essential when it comes to certain strenuous activities.
Can I Drive?
Depending on the surgeon and patient, you may take a sedative medication before your LASIK surgery. Thus, it is advisable that you don’t drive yourself to your LASIK appointment. It is also essential to arrange for someone to take you home after surgery. For 24 hours after your LASIK surgery, it is best that you do not drive. After the surgery, your doctor can confirm whether or not you are OK to drive at your first follow-up appointment.
Can I Watch TV?
Other things you will experience after LASIK surgery involve activities like watching TV, swimming or even taking a shower. After LASIK surgery, you don’t have to place unnecessary strain on your eyes. That means avoiding watching TV, reading or staring at a computer screen. You should also bathe after surgery to avoid irritating your eyes with soap. When you feel comfortable, ease yourself into these activities and take breaks when needed!
Can I Go Swimming?
Suppose you’ve ever gone swimming in a pool without goggles. In that case, you understand how a swimming pool’s chlorine can easily irritate your eyes. So it is best that you don’t go swimming for a week or two after LASIK. Surgery If you are itching to get back in the water, talk with your doctor to see when you can swim without worry.
On a Final Note
You should expect minor eye sensitivity after your LASIK surgery. Some people can experience sensitivity to bright lights after LASIK. That is temporary and should disappear gradually 12-24 hours after the LASIK surgery. In the meantime, you should wear UV-protective sunglasses to help protect your eyes.
Talk to your doctor to determine what kind of eyeglasses are the best for your healing eyes. Generally, your sunglasses should offer UV protection and have polarized lenses.
