Posted by: OptiVision Eye care in LASIK, Vision
LASIK can be a truly life changing procedure, however, the success of your procedure relies heavily on your ability to follow the explicit aftercare instructions. Before your surgery date, we will outline in detail exactly what is required of you to properly care for your eyes after a LASIK surgery.
Keep in mind that your aftercare requirements may be different than another patient who undergoes the same procedure. For this reason, the information below is meant to serve as a general guide for what patients can typically expect.
Immediately Following Surgery
After surgery we recommend that patients close their eyes and rest for a few hours. Patients typically describe the feeling as though there is a foreign body like an eyelash in their eye. The best thing to do at this point is lie down and shut your eyes to minimize discomfort. You may not feel tired, so listening to music is perfectly fine, as long as your eyes are closed. It’s also important that you refrain from itching or touching your eye following surgery. As time passes, your corneal flap will become affixed to your eye with increasing strength. However, in the beginning, the chance of flap displacement is at its peak. That said, it’s important to keep in mind that by following the correct aftercare procedures it is extremely unlikely that this will occur.
To further protect your eyes from accidental rubbing while asleep, we require patients to wear night eye guards for the first two nights after surgery, which will protect your eyes from unintentional contact while sleeping.
Drop Schedule
One of the most important aspects of your aftercare procedure is a detailed eye drop schedule. This typically includes 3 different types of eye drops that will be taken at various intervals over the 10-14 days following your surgery. It is also fairly typical for patients to continue using lubricating drops for a short time as needed after the initial 10-14 day period.
Swimming
Patients can resume essentially all regular exercise and activity following surgery, however, we recommend that patients avoid swimming, hot tubs or spas for 1-2 months following surgery.
If you ever have any questions about activity restrictions, be sure to ask us about it before surgery.
As you can see, the LASIK recovery period is quite fast for such a life changing surgery. Keep in mind that this is by no means an exhaustive list. Things like workplace conditions and other situational factors can come into play, which will all be explained in detail to you before surgery. If you have any unique concerns, please bring them to our attention during your consultation.
If you’re interested in learning more about this amazing procedure, please give us a call! One of our eye care professionals would be happy to sit with you and explain the LASIK procedure in detail, along with all of the necessary aftercare requirements.
We look forward to hearing from you!
