What Happens After Lasik Eye Surgery?
After plenty of careful consideration, you’ve finally decided that Lasik surgery is the best way to tackle your vision problems once and for all. However, although you might know what to expect from the Lasik procedure, it’s also important to make sure that you’re prepared for the recovery period that comes after.
Remember, although Lasik is often an outpatient procedure, it’s still a surgical event. Because you’ll need to keep bandages over your eyes for a short while after the treatment is completed, it’s important to have someone with you who can drive you home from surgery after the doctor discharges you.
In most cases, your surgeon will also prescribe you things like sunglasses to wear while you’re outside for a day or two, and anesthetic drops that you can use to eliminate excess pain and reduce your chances of infection.
Although Lasik surgery is a fantastic way to deal with your vision problems, it’s natural that you may feel a little uncomfortable for a while after the procedure is over. Your eyes will be sore after Lasik eye surgery, and you may notice that your vision is a little worse than usual while you’re waiting to start healing. Here’s everything you need to know about what happens after Lasik eye surgery.
What to Expect Straight After Lasik Eye Surgery
After you’ve spent weeks, or even months psyching yourself up to get laser eye surgery, the chances are that you’ll be excited to see how well you can see after you take your eye shield off. However, the truth is that your eyes are likely to be watery and a little blurry for at least a few days after the procedure. Don’t be disappointed if your vision is hazy to begin with, or you find that you’re more sensitive to light than usual.
While Lasik is very safe these days, it will take time for your eyes to heal from the surgery, and you can’t expect to see perfectly straight away. If you had a high-level prescription, then there’s a good chance that it may take a little longer to heal. While you’re healing, your surgeon will give you some anti-inflammatory and antibiotic drops that you can put into your eyes throughout the day. You may also need to use other non-prescription drops to prevent your eyes from getting excessively dry.
Before you had your surgery, there’s a good chance that you had a few consultations with a doctor to talk you through the procedure. After Lasik eye surgery, you’ll need to go back to your doctor again to discuss things like aftercare.
By the time you go back to the doctor after 24-48 hours, your functional vision will have begun to improve.
In the Weeks After Lasik Eye Surgery
In the initial weeks after Lasik eye surgery, you should be able to carry on with your life. Enjoying most of your regular activities. If you do physical work. Your doctor will probably ask you to wear glasses to protect your eyes from harm. You’ll also need to speak to an expert if you plan on swimming in chlorinated water after your procedure. As this can harm your eyes and extend the healing process if you’re not careful. The last thing you want is to end up with an infection.
Another point to keep in mind is that in the weeks after your surgery. You will need to avoid wearing eye makeup. Specks of everything from eyeshadow to eyeliner can easily make their way into your eye. And increase the chances of irritation and infection over time. Although it’s okay to use foundation or moisturizer around your eyes. You will need to be very careful not to get too close. If you accidentally get something into your eye, use your false tears to rinse your eye out.
Remember, during this initial healing period, it’s very important to follow the advice that your doctor gives you. In your patient information leaflets. You will also need to make sure that you follow up appointments that your doctor gives you to come back. And check the progress of your healing. Your doctor will want to see you multiple times during the course of healing. To ensure that no issues have occurred.
6 Months After Lasik Eye Surgery
During the six-month period after your Lasik eye surgery. You should have had plenty of checkups and regular appointments with your eye surgeon. This will give you the peace of mind that comes with knowing that your eyes are healing as they should be. At this point, there’s a good chance that any of the small but lingering problems with your vision. Like light sensitivity, glare or halos around your eyes will begin to disappear. You may not need to use your drops as often as you did when you first had the surgery. Just make sure that you continue to follow your doctor’s instructions.
During your six-month checkup, if your doctor finds that you still have problems with your vision. Then they might suggest that you should take part in a follow-up procedure. If they does ask you to consider this. Then you will need to decide whether you want to continue with your treatment. A follow-up procedure can simply mean that you can get the most out of your eye surgery. But you will obviously take a little longer to heal.
Remember, although it’s exciting to think about what life might be like after your eyes are fully healed. And you no longer need to wear prescription glasses or contact lenses, it’s important to be patient after Lasik eye surgery. Your eyes are very sensitive, and everyone heals at different rates. Just because a friend of yours felt better within a few weeks doesn’t mean that you’ll have the same experience. Listen carefully to your doctor and follow the instructions that are given to you, and you should be on your way to better eyesight in no time.
