There are several aspects to consider while deciding on LASIK surgery. Most people consider the cost against how desperately they need it right now. However, we advise you to examine the long-term impacts of this surgery on your life. While the operation itself is quick, around 10 minutes for each eye, the recovery period takes longer. Continue reading to find out how your life will change after having LASIK surgery.
What to Expect While Recovering from LASIK Surgery?
Immediately after LASIK surgery.
The first thing LASIK patients notice is that their vision has substantially improved. Despite this, you’ll still need to find someone else to drive you home as your eyes will be sensitive.
Some patients also report mild burning, irritation, and/or sensitivity in the hours following their LASIK. To help with the recovery process and to avoid additional stress on your eyes during this time, we recommend LASIK patients rest in a dark room for about four hours. It’s the perfect excuse for a nap, don’t you think?
The immediate effects of LASIK surgery can be felt for around 6-12 hours. Most of these effects should subside before your 1-day check-up.
A few days following LASIK surgery.
Your 1-day follow-up visit at the eye hospital will take place the day after your operation. This is when your LASIK surgeon will ensure that nothing has changed since they last saw you. They will warn you not to apply pressure to your eyes for four days after surgery. They’ll also remind you to wear your eye shield throughout the first 4 to 5 nights or anytime you sleep.
As your eyes heal, you’ll adjust to your new vision. This may cause momentary cloudy vision, but you will notice brighter colors and sharper motion in the world around you. Another thing you might notice in the days after your LASIK surgery is how simple your morning and evening routines become.
Finally, we’d want to address any dark red patches you may see on the white of your eyes in the days after your LASIK procedure. These patches are comparable to the bruising you may experience on other regions of your body. Furthermore, it is nothing to be concerned about and will go away on its own.
A few weeks following LASIK surgery.
While you will be able to return to sedentary work or school in the days after your treatment, we recommend that patients avoid intense exercise, such as working out, for at least a week. Similarly, your surgeon may recommend that you take antibiotics and steroid eye drops for the first week following a LASIK operation. Finally, avoid swimming.
Your first week following LASIK will end with a one-week follow-up appointment at the eye hospital. However, in the next weeks, you may notice fluctuations in your eyesight. We want to reassure you that this is part of the usual healing process.
A few months following LASIK surgery.
By this point, most LASIK patients have adapted to their new habits. They no longer have to worry about remembering to take their contacts out before bed or how perspiration could get into their eyes when working out. It is also at this time that if you have a decrease in tear production, it will return to normal.
Your eye doctor will schedule follow-up appointments every one, three, and six months. If any issues emerge with your LASIK operation, they usually appear between three and six months after surgery, and these sessions are a good opportunity to check in with your eye doctor.
How long does LASIK last?
As we previously explained, the relief that LASIK surgery provides is an amazing experience. One common issue we hear, particularly from our younger patients who undergo their procedure in their teens and early twenties, is whether or not their LASIK operation will last their whole lives.
While it is conceivable that patients will need to get LASIK surgery again, this is quite rare. Only in situations of damage, such as a pet clawing your eye and moving the LASIK adjustment, will an update be required. In all but a few situations, LASIK will keep your eyesight clean far into your retirement years.
We strongly recommend that anybody considering LASIK surgery visit Drishti Eye Hospital to schedule a consultation. Our experienced eye surgeons would be pleased to discuss the immediate and long-term benefits of LASIK operation and how it may enhance your quality of life.
