What to expect after LASIK
If you have LASIK, you should be informed that the way you take care of your eyes after the laser surgery is just as important as the before and during parts of the surgery. Knowing what to expect can help you alleviate pressure and worry so that you know when to call in to your doctor and worry, and when not to. The more educated you are about the procedure, the better you can do at protecting your eyes and getting the best possible results.
First, let's look at what to expect right after the procedure. Your eyes will likely burn and itch, and they may feel scratchy, like there is something in it. It will be slight discomfort or mild pain, and your doctor will have told you to expect this, and may recommend you take a pain reliever so that you do not have the temptation run or touch your eyes.
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In addition to some discomfort, you may find that both your eyes may tear and water, and your vision will probably be hazy or blurry. This is going to cause you to want to rub your eyes, but they will precaution you not to. You can't get stitches to help the flap that is cut heal, and if you rub your eyes you may dislodge the flap and have to get treatment after your surgery. So, know that you will want to, and that it will feel like the right thing, but to avoid it at all cost.
After the surgery you may experience sensitivity to light, glare, starbursts or haloes around lights, or the whites of your eye may look red or bloodshot. This is normal, and should not cause worry unless they get significantly worse, not better over time. For most, the symptoms improve considerably within the first few days after surgery. While the surgery is referred to as same day surgery, it does take a few days for the pain and symptoms to subside, so you would be wise to plan a couple of days off of work.
If you ever experience severe pain, you should contact your doctor right away. If your symptoms get worse, not better, you may have an infection or complication, so call your doctor immediately.
After you have eye surgery, plan to see your doctor in the next 48 hours, this will be your first visit, and you will want to schedule and plan for several subsequent visits over the six months following.
You will wear a shield for the first day to protect your eyes from rubbing and give the flap a chance to heal. At the first postoperative visit, your doctor will remove the eye shield, and examine your eyes. The doctor will also likely test your vision. You may receive eye drops if your eyes appear to need them. If you are given them, use them as they prevent infection and inflammation.
Your vision may be blurry for a few days, but do not wear contacts. Also, do not participate in contact sports for about a week or so. You will probably also want to avoid using makeup and lotion, etc. near your eyes for the first few weeks as this can affect results.
You should also avoid swimming and using hot tubs or whirlpools for 1-2 months. You should avoid sports that might cause your eyes to be hit or bumped for a minimum of four weeks.
During the first few months after surgery, your vision may fluctuate. The fact is, you may get immediate results, but for some it takes three to six months of fluctuating vision before your eyes will stabilize. Even after this time you might see some issues with night vision, glares, haloes, etc.
