The game of life moves fast, and the last thing you want to do is remain on the sideline while it passes you by due to recovery time after a medical procedure. Many surgeries and operations can render you inactive for long periods of time, and that’s before you factor in your rehabilitation time and slow recovery. The last thing you want to do is put off a procedure that can make your life better or easier, but you also don’t want to take the time out of your schedule that is necessary to allow for proper healing.
The good thing about LASIK is that the recovery time is pretty quick. This is not like a traditional surgery that can keep you out of action. We have a timeline for you to give you an idea as to what you can expect to encounter with your LASIK recovery.
Procedure Day:
This is the day when you’ll need the most help. You’ll need someone to bring you into the center for your procedure because you won’t be able to drive afterward. When you get home, plan on turning off the cell and computer and just relaxing! You are going to be under Doctor’s orders to take it easy – so take advantage of it and use this day to get some much-needed rest!
You’ll also want to grab your shades to wear as your eyes will be a little sensitive to light on the drive home. You might have a little discomfort as some of the local anesthetics wears off. Over-the-counter pain relievers should take care of that for you. You’ll get some fashionable protective “shields” to wear on your eyes to make sure that you don’t get any debris in your eyes and so you don’t rub them. But after this, it all gets better.
The Next Few Days:
You might have some vision effects after the surgery like halos, hazy vision, bloodshot eyes and light sensitivity. In most cases these dissipate soon, so don’t panic. You will have some anti-inflammatory drops and moistening drops to help your eyes feel more comfortable, and your doctor will want to see you within 24-48 hours to see how things are going. You should also be back to normal regarding activities and driving within a few days depending on how the visual effects are coming along.
The Next Few Weeks:
After a few weeks, usually 3 to 4, you can resume full-contact sports. You can swim in a pool after about a week, but if you have a vacation to the ocean or a dip in the lake planned, you want to wait about 30 days before hitting those natural bodies of water.
If you wear makeup on or around the eye area, you want to give it about a week to heal. If you get makeup in the eye when you resume, you’ll want to rinse the eye out with drops. DO NOT RUB THE EYE – no matter what!
6 Month Check-Up:
After six months your eyes should be back to normal. If not, you’ll want to schedule another follow up to get an updated exam to determine what needs to be done. “Normal” means that you aren’t feeling discomfort and you are also not seeing the halos or haziness you did when you first got the procedure done.
Contact LASIK Vision Centers to schedule your free LASIK consultation today. The recovery time is quick, but your vision will last a lifetime!
