Post Operative Care After Laser Eye Surgery

Introduction to Laser Eye Surgery After Care

Your post operative care after laser eye surgery should be tailored to your personal  requirements based on the type of procedure you underwent.

With LASIK eye surgery the  healing process is quick and the majority experience little or no pain. In all probability you will be able to return to work within two or three days, but you will need to be careful when taking a shower or performing other activities.You will not be able to play sports or participate in other vigorous activities for up to a month.

If you are not happy with the results of your surgery, then contact the surgeon who performed the operation as repeat treatment may resolve the problem. If you are still not satisfied, you should make your complaint in writing to the hospital or clinic.. You will usually be given a course of anti-inflammatory and antibiotic eye drops that you will continue to take following surgery.

You will usually sleep much more and will also be given a darkened pair of glasses to protect your eyes from bright lights and protective goggles to stop the eyes rubbing when you are asleep and to reduce the incidence of dry eyes.

Immediately After Your Laser Vision Correction

Following your laser procedure, your eye may itch, burn or feel like it has something in it. You may feel discomfort, or even mild pain which might prompt your doctor to suggest pain  relievers. You might find that both eyes tear or water. Your sight might be blurry or hazy.

You may want to want to rub your eye, but try not to. Rubbing your eye could dislodge the flap, which would necessitate further treatment. As well as the above you might also experience sensitivity to light, starbursts, glare, or haloes around lights. The whites of your eye may even look red or bloodshot.

These symptoms will start to diminish within the first few days following surgery. You should expect to take a few days off work until these symptoms lessen. If you find that you are experiencing severe pain, or if your vision gets worse rather than better, then you should contact your doctor immediately and not wait for your next planned appointment.

You should arrange an appointment to visit your doctor within the first day or two after your surgery and regularly thereafter for the first three to six months.

Your doctor may give you one or more types of eye drops to take away with you to help prevent inflammation and infection. He may also suggest the use of artificial tears to lubricate the eye. It is advisable not to resume wearing any sort of contact lens in the eye that was operated upon, even if you have blurry vision.

The First Few Days Following Laser Eye Surgery

Following surgery you should wait for anything up to three days before starting any non-contact sports. The amount of time will depend on the level of activity required, your doctor's instructions and how you feel.

During The First Few Weeks After Laser Treatment

In order to avoid infection, you may need to wait for up to a couple of weeks after the operation or until your doctor advises otherwise before applying creams, make up or lotions around the area of the eye.

Your doctor may also advise that you to continue cleaning your eye lashes for a reasonable time after the operation. Swimming and using hot tubs, whirlpools and saunas should also avoided for a couple of months.

Physical sports involving contact should be avoided for at least the first month after the operation. It is very important to ensure that you shield your eyes from any sort of damage.

The First Few Months After Eye Surgery

After the operation and for the first few months the quality of your eyesight may go down as well as up. It may take from three to six months stabilize. Glare,  difficulty driving at night, haloes and other symptoms may persist during this period. If further enhancement or surgery is necessary, then you should wait until your eye measurements have been steady for at least  3 months before any re-operation is contemplated.

It is important to realize that although your distance eyesight may improve after any re-operation, it is unlikely that other symptoms such as glare or haloes will disappear.

You should contact your doctor immediately, if you develop any unusual or worsening symptoms at any time following your operation. Any such symptoms could indicate a problem that, if not acted upon soon enough, may lead to a loss of vision.

Good Practices Before and After Your Eye Surgery