LASIK surgery is popular because of its effectiveness and quick recovery. People are often led to believe that because LASIK surgery is such a simple and short procedure, the recovery does not need to be taken seriously. However, as with any surgical procedure, LASIK surgery has potential complications and side effects, and not following proper after-care protocol can make them way more likely to occur. If you would like to avoid complications after LASIK surgery, be sure to avoid these common post-LASIK mistakes.
LASIK Recovery
LASIK recovery is not difficult, but it still needs to be taken seriously. After LASIK surgery, your cornea will still be healing from the incision. During this time, your cornea is especially sensitive to things like being hit, rubbing, or any other form of pressure on the eye. This means that you should avoid activities that make you likely to experience trauma to the eye (such as sports). Your doctor will give you a list of things to avoid.
You will also be given a regimen of medicated eye drops and lubricating eye drops. You should use these as directed by your surgeon.
Common Post-LASIK Mistakes
People make mistakes, and that’s ok. When it comes to recovering from surgery, you want to limit the amount of mistakes you make. Your doctor will give you a booklet outlining the dos and don’ts of post-LASIK care. Be sure to follow these directions and avoid falling into the following pitfalls:
- Skipping medicated eye drops. Missing a scheduled eye drop once is no big deal, but try your best to stay on top of this. Using eye drops is a pain for some people, but not as big of a pain as an infection would. To avoid infection, use your medicated eye drops as recommended.
- Buying the wrong type of lubricating eye drops. Doctors recommend using preservative-free lubricating eye drops as needed to keep your eyes feeling comfortable after surgery. Your doctor may recommend certain brands, but if you plan on using a different kind, check to see that they are preservative-free.
- Rubbing your eyes. Rubbing your eyes after LASIK can easily lead to a dislodged flap, which can cause serious damage to the cornea and damage to vision.
- Not wearing the eye shields while sleeping. While you’re sleeping, it is easy to forget that your corneas are fragile. This can lead to bumping your eyes on something, or rubbing your eyes when waking up. This can lead to flap complications.
- Not wearing sunglasses while outside. After LASIK, your eyes will be sensitive to the sun for a few days. Be sure to protect them with polarized sunglasses.
- Skipping follow-up appointments. These may seem like a waste of time to you, but we assure you they are not. At these appointments, your surgeon will examine your eyes to make sure they are healing properly. You can also voice any concerns during these appointments.
If you would like to learn more about what you should and should not do after LASIK, schedule a LASIK consultation with Stahl Eyecare Experts. Our talented and knowledgeable LASIK surgeons here in NYC are here to help!
