One thing many patients are concerned about during the LASIK surgery process is recovery. Most procedures require some kind of recovery period afterward.
LASIK is no exception. Some people worry that they will need to put off major life events for months after LASIK. However, this is not true.
While it can take between six months and a year to fully recover from LASIK, your life will mostly return to normal within a couple of weeks. The timeline of LASIK recovery looks very different than with other surgeries.
Keep reading to learn how much recovery time is needed after LASIK!
Immediately After LASIK Surgery
LASIK takes about a half hour to complete for most people. Afterward, you will rest in recovery for a bit before you can go home. Some people experience slight discomfort, itching, or burning during the recovery process.
However, it is very important to resist any urge to rub your eyes. Rubbing your eyes at any point during recovery can cause complications.
Instead, your eye doctor may recommend that you use eye drops to soothe your eyes as needed. Before you are ready to go home, your eye doctor will give you eye shields to wear.
These shields protect your eyes while you sleep in case you accidentally rub or bump them. You will need to schedule a ride home from the clinic since you will not be able to drive yet.
Your eye doctor will clear you to drive once your eyes have healed. When you get home, it’s important that you rest for a few hours.
Feel free to sleep as much as you’d like, as it is very important for recovery.
The First Few Days
You will need to see your eye doctor the following day after your LASIK surgery. At this appointment, they will check your vision and look at your eyes to ensure they are healing properly and there are no problems.
Throughout recovery, you should plan on several more of these checkups.
You will need to avoid strenuous activities during the first few weeks of your recovery.
Even bending over at the waist can cause problems during the very beginning of recovery. Do not exercise or do hard labor. Simply relax and let your eyes heal.
You will also need to try your best to avoid getting water in your eyes. You can still shower, just be careful not to get any water or shampoo in your eyes.
Again, you do not want to rub your eyes at all. Avoid swimming or using hot tubs.
A Few Months Into Recovery
As you progress through recovery, you can begin to add more of your normal routine. Be sure to ask your eye doctor to make sure it is safe before exercising or swimming.
It could take several weeks to a couple of months before you are ready for contact sports, but less dangerous exercises may be okay earlier on.
Finishing Up
How long it takes to fully recover from LASIK varies from person to person. You won’t know until your eye doctor clears you.
However, you will be able to return to most of your normal activities well before you finish recovering. Just be sure to attend your follow-up visits with the eye doctor.
Do you have more questions about LASIK recovery? Schedule a LASIK consultation at Stahl Eyecare Experts in Garden City, NY, today!
