What’s the most popular thing you’ve heard about LASIK? That it corrects vision in just 24 hours. But getting the surgery done isn’t the end. You need to take proper care of your eyes for at least 2-3 months to fully recover and eliminate any chances of post-op discomfort, infections, refractive errors, etc. Taking care doesn’t always mean that you have to take tons of medicines or just sit in your room doing nothing. LASIK eye surgeries are mostly minimal and don’t require a lot of post-op restrictions. What you need to do is just take some precautions, and you will be fine.
In this blog, we’ll talk about how it feels for the first 3 months after LASIK and what precautions you need to take based on your healing. That being said, let’s start with the first 24 hours.
First 24 Hours After LASIK Eye Surgery
A lot of people assume that the feeling before and after LASIK surgery is the same. But in reality, it’s not. Even though it’s a very precise and minimal procedure, causing no pain, it is still a surgery. Therefore, feeling mild discomfort, or dry or teary eyes, isn’t something very unnatural. These symptoms are temporary and last for 24-48 hours only.
Precautions:
- Make sure you have somebody to take you home after the surgery, as driving right after the procedure isn’t recommended.
- Do not rub or touch your eyes even if they are itchy or teary. However, using a clean tissue is fine.
- Wear protective glasses.
- Stay at home to avoid UV rays, dust, etc.
- If you have a pet, make sure your face is not too close to them, as pet hair can cause irritation.
- Do not use screens like TV, mobile, or read within the first 24 hours. These activities put strain on your eyes.
- You can take a shower, but avoid using cleansers on your face.
- Avoid eye makeup.
- Use eye drops as suggested by your surgeon.
- Sleep properly, giving rest to your eyes, is the most efficient way of healing them.
How It Feels After 1-2 Weeks
The precautions after LASIK eye surgery change after a week or two. Initial healing is over, so you may resume some activities. Nothing adds on in this stage, but yes, protection is always a must, as your cornea is still healing.
Precautions:
- You can start working out, but avoid swimming, bathing in large water bodies like pools, ponds, water parks, and going to saunas.
- Make sure your bathing water is not steamy; water at room temperature is recommended.
- Don’t use face wash or soap.
- Do not splash water in your eyes; use a wet towel and clean your face gently.
- Continue to avoid eye makeup.
- You can go outside, but don’t forget to wear glasses.
- Sleeping with protective glasses is still advised.
- If you are washing your hair, make sure the shampoo doesn’t get into your eyes.
- Screen time can be resumed, but it should be limited. You can follow the 20-20-20 rule (every 20 minutes, look 20 feet away for 20 seconds).
- Don’t miss eye drops and doctor visits.
1-3 Months After LASIK Eye Surgery
After 1-3 months, your eyes have mostly healed. Therefore, more restricted activities can be resumed. But make sure your medication and eye check-ups are not neglected.
Precautions:
- Continue to wear glasses outside.
- If the doctor recommends, you can avoid wearing protective glasses at home.
- You can start wearing eye makeup, but it is advised to keep it minimal. Also, make sure that you clean it properly afterwards.
- Face washes or cleansers can be used, avoiding the eye area.
- Use eye drops regularly and consult your doctor if any discomfort occurs. Additionally, be consistent with your follow-ups.
Ending Note:
Around 600,000-700,000 people have LASIK and other refractive surgeries done in India each year. Therefore, it is quite evident that these surgeries aren’t something hard to manage or fear. Furthermore, technical advancements like SMILE Pro, Femto LASIK, Epi LASIK, etc., have made it smoother and faster for patients to get their vision corrected without sacrificing their activities.
So, if you are thinking of LASIK eye surgery or you have had the surgery done but are not sure about the aftercare, visit Sohana Hospital, the first organisation to introduce AI-driven ophthalmic technologies, in North India. Dr. Amanpreet Kaur (Senior Refractive & Cataract Surgeon, and COO, Sohana Hospital) has given spectacle-free vision to thousands of people through advanced eye surgeries. Her compassionate approach towards patients helps them find the right treatment plan along with the right and easy-to-follow aftercare.
