Are you thinking about getting LASIK? Are you worried that the recovery process takes too long?
LASIK is one of the most popular refractive procedures you can undergo, but why do patients love it? Since LASIK became FDA-approved, it has only continued to gain popularity and evolved.
While there are other refractive procedures that will correct your vision, LASIK is the most common and accurate option. Keep reading to learn how long it takes to recover from LASIK!
Quick Results
LASIK is impressive because you’ll heal from the procedure very quickly. Each eye only takes about thirty minutes at most to complete.
After LASIK, many patients start experiencing significant improvements to their vision almost immediately. LASIK shouldn’t be painful and your vision will improve over the next few days.
It has an incredibly short recovery time, which is one of the reasons it is so popular. Most patients are able to go back to work and many of their normal activities within a few days. It takes around 3-6 months for your eyes to completely heal.
24 Hours After LASIK
Right after LASIK, you won’t feel anything because your eyes will still be numb thanks to numbing eye drops you’ll receive before LASIK. The eye drops will wear off within a few hours.
As they wear off, your eyes might feel sensitive and uncomfortable. Ibuprofen and resting will help you feel better.
After you wake up, you might notice improvements in your vision. During this initial period, skip reading or looking at screens to prevent digital eye strain.
One Month After LASIK
The day after LASIK surgery, you will need to go to your follow-up appointment. Your eye doctor will look at how your eyes are healing, and ensure there are no complications or any infections.
Post-surgery, you need to use eye drops every hour. Following the instructions your ophthalmologist gives you is the best way to avoid complications.
Also, right after LASIK, your eyes can feel dry, so make sure you have artificial eye drops to help keep your eyes hydrated. Even if you think your eyes are fine, you still need to use the drops. Your eyes will start to feel better sooner once you use them.
Over the next week, don’t touch your eyes. They are still healing and can be easily irritated. Also, it is important to keep soap and face wash out of your eyes.
To clean the area near your eyes, use clean water to keep them bacteria-free. Stay away from any places where you’d need to submerge your head underwater. This means no swimming for at least a month.
Additionally, you need to keep perfumes, cream, and makeup away from your eyes. They can get particles and bacteria in your eyes, which can cause infections.
Within a week of LASIK, you can start exercising. You should avoid anything strenuous, as well as contact sports.
After two weeks, you do not need eye drops, but artificial tears can still be beneficial. After one month, you can begin playing contact sports without eye protection.
Before then, you need to wear goggles to keep your eyes safe. If you have any eye pain or other eye issues while you recover, please contact your eye doctor. When this happens, it can mean there is a complication, and you need to see your eye doctor as soon as possible.
Do you think it is time to get LASIK? Schedule a LASIK consultation at South Texas Eye Institute in San Antonio, TX, and make achieving visual freedom a priority!
