After Your LASIK Eye Surgery

It is important to arrange to have someone bring you home after your LASIK eye surgery. You will most likely not be able to see well enough to drive, and you may be prescribed drugs which will interfere with your ability to get home on your own. You will not see clearly or feel well immediately. After all, you've just had surgery to a very sensitive part of your body! Some people experience mild pain, and eye doctors may prescribe a painkiller. Most people find they instinctively want to rub their eyes after the surgery. Don't do it! Plan on taking a few days off from work or school. You may experience visual side effects like starbursts, haloes, or sensitivity to light. Some of these may take up to four weeks to completely go away. At your first postoperative visit, your eye doctor should remove your shield and examine your eye. You will then find out how well the LASIK vision correction worked. You may need to wait one to three days after surgery before resuming exercise, and up to two weeks before resuming wearing eye makeup or using lotions or creams near the eye. You should also avoid swimming and using hot tubs for up to two months after LASIK surgery As always, it's a good idea to communicate clearly with your eye doctor about what you're experiencing, and to ask for help if you are in pain.