Recovery FAQs
- What should I do immediately after surgery?
- How long should I use these protective plastic shields?
- When can I drive again?
- What are the medicated eye drops for?
- When can I go back to work?
- What can I expect in the following weeks after surgery?
- Why should I use the lubricant eye drops?
- How often should I use the lubricant drops?
- What are the best lubricants drops to use?
- Does air-conditioning or heating affect my eyes?
- What about reading or working on the computer?
- What sunglasses should I wear?
- What about washing my showering & washing my hair?
- What shouldn't I do after LASIK?
- When can I wear eye makeup?
- How long before I can fly in a Commercial Airliner?
- Why does my vision sometimes go blurry but then clears when I blink?
- Why is my vision worse at the end of the day?
- What if I have dry, gritty, watery, scratchy eyes or feel like there is something in them?
- What if I have itchy eyes?
- What if I get very red eyes?
What should I do immediately after surgery?
Your eyes will be gritty and irritable and very sensitive to light for several hours afterwards. They usually water a lot. You will probably not feel like doing much other than sleeping, Rest with your eyes closed. You can watch some TV but do not do that for too long. Keep the shields on your eyes until the next morning except to remove them before bed to put a drop from each medication bottle in your eyes before replacing them again. Your vision will be blurry on the day of surgery but should start to clear by the next morning. Keep water out of your eyes in the first week after surgery.
How long should I use these protective plastic shields?
Tape the shields on at night for 2 more nights after the first night to avoid inadvertent rubbing of your eyes when you are asleep'. You can take the shields off at home on the first post-operative visit. During the day just wear sunglasses.
When can I drive again?
We recommend you do not drive to your follow-up appointment the next day. Your vision will be checked and the surgeon will advise you when you can drive. Usually you can drive as soon as you are comfortable with your VISION outside in bright light and can judge speed and distances accurately. This may take a day or two after surgery.
What are the medicated eye drops for?
Both are used as preventative measures. One is an anti-inflammatory and help make the eyes more comfortable and the other an antibiotic. These should be used as instructed by your surgeon.
When can I go back to work?
Most people require two days off work: the day of surgery and the day after. Some people may require longer, depending on their occupation, You can return to work as soon as you feel comfortable with your vision, !t -may take some time, (a few weeks) to feel completely comfortable with prolonged reading or computer use. Excessive computer work or near work, especially in air-conditioning, may make your eyes more sensitive. You may find that you tire more quickly, or cannot concentrate for as long as usual, while you are getting used to the changes in VISION vision. It is more likely that it will take longer to adjust for those in the presbyopic age group (older than 40 years).
What can I expect in the following weeks after surgery?
There will be some fluctuation in your vision for the first few days to one week as the corneal flap is settling down. It may take longer for moderate or higher corrections to settle completely. Your eyes may remain sensitive to dryness/wind/air-conditioning/bright lights for some time; so you should use lubricant eye drops frequently and always wear wrap around/large sunglasses when outside during the day. In some cases it can take up to 3 months for your eyes to completely stabilise. It takes longer for the night-time vision to improve than day-time vision.
Why should I use the lubricant eye drops?
The LASIK flap cuts the nerves in your cornea and reduces the reflex for producing tears, so your eyes are drier after surgery until the nerves grow back. This can take up to a year. You may not feel the eyes are dry but it helps to replace the moisture that is usually there with artificial tears or moisturisers. The eye surface needs to be constantly wet to give clear and stable vision. Dry eyes have been show to reduce the effectiveness of LASIK so it is in your best interest to use artificial tears liberally for at least the first few months after surgery, lubricant before bed but do not use gel lubricants for 2 weeks after surgery unless directed to by the surgeon.
How often should I use the lubricant drops?
The more you use them the better your eyes will feel. Unlike skin moisturisers, the drops drain away very quickly and need to be repeated often. Commonly people need to use the drops every hour initially but this can be slowly tapered off to every 2 hours then 4 times per day (during waking hours). For those with significantly dry eyes it helps to use some gel lubricant before bed.
What are the best lubricants drops to use?
The best drops are in the break-open containers, as they do not contain a preservative (Cellufresh, Luxyal, Refresh, BionTears, TheraTears, Systane Unit Dose): Dispose Of these on the day they are opened, We have found that Cellufresh work well during the day. Thicker gel type lubricants such as Poly Gel or Viscotears Get SDU work well for night time use or if your eyes are very A can make your vision transiently blurry with daytime use. All of these drops can be bought over-the-counter.
Does air-conditioning or heating affect my eyes?
Both air-conditioning and heating decrease humidity and can result in drier eyes. If you go back to work and find your eyes drier than at home make sure you are not sitting in the path of an air vent and remember to blink when using the computer.
What about reading or working on the computer?
This may be more difficult than normal for some time due to the change in your vision. If you had reading glasses or Bifocals/Multifocals prior to surgery, or are more than 40 years old, you will most probably need reading glasses after surgery. Immediately after surgery you can use some over-the-counter magnifying spectacles to get you by. At the 1-2 month visit we can prescribe some prescription reading glasses, if needed. The rates, at which you blink decreases when you read, drive, watch TV or use a computer. The film of tears on the cornea then has to last longer between each blink. If the tear film breaks up it can make the eyes uncomfortable or affect the quality of your vision. You should take frequent short breaks to allow your eyes to move more naturally if this is happening.
What sunglasses should I wear?
Your sunglasses should meet Australian Standards (check the tag) and have 100% UV protection. Man people also find polarised lenses (which block glare off the road or water) are better. It is good to get either a wrap-around frame or very large pair of sunglasses that fit snugly around your eyes/brow to block glare and wind from the sides.
What about washing my showering & washing my hair?
It is best to keep your eyes closed when showering and washing your hair and face for at least 2 weeks...
What shouldn't I do after LASIK?
Swimming: Don't go swimming (Beach or Pool) or use a spa for at least 1 week. Surfing: 2 weeks. Scuba Diving: Not for or at least 1 month. Light exercise: Is fine within the first week. Just be careful around other people and do not rub your eyes if you get sweat in them. Contact sports: One month. Rubbing eyes: Don't rub your eyes hard, ever, but don't rub them even normally for the first month.
When can I wear eye makeup?
Do not use any eye makeup for at least 1 week after surgery. Try to avoid using makeup on the eyelids and lid margins for longer. When using eye makeup again try to use the hypo-allergenic type. Avoid mascara that lengthens lashes as the filaments tend to fall into your eyes over the day.
How long before I can fly in a Commercial Airliner?
There is no restriction on flying but the humidity in the cabin is extremely low, resulting in dry eyes. Use lubricating drops or gel frequently on the flight to avoid sore, dry eyes and blurred vision after the flight.
Why does my vision sometimes go blurry but then clears when I blink?
This is a sign of dry eyes. If your eyes are dry the tears become very thick, like sludge, and you often need to blink a few times to clear it. If this happens please start using the daytime lubricant drops more often (hourly). Contact us if it does not improve over time.
Why is my vision worse at the end of the day?
It is normal for your eyes to get drier as the day goes on and this interferes with the quality of vision. If you work on computers or are concentrating on near work all day it can be hard to relax the eyes for distance vision and they will seem blurry. You also blink less when reading or using the computer and that makes the eyes drier. Use the lubricating drops more frequently and take frequent, short breaks from the computer to allow your eyes to move and blink more naturally.
What if I have dry, gritty, watery, scratchy eyes or feel like there is something in them?
This is related to reduced tear production. Your eyes often dry out after LASIK so will need to use eye lubricants, The more you use them the better this will get. Using the drops every hour is not too often, Many people want to tough it out and not use drops but this is the worst thing you can do.
What if I have itchy eyes?
This is an allergy response, so you may have got something in your eye (dust, pollen, animal hair). You can take over the-counter anti-histamine tablets (talk to your pharmacist) or use so anti-histamine eye drops (also over the counter) as directed. We have found that Zaditen or Naphcon A works well.
What if I get very red eyes?
Some redness immediately after LASIK is common, especially where the white meets the clear part of your eye. These red patches are like small bruises and will clear over the first week or so. They are nothing to be worried about. If your eyes have become red some time after having surgery this is commonly due to dryness. Please start using the lubricant drops and if it doesn't improve steadily then contact us.
