How Long Does The Laser Eye Surgery Recovery Take?

One of the possible reasons for the reluctance in taking the eye laser surgery might be the time required for laser eye surgery recovery. The recovery time is not fixed, as it depends on some factors like the level of eye issue faced by the patient, the patient’s age, and the intensity of laser used on the eyes.

After undergoing eye laser surgery (LASIK), the improvements will begin to take place after about 24-48 hours.  The procedure for the LASEK surgery might require a longer time as the procedure is more complicated.

However, both procedures require very minimal post-surgery precautions, and so one can easily go back to normal activities a week after the surgery. Generally, full improvements will be visible after about six months.  There are still some tips that can make the entire process easier. We have shared some of these tips in this article.

How to deal with discomfort post-surgery

Ensure that plans are made for your transportation back home after the surgery. This is because you will be unable to drive yourself back after the surgery. Also, your eyes would be prone to some inflammations and infections in the days following the surgery, which is why the doctor will prescribe some drugs to prevent them.

It is normal to have some discomfort shortly after the procedure. You might have a grain-like feeling in your eyes, or find tears dropping out of them occasionally. After you take the prescribed drugs and give your eyes some rest, all of these will recede. Your eyes will be very sensitive, so sunglasses will be a great idea. To avoid mistakenly rubbing your eyes vigorously in your sleep, it is advisable to use an eye patch on the eyes when sleeping.

If you underwent LASIK procedure, you would be required to re-visit the clinic for post-surgery care appointment.  If you underwent LASEK procedure, about 4-5 days after your surgery, you will need to re-visit the clinic as a bandage contact lens would be placed on your eyes while it heals. Remember not to re-use the contact lens you used before your treatment when the treatment is completed.

Long term Expectations

In the long run, it could take up to 6 months before you are fully recovered from your laser eye surgery treatment. It is okay to have some initial blurriness as your eyes will need some time to get settled in and back to normal after the surgery. A lot of aftercare appointments will be fixed for you during this period of recovery, and it is advisable that you do not miss any of them. The aftercare treatments are very necessary as they will make the healing process faster and easier, and ensure that you do not catch any irritations and infections that could have adverse effects on your eyes.   

For workers, of course, you cannot stay away from work for 6 months. However, with the necessary precautions, you will be able to manage the situation properly. If you are mostly going to be in front of screens, ensure that you take intermittent breaks to give your eyes rest. Also, stick with your eye drops and take plenty of water. If you work outdoors, you should always have your sunglasses which should have 100% UV protection on and avoid working when the weather is extremely sunny.

To avoid complications, do not take on any hard impact task in the meantime. If you inevitably have to do hard tasks, let your eye doctor know about this, and an adequate solution will be found for you. To get more advice, book a consultation for laser eye surgery in London.