The Post-LASIK Recovery Period: What Happens After Treatment?

If you've decided to undergo wavefront-guided LASIK eye surgery, and you're booked and ready to go, you may still have some lingering questions, particularly about what happens after the surgery is done. Having these kinds of questions and concerns is normal. Most patients want to know how long it will take to recover, and how quickly they can expect to leave the clinic following treatment. Today, we're answering some of those questions for you, so you can rest easy during your upcoming procedure!

Immediately after laser vision correction

Its normal to be a little anxious/excited during your procedure, but we're here to tell you that you will receive the best care available in the country. Here's what to expect immediately after the laser vision correction procedure:

* LASIK operations are fairly short and are a routine procedure. You should expect to be able to go home right after the surgery is done, as it's very rare we need to hold anyone longer.

* You will recover quickly, but you will need someone to drive you. As a safety precaution, driving yourself home isn't allowed.

* Your eyes will feel a little number as the anaesthetic wears off. However, there's a high chance that you'll start to notice an improvement to your vision straight away, as you gain feeling back!

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Before going home, you may also be provided with protective sunglasses for use outside, and a shield for use at night. These will protect your eye while it heals and discourage you from rubbing your eyes.

During the week afterwards

For the first few hours, your eyes will be a little watery as they heal. We usually make an appointment to see you the day after your procedure, just to make sure everything is progressing as expected and check how much your eyesight has improved. The vast majority of our patients are able to see 20/20 at day one following their wavefront-guided LASIK procedure. Your sight will typically be good enough for you to go back to work straight away, but you'll need to be vigilant at managing your recovery just for the first week. That means being careful not to rub your eyes, keeping them from drying out with eye drops if necessary, and being sure to use sunglasses to protect them from the sun.

After a few months

We typically ask you to come in for a final check with us after three months. At this stage, you should be seeing better than ever and wearing glasses or contact lenses would be a distant memory!

Want to know more?

If you want to know more about the laser vision correction procedure itself, or find out how best to prepare for upcoming eye surgery, please get in touch with us, and our expert team will be able to answer your questions! Don't wait, talk to Re:Vision Sight Correction Centre today, Auckland's premier sight correction practice, helping you see how bright your future is!

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