Dr. Labor has successfully performed LASIK surgery on patients from across Dallas/Fort Worth. Our LASIK patients come from various walks of life with their own individual careers, backgrounds, and interests. But everyone wants (and deserves) to know about their recovery and how long it will take.
You may have heard that “your eyes are like fingerprints.” You may also be familiar with “eye recognition” as a form of identity verification that’s already in use. Each of your eyes are uniquely complex, and each patient’s needs can vary. In many ways this is why recovery times can vary too. The majority of our LASIK patients tell us they can see better right after surgery. On average, most people see a significant improvement in their vision within the first 2 to 7 days. Generally, it can take between 3 to 6 months for a patient’s vision to fully stabilize.
Recovery can depend on what happens after as well as during the procedure. In other words, following doctor’s orders after surgery matters…a lot. Especially with the eye being such a delicate and important part of every human body. A few important things to remember for after surgery:
Don’t rub your eyes. Every patient hears this right after their procedure. Rubbing the eyes can effect recovery or possibly cause further treatment. Discomfort, sensitivity to light, blurry/hazy vision, or watery eyes are common symptoms, and gradually improve in the first few days. The doctor will often recommend a mild pain reliever to help.
Keep your follow up appointments. These usually start at 24 to 48 hours after surgery, and extend to regular appointments over a few months. During follow up, vision is tested and evaluated at various intervals. Patients are told to avoid the following: non-contact sports 1 to 3 days after surgery; lotions, creams or make up around the eye for up to 2 weeks; strenuous contact sports for at least 4 weeks; and swimming or hot tubs for 1 to 2 months.
What else? LASIK continues to improve in safety and effectiveness, with post-surgery complications rare compared to patients with no complications. If considering LASIK, you should be thoroughly evaluated long before your procedure to make sure you’re a candidate (if not a candidate, there are other effective alternatives). What’s more, your doctor should be up front with you, look after your total health, and do everything possible to ensure optimum results and ease of recovery.
Recovery times, follow up procedures and scheduling may vary depending on severity of eye condition, health, and other factors for patients found to be LASIK candidates. Always confer with a Board Certified eye doctor for information related to your particular condition.
