Whether it is to treat nearsightedness, farsightedness, or astigmatism, many people have chosen LASIK eye surgery to improve their vision. Knowing what to expect will put your mind at ease, and help you obtain the best results and a speedy recovery.
Risks Associated to LASIK Eye Surgery
LASIK, like any surgery, has potential risks and complications that should be carefully considered. Although rare in occurrence, risks associated with LASIK Eye Surgery may include:
- Corneal infection
- Corneal scarring or permanent problems with the cornea’s shape, making it difficult to wear contact lenses
- Decrease in contrast sensitivity
- Dry eyes
- Light sensitivity
- Patches of red or pink in the white of the eye
- Reduced vision or permanent vision loss
What to Expect in Recovery and Post-Operative Care
After the procedure, don’t be alarmed if your vision seems cloudy, blurry, or distorted. It can take some time for your vision to adjust and adapt. During this time, you may develop red and bloodshot eyes because of temporary damage to the blood vessels on the surface of the eye. You may experience burning, itching, or a feeling that something is in your eye. This is temporary. As your eye heals, the side effects should resolve within several days. Here are some tips to a speedy recovery.
Wear Eye Protection. Your doctor should provide you with some form of an eye shield to protect your eyes. Your will want to leave this leave this on for up to two weeks after your procedure to prevent damage. Eye goggles can also help prevent contamination during a shower or bath. Sunglasses are also needed when outdoors to protect from harmful ultraviolet rays.
Do Not Rub Your Eyes. No matter how tempting it is, do not touch your eyes to relive burning or itching. Rubbing or touching your eyes that can interfere with the healing and recovery process. If the pain or discomfort is unbearable, consult your doctor medications to alleviate the discomfort.
Take Baths Instead of Showers. During the time of recovery, a bath may enable you to protect your eyes better. Refrain from contaminating or irritating your eyes with shampoo and soap. Water from the shower that hits your eye can also directly cause complications.
Avoid Any Facial Applications. Creams, lotions and makeup should be avoided to prevent infection. Eye creams, eye liner, eye shadow, and mascara are especially dangerous because cross contamination of debris can enter or irritate your eye
Ease Your Way Back into Your Normal Routine. Give you and your eyes time to rest before you return back to your daily activities normally. Make sure you take a couple days off school or work to allow for adequate recovery time.
Avoid Strenuous Activity. Avoid strenuous activity for up to a month. Your vision and depth perception will need time to adjust, and participating in strenuous activity can put you at risk of having a person or object inadvertently hit you in the eyes. Avoid watersports or any other water activities until one month after treatment.
Are Results Permanent?
LASIK eye surgery offers numerous benefits and can dramatically improve your quality of life. While most people achieve 20/20 vision after the surgery, results do vary. Some people may still need to wear glasses or contact lenses following the procedure, though your prescription level will be much lower than before.
A small percentage of patients will need LASIK enhancement, a touch up procedure to achieve acceptable visual acuity. If needed, this procedure typically takes place a few months after the LASIK surgery.
If you are over 40, reading glasses may still be needed because of normal age-related loss of vision called presbyopia.
While LASIK surgery has a high success rate, it is important that you discuss all facets of the procedure with your surgeon prior to scheduling a date.
Schedule a Consultation
Women and men turn to LASIK eye surgery to achieve near-perfect vision without glasses or contacts. There are several innovative vision correction treatment options available, and it can be difficult to decipher which procedure is best for you.
Join us at Advanced Eye Medical for an expert consultation on our services. We will discuss and review your options in order to help you find the perfect answer to your eye care concerns.