Laser Eye Surgery: What Results to Expect

Immediate effects

Although the vast majority of patients report instantaneous positive effects after their laser eye treatment, a few need a little longer to recover. Vision is often foggy for the first few hours and in some the whole day. There is no pain, however some patients report a burning or stinging sensation, a little like a mild soap in the eye. This wears off in a few hours and for this reason you are encouraged to have a nap as soon as you get home.

Following your treatment, you will have protective eye wear to stop yourself inadvertently touching or rubbing your eye. As there is little or no pain, no painkillers are needed following Lasik. You may need painkillers if you have had LasEk or PRK. You will have been given antibiotics and steroid eye drops in a small sponge bag. Make sure you take the drops as instructed as they are important to avoid infection and inflammation and make a considerable difference to your recovery.

Longer term effects

Over the coming weeks you can expect your vision to fluctuate from time to time but overall improve in terms of quality. Initially your eyes might feel a little dry and it is important to use artificial tears to alleviate the dry eye. This dry eye problem which almost all patients experience initially to some degree, improves after 6 to 12 weeks.

So stay patient and wait it out – it’ll be worthwhile…

Life beyond glasses and contact lenses offers a kind of freedom you may not have experienced for years – if ever at all. So what kind of benefits can you expect after your laser eye treatment? Here are a few great upsides to look forward to!

Sports

Swimming, running, cycling and generally getting a sweat on won’t require a second thought after laser eye surgery. Never again will you have to endure the sting of contact lenses and chlorine after just a few laps around the pool. You can even leave those pesky prescription goggles at home. A quick jog around the park will never demand daily disposables again. Whatever your activity of choice, the only thing you’ll have to think about is getting your heart rate up.

Travelling

Contact lenses and glasses can be the bane of bespectacled travellers’ lives. Whether you’re off on a long weekend or planning an adventure abroad, the days of forgetting your solution or your spare pair of glasses will be a thing of the past after laser eye treatment.

You can say goodbye to decanting your contact solution into tiny containers or having it confiscated at airport security – there will be no more panic buying on the other side for you! After laser eye surgery, travelling is set to be hassle free as it really should be.

Business as usual

You don’t have to be an extreme sports enthusiast to reap the benefits of laser eye surgery. You can wave goodbye to the blurry morning hunt for your spectacles and those dry, bloodshot eyes after a weekend of contact lens-wearing following your treatment.

Even if all you plan on doing is settling down in front of the TV or heading out for an evening meal, laser eye treatment means you can stop worrying about your contacts and start concentrating on the more important things in life!

Picture By ROTFLOLEB [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Author Information

Authored by Sheraz Daya MD FACP FACS FRCS(Ed) FRCOphth, Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon & Medical Director, June 2019.