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What to Expect After Surgery
Most patients notice an improvement in their vision immediately
upon completion of their surgery. By the next day vision
is often dramatically improved. However, patients should
understand that, while fast visual recovery characterizes
the operation, it can take several months before some patients
achieve their final vision, especially after LASIK.
Several studies demonstrate that the vision of a number
of patients continued to improve up to six months post-operatively.
During that time, patients may experience slight fluctuations
in vision throughout the day. These symptoms generally diminish
with time.
You should see your doctor within the first 24 to 48 hours
after surgery and at regular intervals after that for at
least the first six months. At the first postoperative visit,
your doctor will remove the eye shield, test your vision,
and examine your eye. Your doctor may give you one or more
types of eye drops to take at home to help prevent infection
and/or inflammation. You may also be advised to use artificial
tears to help lubricate the eye. Do not resume wearing a
contact lens in the operated eye, even if your vision is
blurry.
You should wait one to three days following surgery before
beginning any non-contact sports, depending on the amount
of activity required, how you feel, and your doctor's instructions.
To help prevent infection, you may need to wait for up
to two weeks after surgery or until your doctor advises
you otherwise before using lotions, creams, or make-up around
the eye. Your doctor may advise you to continue scrubbing
your eyelashes for a period of time after surgery. You should
also avoid swimming and using hot tubs or whirlpools for
one to two months.
Strenuous contact sports such as boxing, football, karate,
etc. should not be attempted for at least four weeks after
surgery. It is important to protect your eyes from anything
that might get in them and from being hit or bumped.
During the first few months after surgery, your vision
may fluctuate.
It may take up to three to six months for your vision to
stabilize after surgery.
Glare, haloes, difficulty driving at night, and other visual
symptoms may also persist during this stabilization period.
If further correction or enhancement is necessary, you should
wait until your eye measurements are consistent for two
consecutive visits at least three months apart before re-operation.
It is important to realize that although distance vision
may improve after re-operation, it is unlikely that other
visual symptoms such as glare or haloes will improve.
Be sure to contact your eye doctor immediately, if you develop
any new, unusual or worsening symptoms at any point after
surgery. Such symptoms could signal a problem that, if not
treated early enough, may lead to a loss of vision.
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