After Laser Eye Treatment: Dos and Don’ts

After Laser Eye Surgery

You will be given artificial tears and some sleeping pills after you are discharged so that your companion can safely drive you home. It is important to keep your eyes from drying out in the immediate post-operative period. We strongly advise you to keep your eyes closed or sleep for the next 4 to 6 hours. The natural position of your eyelids helps the corneal flap to reattach gently and firmly to its original place in the eye. You should use the artificial tears even if your eyes do not feel dry or irritated.

After waking up, you may engage in light, non-strenuous activities. However, most patients spend the rest of the day and the following night resting and sleeping to fully recover and enjoy the rest period.

The day after your laser eye surgery, we conduct a follow-up examination at our clinic to check your vision and monitor the healing process. Usually, patients can drive themselves after this follow-up. Approximately two weeks after the laser eye surgery, you should attend another follow-up to check the progress of your vision and the healing process. These follow-up examinations, as well as all future ones, are included in the service package of a laser eye treatment at LASIKWELT.

Immediately After Laser Eye Surgery:

• Bring someone who can drive you home.
• Keep your eyes clean and do not rub them.
• Rest at home with sunglasses on for at least a few hours.
• Follow your doctor’s instructions carefully.
• Wear protective sunglasses for 3 days.

It is not uncommon to experience mild to moderate discomfort in the first few days after surgery. Some people may experience watery or red eyes in the first few days, but most can return to work the next day. Your eye doctor will prescribe medication to ease your discomfort and will schedule a follow-up appointment for the next day to check your vision and ensure your eyes are healing properly.

Care and Treatment After Laser Eye Surgery

Following a laser eye surgery, you should take the following precautions to prevent injury or infection:

• Do not shower or wash your hair until the next day.
• Avoid getting non-sterile water from showers, hair washing, etc., in your eyes in the first few days after surgery.
• Be careful when showering or bathing. Keep soap out of your eyes when washing your hair, and be cautious with hairspray and shaving lotion.
• Do not touch or rub your eyes for at least one month.
• Use all prescribed eye drops, including artificial tears.
• Do not drive until you feel comfortable. Get your doctor’s approval first.
• Wear the eye shield or protective glasses provided by your doctor while sleeping for the first week.
• We strongly recommend wearing protective plastic shields for 10-14 nights if pets or children are allowed to sleep in bed. We also recommend minimizing interactions with pets and children that could lead to facial contact for up to a week after LASIK surgery to avoid sudden bumps or pokes.
• Avoid using a ceiling fan or air conditioner while sleeping as this can dry out your eyes, causing discomfort and occasional blurred vision.
• Keep tap water away from your eyes for at least a week.
• Avoid pools, hot tubs, saunas, lakes, and the sea for at least 3 weeks.

• Avoid gardening and dusty environments for 2 weeks.
• No eye makeup for at least a week. Discard partially used products to avoid infection.
• Do not dye or perm your hair for at least 10 days.
• No sports for at least two days.
• Skip gym workouts for 1 week.
• Wear eye protection for at least one month when resuming sports and physical activities.
• Your eyes will be sensitive to light for a period of time. Dark sunglasses are helpful.
• Avoid contact sports that could lead to eye injuries.
• Avoid dirty and dusty environments for 7 days.
• Smoking is allowed, but smoke can irritate your eyes, so it is best to smoke outside.

After laser eye treatment, some patients report mild discomfort in the form of irritated eyes, a foreign body sensation in the eye, or tearing. To alleviate these discomforts, your doctor may recommend a mild pain reliever as part of your post-operative care. Additionally, it is not uncommon for your eyes to feel dry in the first few weeks after laser eye surgery. Your LASIKWELT eye doctor will prescribe drops to help with this temporary dryness.

Work and Computer Use After LASIK

The vast majority of people can return to work the day after their laser eye surgery. At LASIKWELT, we advise patients to buy over-the-counter preservative-free lubricant drops in single-use vials, which can be used during the postoperative phase of LASIK for several weeks. When you return to work, it is important to take the time to use both prescribed and over-the-counter lubricant drops regularly. Following the instructions for the drops will shorten the healing time, maximize comfort, and improve your productivity after surgery.

If your job involves frequent computer use, try to blink more often – studies show that people blink only half as often as they normally do when working on a computer. You can also increase your use of lubricant drops if your eyes feel dry or your vision appears foggy. Your eyes can be dry even if they do not feel dry to you. Additionally, it is important to change your focus every 20 minutes. We suggest setting a reminder in your calendar to stand up and focus on something in the distance for 30 seconds to a full minute. This will help your eyes slowly adjust back to the intense use of the computer screen and keep your eyes moist all day with your over-the-counter preservative-free lubricant drops.

Medication Use After Laser Eye Surgery:

To promote faster healing times and reduce dryness and infection risks, we send all our patients home with specific instructions for the use of their prescribed eye drops after surgery. These instructions ensure that your corneal tissue experiences the least possible inflammation and dryness after surgery. Using the prescribed medications will not only alleviate any discomfort but also help you sleep better and avoid rubbing your eyes, which risks displacing the healing corneal flap.

Preservative-Free Lubricating Drops in Single-Use Vials:

• Over-the-counter drops that relieve dry eyes or general discomfort.
• Pro tip: Keep them in the refrigerator for extra cooling.
• Keep the eyes moist to ensure the fastest possible healing cycle.
• Act as a “moisturizer” for the eye – even if the eyes do not feel dry, they can still be dry.

Anti-Inflammatory Drops:

• Anti-inflammatory eye drops reduce swelling and irritation in the eye socket after LASIK eye surgery.
• Using these drops according to your surgeon’s specific instructions ensures a quick recovery and reduces inflamed corneal tissue, as the tissue heals faster and has a lower risk of post-operative corneal infections.

Antibiotic Drops

Prescription eye drops prevent eye infections and minimize post-operative inflammation.

Taking Regular Medications Outside of Laser Eye Surgery:

All medications, both over-the-counter and prescription, should be reviewed by your surgeon at LASIKWELT. This is important because certain medications can increase eye dryness and cause other LASIK complications. If necessary, your surgeon will consult your primary care physician to properly manage non-procedural prescription medications.

Nevertheless, many patients share some common experiences:

Improved vision: On the second day, many patients experience a noticeable improvement in their vision compared to the first day after surgery. Some may already have quite clear vision, while others may still have some blurriness.

Ongoing healing: The cornea is still healing at this stage, and as it heals, vision may continue to improve. The healing process varies in speed for each individual.

Post-operative symptoms: Patients may still experience some common post-operative symptoms, such as mild discomfort, light sensitivity, glare, halos around lights, or dry eyes. These symptoms typically decrease over time but can temporarily affect the clarity of vision.

Individual differences: It is important to remember that individual healing rates and responses to the surgery can vary significantly. Some patients may have almost perfect vision by the second day, while others may take longer to reach their best vision.

Lasikwelt Eye Laser Center Cologne