Here's what I experienced during the recovery process after LASIK surgery.
1 Day Post-Op
I got plenty of rest the night before and attended my 1 Day Post-Op visit with the optometrist on Saturday. He ensured the flap was well-positioned and there were no signs of excessive inflammation (DLK). My uncorrected visual acuity was 20/20 in each eye! My left eye was slightly blurrier than my right, but my eyes were still healing.
At this visit, the optometrist will confirm whether your vision is good enough to drive. The legal vision standard for driving is 20/50 (with both eyes open) in my province of Ontario.
I had several sub-conjunctival hemorrhages on the whites of my eyes, which happens commonly from the pressure of the suction during the flap creation procedure. The hemorrhages look scary but they are harmless and go away on their own in 4 - 6 weeks. They're basically a bruise on the eye; they look worse on the eye because they're bright red, whereas on the body, the colour from the overlying skin gives it a black/blue/green hue.
I was able to do most of my normal activities. However, you are not allowed to exercise for 1 week, so I still took it easy. You also have to wait 24 hours post-surgery to take a shower, so I took a shower later that afternoon. I took care to not splash water into my eyes.
1 Week Post-Op
My eyes were feeling a little gritty/dry after Day 2 Post-Op, probably because my steroid drops were being tapered down in dose frequency. I used artificial tears frequently to keep my eyes lubricated, probably every hour or more. I used Thealoz Duo, Hyabak, and Hylo on rotation for the first month. They're preservative free, so they can be used as frequently as needed. My eyes were driest on the first week, but improved a lot after that.
I had returned to work by Tuesday (although I could have probably started on Monday). Work was fine, there was no visual discomfort... I just had to constantly explain to patients why their optometrist had red eyes!
At my 1 Week Post-Op visit, the optometrist again confirmed that my vision was good (20/20 in each eye) and that there were no delayed onset complications.
Although I experienced some glare with lights during the first few post-op days while my corneas were still healing, I did not experience any halos/glare at night after Week 1. I think this is a testament to the efficacy of the wavefront-guided technology. If you have the choice, I would highly recommend this option.
I had worn glasses since I was 8 years old, and contact lenses since I was 18, so I still had little habits that took a few weeks to stop doing! Like reaching for my glasses first thing in the morning, or thinking that I needed to take my contact lenses out before I shower or go to bed. It was amazing that I didn't need to do that anymore!
I started wearing eye makeup again after my 1 Week Post-Op. I was very careful with the application and removed it very gently with makeup removing wipes.
I also started going to the gym and exercising again.
1 Month Post-Op
By Weeks 2 and 3, my vision seemed to have really settled and I was back to my busy regular life.
The sub-conjunctival hemorrhages (red bloodshot eyes) took 5-6 weeks to go away completely, and there were still some red areas after 1 month. I would advise you to give yourself a couple months before any big important event, such as a wedding!
You have to be extra careful about playing sports in the first 3 months as the flap is still susceptible to being dislodged.
Final Thoughts
My LASIK experience was smooth and I have to credit the skill of the health care team at the LASIK centre. Like I've mentioned in previous posts, it's important to choose a quality LASIK centre and ensure you're a good candidate for the procedure. A good doctor will discuss the risks with you, answer your questions, and turn away any patient who is NOT a good candidate.
I hope you found this walkthrough of my experience helpful.
Let me know your thoughts in the comments and feel free to reach out with any further questions.
Wishing you good health and clear vision!
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