What is the laser eye surgery recovery like?

There are many things that put people off having laser eye surgery and one of the most common ones is the fear of what to expect during the laser eye surgery recovery. Like with more things in life, the actual thought of having something done is often not as bad as the reality.

The typical things that people are concerned about with the recovery are as follows:

• The pain involved after laser eye surgery.
• Worried about how soon they will be able to drive following laser eye surgery.
• Worried about when they will be able to return to work and normal activities following laser eye surgery.
• Worried whether they can play sport after laser eye surgery.

Let’s address these questions one by one to allow you to be better informed about the laser eye surgery recovery. It would be a shame if the reason you were not having laser eye surgery was because of something that was not actually true.

• What Pain can I expect during the laser eye surgery recovery? Immediately following surgery there will be no pain at all as your eyes will still be anaesthetised. However, as the anaesthetic wears off you should expect there to be some discomfort. You have after all had a surgical procedure! How much discomfort there will be will depend on which procedure you have had. Lasik results in very little discomfort at all during the recovery period and most people only report mild discomfort which typically lasts for 24 – 48 hours. Lasek recovery however, typically involves more discomfort and lasts for a longer period of time. Full recovery can take up to 1 week following Lasek eye surgery.
• How soon can I drive after laser eye surgery? Again this depends on whether you are having Lasik or Lasek surgery. Most people can drive within 24 – 48 hours following Lasik, whereas it can be up to 1 week following Lasek eye surgery. This varies from individual to individual and the higher your initial prescription the longer your vision will take to settle down
• When can I return to work and normal activities after laser eye surgery? Most people can return to work within 48 hours following Lasik surgery. Lasek is typically longer and people sometimes need up to 1 week off work following surgery. Everyone’s eyes heal at different rates so expect some variation on these figures.
• Can I play sport after laser eye surgery: There will obviously be a period of healing following laser eye surgery where you will not be allowed to play sport. If you have had Lasek you can normally return to sport and physical activities sooner than compared with Lasik. The reason for this is because the main weakness following laser eye surgery is where the flap is healing. There is no flap created during Lasek and so therefore there is no risk of there being any problems with this.

As you can see from this article there really is nothing to fear about the laser eye surgery recovery. If it is important that you can return to work quickly following surgery and you are at all concerned about the discomfort following the procedure, then Lasik is by far the best choice. If you are involved in a physical sport or job, then Lasik may be the better option for you. It is important however to remember that your surgeon may insist that you have one treatment over the other, regardless of what your preference is due to the results of  measurements that have been taken during the laser eye surgery consultation. For example if you have thin corneas you may be forced to have Lasek rather than Lasik surgery.

For more information on laser eye surgery you can visit TreatmentSaver.com

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