After LASIK: Continuing Your Care

After LASIK, in the rare event that you experience serious pain, or if your vision or other symptoms get worse instead of better, contact your LASIK surgeon immediately. Do not wait for your scheduled visit.

Such problems rarely occur after LASIK. Here's what to expect normally:

Immediately after LASIK surgery

You may be drowsy from the medication. And your vision may be somewhat blurry. Have someone drive you home. Limit your activities to bed rest for the rest of the day. Congratulations on your vision correction surgery from experts in Austin, the LASIK team at Eye Physicians of Austin!

Before you leave after LASIK, the Austin surgical center's staff will give you a protective eye shield to wear while you sleep. Continue to wear the shield when you nap and sleep at night for the next 7 days.

The white of your eye may look red or bloodshot. Soon after the procedure, you may experience some mild discomfort or itching. Or you may feel like there is something in your eye. If so, your doctor may suggest you take a mild pain reliever. Both your eyes may tear or water. You will instinctively want to rub your eye, but don't! Rubbing your eye could dislodge the flap, requiring further treatment.

All the symptoms just mentioned should improve considerably within the first few days after surgery.

You'll use two different drops in the eye(s) that had LASIK. Your ophthalmologist will write you a prescription for antibiotic eye drops to help prevent infection. The same Eye Physicians of Austin eye doctor will provide you with eye drops to decrease inflammation. Wait a few minutes between eye drops because the eye can only hold one drop at a time. Use the drops as directed, usually for a week after surgery.

The day after LASIK

Most LASIK patients have 20/40 vision or better the morning after the procedure. Because the healing process is different for each patient, it is hard to predict when vision will stabilize.

We advise that you don't operate machinery or drink alcohol for at least 48 hours after your Eye Physicians of Austin LASIK surgeon has done the procedure.

However, you'll likely be able to drive and work the day following the operation by your Eye Physicians of Austin LASIK eye surgery specialist.

Come to the offices of Eye Physicians of Austin for the LASIK post-surgical examination. You'll get individualized attention and information at this first check-up with your Eye Physicians of Austin LASIK surgeon.

This will be the same Austin eye doctor who did your preoperative consultation and your surgery. Other places doing LASIK in Austin might require you see two or more doctors. But not at Eye Physicians of Austin. The same laser vision correction surgeon handles all your care, including your follow-up visits.

The next weeks after LASIK

Expect improvements in your vision to come and go somewhat during the first weeks after surgery. You may experience dimmer vision in the evenings. All this is normal.

You will have several check-up visits with your ophthalmologist for approximately a year to make sure your eyes are fine.

What else can happen after LASIK: Better Vision! (but maybe more)

The risks of minor or major complications are both very low.

When complications occur, they usually go away with treatment or by the eye healing itself. Complications generally go away within 1 day to 6 months, depending on the problem and your unique eyes.

Dry eye, perhaps the most common complication, occurs in approximately 5% of patients. For most people, "artificial tears" usually handle the problem until it gets better by itself.

Scratchiness ("it feels like there's something in my eye") occurs in approximately 1% of patients. This condition may last 1 day or several weeks. Prompt treatment prevents this condition from affecting vision permanently.

Older studies found that a small number of patients experience decreased night vision with symptoms such as glare, halos or starbursts around lights. Newer studies are expected to confirm that even smaller numbers of such problems occur when LASIK surgeons use the most advanced technologies, such as these used by each Eye Physicians of Austin LASIK eye surgeon: blade-free Intralase, wavefront Custom LASIK, and precise pupil measurement. After examining you, the Eye Physicians of Austin LASIK surgeon can discuss your particular risk and the likelihood these night vision disturbances will go away within weeks.

If 20/20 vision after LASIK doesn't seem as sharp as 20/20 with eyewear, the cause often is decreased contrast. This happens infrequently and usually goes away in 1 to 6 months.

A minority of patients want sharper vision than LASIK produced. An enhancement procedure often helps. It's very similar to the original LASIK, except it costs significantly less.

The more serious complications, such as prolonged inflammation, occur in very small numbers of patients, ranging from approximately 0.18% to 0.33% per problem. Treatments are available.

These aren't all the potential risks and complications that might happen to someone. To find out about realistic risks for your unique eyes, ask your Eye Physicians of Austin ophthalmologist.