If you’re living with astigmatism, myopia (nearsightedness), or hyperopia (farsightedness), you might have looked into LASIK eye surgery as a potential solution. LASIK eye surgery is the most commonly performed laser eye surgery to solve any of the above sight conditions.

According to the FDA, around 600,000 people in the U.S. choose to get LASIK surgery every year. And while the industry claims a +90% success rate, it’s important to know what to expect after the procedure.

Here are Readers.com, we care about the wellness of our customers, and want to provide you with the facts and knowledge you need to make an informed decision when it comes to your eye health. Keep reading to find out what you can expect as you recover from LASIK eye surgery.

  • Your eyes might feel dry. Immediately after surgery, your eyes will probably feel itchy and dry from the procedure. To help keep your eyes moist, your doctor will likely prescribe eyedrops that you can start using right away.
  • Your vision will likely be blurry and hazy until the next day. While you’ll probably feel normal after your surgery, you can expect some blurriness and haziness with your eyesight for at least a few hours post-surgery. For that reason, you’ll need to plan to have someone drive you home from your doctor’s office.
  • Don’t plan to do any strenuous exercise or physical activity for at least one week after surgery. It’s usually recommended to take it easy the week following your surgery so as not to strain or potentially injure your eyes. Any strain on your eyes can slow down and negatively affect your eyes’ natural healing process.
  • Always protect your eyes. After you do fully recover from the LASIK procedure, you’ll want to make sure you always protect your eyes with proper sunglasses, as well as safety and sport glasses. Eyes that have been through LASIK are more susceptible to injury than eyes that have not, so investing in good protection is a smart precaution to take.
  • Follow up with your doctor within 24-48 hours. Your doctor will likely already have this appointment scheduled before you even go into surgery. At this appointment, your doctor will check your eyesight and make sure you’re ready to get back to work and driving.
  • Schedule regular check-ups to monitor healing. Healing can take some patients up to 6 months, but takes others only a few weeks. After your initial follow-up, you’ll schedule additional appointments with your doctor to monitor the progress of your vision and to make sure your eyes are healing well.
  • You might still need to wear glasses and/or contact lenses. Depending on your vision before LASIK, you might still need a prescription to correct your eyesight. The good news is, your prescription will be much more mild than it was prior to getting LASIK eye surgery.
  • There’s a small chance you’ll need LASIK enhancement. LASIK enhancement is another procedure, done a few months after LASIK surgery, that is necessary in helping you reach optimal eyesight. Only 3-5% of patients require this touch-up procedure.
  • You might still need reading glasses. Even with effective results of LASIK eye surgery, people over 40 who’ve had the procedure might still need reading glasses due to age-related factors. Lucky for you, we’ve got hundreds of styles for you to choose from!

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