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Post-Operative Care

Once the procedure is done, additional drops will be placed in your eyes and you will be instructed on the use of your medications. Pain medications will be prescribed as needed, as well as eye drops to promote healing and prevent infection. You will be able to go home almost immediately.

Following the surgery you should go home and rest. You may experience some discomfort after the procedure. Those with LASIK may experience discomfort for a few hours while those with PRK may last for a few days. You can expect your vision to be fairly blurry immediately after surgery. In the case of PRK, your vision may worsen over the first three days. With LASIK there is usually a dramatic improvement in vision in the first 24 hours. It may be a good idea not to drive until you feel your vision has improved. This may take a week with PRK and a few days with LASIK. Sensitivity to light is normal and will improve. Wear good sunglasses. Avoid rubbing your eyes. Avoid swimming, surfing, and hot tubs for a week. Showers are fine, just avoid splashing your eyes with water. Also, avoid dusty or smoky environments.

When you leave Laser Eye Center of Hawaii, you will be given complete instructions to follow including a post-operative appointment schedule. A typical post-operative appointment schedule follows.

With PRK, you will be instructed to use eye drops for at least three months. The frequency will be modified after the first month’s visit. Deviations from your eye drop regimen may lead to haze or regression. Please keep your follow-up appointments, as your eye drop regimen may need to be altered. Also, it is important to monitor your eye pressure if you are on post-operative steroid drops. With LASIK, you will be using eye drops for about seven to 10 days.

After the PRK and LASIK procedures, it may take as long as three months for your vision to stabilize. Recovery is generally faster with LASIK than PRK and stability can be achieved as early as two weeks. With LASIK, although the flap is relatively adhered down in one week, it is advisable not to rub your eyes too roughly for three months.

Once your vision is stable, your treatment is permanent and there is a happy ending – less dependence, and perhaps complete freedom from eyeglasses!