Antibiotic eye medicines, steroid eye drops, and ‘natural tears’ were given to me. I had to use them every two hours for the first week after the laser eye surgery, but after a month, I am back to utilizing natural tears. Due to the fact that Russian physicians are notorious for being overprotective, there were several requirements to observe. I adhered to each one since my surgeon was a 10-hour trip away and I had no intention of ruining my brand-new eyes:
- No showers for 24 hours
- No alcohol or fizzy drinks for 30 days
- No cleaning or touching your eyes for at least 7 days
- No swimming for 30 days
- No exercises for two weeks
- No lifting anything more than 5kg for two weeks
- No spas or saunas for four weeks
LASIK vs. SMILE
To be precise, I did not get LASIK. My operation was called ReLEx SMILE. If you have the option, I strongly advise against LASIK. The SMILE incision is much smaller — around 2mm vs. over 1cm — and the risk of corneal flap separation is significantly lower (do NOT Google that). Visit https://www.personaleyes.com.au/costs/lasiklaser-eye-surgery-cost to read about laser eye surgery.
There is often less discomfort after SMILE surgery, and the procedure itself takes around twice as long since the SMILE laser can execute it in a single phase (in traditional laser eye surgery, the cutting and the surgery are performed by two different lasers).
What did it cost?
The SMILE operation cost me around 2,000 USD for both eyes, not counting the $100 pre-laser eye surgery exam and the $20 eye drops. If I had opted for the regular laser eye surgery procedure, the cost would have been less than $1,000 USD.
While I am aware that there are several Groupon discounts for laser eye surgery, now is NOT the time to save money, since it is, after all, your eyes. Take your time in selecting a surgeon and a facility that you can trust. Although the clinic in Moscow was far from the cheapest, when I had my eyes tested two weeks later in Shanghai, the optometrist commented that the cuts were considerably cleaner and more exact than they had seen in many patients.
Is this a procedure I would recommend?
Yes, without a doubt.
Many patients report feeling more at ease after a little snooze while wearing protective eye shields. For the first several days after laser eye surgery, patients are advised to sleep with these plastic eye shields to avoid unconscious eye rubbing. It is critical to avoid rubbing your eyes during the first healing period.
Many people are astonished at how soon their vision recovers after laser eye surgery treatment. Recovery is often rapid, with the majority of patients returning to their normal routines within a week following surgery.
However, postoperative care is just as critical as the treatment itself. Following laser eye surgery, post-operative care is critical to ensure adequate healing and comfort. Keep the following guidelines in mind to help you remain on track and get the most out of your LASIK surgery experience.
• Make Appointments for Follow-Up: Schedule all necessary follow-up visits with your eye doctor within the first three months after your laser eye surgery treatment. Annual eye examinations will continue to be essential after laser vision correction to ensure your eyes remain healthy.
· Adhere to Your Physician’s Directions: Follow-up appointments with your main eye doctor are crucial because they enable your primary eye doctor to make adjustments based on your healing response. Another helpful resource throughout the recovery process is our guide to post-laser eye surgery care.
Following laser eye surgery Timeline for Follow-Up Care:
- During the first week, your doctor will prescribe eye drops to help avoid infection, irritation, and dryness.
- The first several months: Your doctor will monitor the healing process and ensure that your eyes are comfortable and that your vision is normal.
Resuming Regular Activities Following laser eye surgery
Numerous individuals return to work within a day or two following laser eye surgery. Ensure that you adhere to the limits listed below. Otherwise, you should be able to continue all of your usual activities as long as you follow your doctor’s directions.
- Your doctor will determine when you are safe to drive after surgery, which is normally one day.
- Protect your eyes with sunglasses for at least the first week after LASIK surgery.
- Read sparingly during the first several days after your LASIK operation.
- For one week, refrain from using eye makeup.
- Avoid rubbing your eyes for one month after laser eye surgery.
- Take a week off from exercise.
- For one week after your surgery, avoid swimming, hot baths, and whirlpools.
- For one week, abstain from gardening and dusty settings.
- For one month, abstain from contact sports that might result in an eye injury.
- Smoking is permitted but may irritate the eyes.
PRK Recuperation
As with laser eye surgery, PRK eye surgery corrects nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism while also shortening the time required to execute the procedure. Due to the unique nature of the PRK treatment, recovery time may be significantly longer. Because individual recovery durations vary, it is important to address this with your laser eye surgery surgeon. You can read about Note these tips before going or a laser eye surgery by clicking here.
Consequences laser eye surgery healing is often painless for patients. While the risk of problems after laser eye surgery is very low, patients should anticipate some treatment-related side effects. The majority of side effects are mild and normally diminish within a few days, however, they will be most evident during the first week of laser eye surgery recovery. LASIK’s most prevalent adverse effects include the following:
• Discomfort: Following LASIK surgery, it is totally normal for the eyes to feel irritated. Some people report this sensation as a faint burning, while others describe it as catching something tiny (such as an eyelash) in their eye. In any scenario, pain should be minimal and often subsides within a few days.
• Dry eyes: Another frequent laser eye surgery adverse effect is dry eyes. It may seem as if the eyes are gritty and dehydrated. Although dry eyes are often painful, it is critical that patients refrain from scratching their eyes, as this might result in issues with the laser eye surgery flap.
• Increased sensitivity to light: During the first week after laser eye surgery, patients may likely experience an increase in their sensitivity to light. This includes natural sunshine as well as artificial light sources such as computer displays, television screens, and mobile phones.
• Glares and halos: During the first stages after laser eye surgery recovery, patients may observe that light seems to produce visual anomalies. Around strong sources of light, patients may perceive streaks, glares, or halos. At night, glares and halos will be more visible, which may make night driving more challenging.
