Recovering from LASIK eye surgery

For the first few days after having LASIK eye surgery, you should:

have baths rather than showers
keep soap and shampoo out of your eyes (it's sensible not to wash your hair for the first few days)
try not to touch or rub your eyes, or screw your eyes up
try not to get anything in your eyes - wearing sunglasses may help
not wear eye make-up
not play contact sports, swim or play racket sports, such as squash or tennis, for at least four weeks after the procedure
You should be able to return to work after two to three days. If you have questions about what you can and can't do, such as when you can drive, ask your surgeon or nurse for advice.

If you experience more than mild pain, or you have a loss of vision or increasing redness of your eye, you should contact your clinic or hospital for advice.

If you need them, you can take painkillers such as paracetamol or ibuprofen. Always read the patient information leaflet that comes with your medicine and if you have any questions, ask your pharmacist for advice.

What are the risks?
LASIK is commonly performed and generally safe. However, in order to make an informed decision and give your consent, you need to be aware of the possible side-effects and the risk of complications.

There is little evidence of the long-term effects of this procedure as the treatment is relatively new.

Side-effects
These are the unwanted, but mostly temporary effects of a successful treatment.

After LASIK eye surgery you may have:

dryness of your eye(s) for up to a year after the procedure
glare around bright lights, causing a "halo" or "starburst" effect that makes night-time driving difficult - this shouldn't last more than six weeks
a drooping eyelid - but this should stop within a few weeks
Complications
This is when problems occur during or after the operation. Most people aren't affected. The possible complications of any operation include an unexpected reaction to the anaesthetic or excessive bleeding.

Very rarely, complications can lead to reduced vision or blindness.

Specific complications of LASIK are rare but can include:

mild or moderate haziness or scarring of your cornea
slight over- or under-correction of short-sightedness
some return of short-sightedness
accidental damage to your cornea - if this happens, you might need stitches
problems with the flap that is made in your cornea
your vision getting worse - but this is rare
The amount of improvement in your eyesight depends on how well your eyes heal - it can't be absolutely guaranteed. If the operation doesn't achieve the result you hoped for, you may need further LASIK treatment.

The exact risks are specific to you and will differ for every person, so we haven't included statistics here. Ask your surgeon to explain how these risks apply to you.