The first 24 hours after any procedure
Go home and rest with your eyes closed as much as you can; sleep is the single most useful thing you can do on day one. Expect watering, light sensitivity, a gritty or burning feeling and blurry vision. Use the drops exactly as written on your schedule, wait five minutes between different drops, and do not rub your eyes. Wear the shields or sunglasses you were given. Screens are allowed in short stretches once your eyes feel ready, but rest is better.
Call us the same day if you have pain that is getting worse rather than better, a sudden drop in vision, a shield that has come off with something touching the eye, or anything that worries you. Call our office at (855) 456-2253; a physician is on call 24/7 for our patients. For severe symptoms, go to the nearest emergency department if you cannot reach us.
LASIK
Day 1: most patients see clearly, but bring a driver to your next-day follow-up until your surgeon clears you to drive. Dryness, halos around lights and fluctuating clarity are normal. Day 2 to 7: back at a desk, screens in moderation, no eye makeup, no swimming, no dusty environments, and keep using the lubricating drops even if the eyes feel fine. Week 2: light exercise and eye makeup return; swimming pools, hot tubs and the ocean wait until we clear you, usually at two weeks. Weeks 4 to 12: vision stabilizes, night halos fade, dryness keeps improving. Contact sports wait one month and need protective eyewear afterward.
Follow-ups are typically at one day, one week, one month and three months.
PRK
PRK heals from the surface, so it is slower than LASIK and more uncomfortable in the first few days. Days 1 to 4: the eye is sore, light sensitive and watery while the surface regrows under a bandage contact lens. Rest in a dim room, use the pain relief and drops prescribed, and plan to be off work. Day 4 or 5: the bandage lens is removed once the surface has healed, and comfort improves quickly. Weeks 2 to 6: vision is usable but fluctuates as the surface smooths; driving is allowed once it meets the legal standard, often at one to two weeks. Months 2 to 3: vision reaches its final clarity. Sun protection matters for the first year because the healing surface is prone to haze.
EVO ICL
Day 1: vision is often clear within hours, with some light sensitivity and a pressure check at your follow-up. Week 1: back to desk work and light activity; avoid eye rubbing, swimming and dusty environments. Weeks 2 to 4: most activities resume. Because no corneal tissue is removed, dryness is usually mild and short lived. Follow-ups check the lens position and eye pressure, then continue annually.
Cataract surgery and Refractive Lens Exchange
Day 1: vision is often noticeably better already, though it may be hazy or over bright while the pupil is still dilated. Some scratchiness and a red patch on the white of the eye are normal. Days 2 to 7: back to reading, screens, walking and desk work; keep the shield on at night, no eye rubbing, no bending with your head below your waist, no lifting over about 20 pounds, and no swimming. Weeks 2 to 4: drops taper on the schedule you were given, and exercise resumes. Timing of the second eye is individualized. Weeks 4 to 8: vision settles as the brain adapts to the new lens, especially with multifocal and extended depth of focus implants, and a new glasses prescription, if one is needed, is written once both eyes are stable.
Light Adjustable Lens patients wear the UV protective glasses during all waking hours until lock-in is complete, and attend the adjustment visits starting about three weeks after surgery.
Corneal cross-linking
Days 1 to 5: the eye is sore, watery and light sensitive while the surface heals under a bandage contact lens; rest, dim light and the prescribed pain relief are the plan. Days 5 to 7: the bandage lens comes out and comfort improves. Weeks 2 to 4: vision is often blurrier than before treatment and then gradually clears. Months 1 to 6: the cornea continues to stiffen and vision keeps improving; contact lenses are refitted once measurements are stable, usually at one to three months.
Pterygium surgery
Week 1: the eye is red, swollen, sore and watery while the graft settles; the drops and pain relief you were given control this, and most patients take the week off from work. Weeks 2 to 4: redness fades, the sutures or glue dissolve or are removed, and normal activities resume apart from swimming. Months 1 to 3: the graft blends in and the residual redness clears. UV protective sunglasses outdoors are permanent advice, because sun exposure is what caused the pterygium and is what would encourage a recurrence.
When to call us straight away
Pain that increases rather than settles, especially after the first few days. Sudden loss or dimming of vision. A curtain, shadow or shower of new floaters. Increasing redness with discharge. A flap that feels displaced after LASIK, usually after the eye has been rubbed or bumped. Nausea with eye pain, which can indicate high pressure. Call our office at (855) 456-2253; a physician is on call 24/7 for our patients. For severe symptoms, go to the nearest emergency department if you cannot reach us.
Questions about your situation? Call (855) 456-2253 or send us a message.
About this content: This page was written with the assistance of AI tools and reviewed for medical accuracy by our physicians. It is general information, not medical advice, and does not replace an eye examination. Individual results vary. Read our medical disclaimer.
