LASIK Recovery Time: What You Need To Know

Don’t you love that feeling when the world comes into focus after you put on your glasses? Or those first few blinks after putting in your contacts, when the world suddenly comes alive, like Dorothy walking into the Land of Oz?

LASIK can give you that “I can see!” feeling all day, every day. Without glasses or contacts.

But if you’re ready to take that step, you’re probably wondering what, exactly, to expect. So, we talked with optometrist Jason Marcellus, OD, about how long LASIK recovery takes and what to be prepared for.

LASIK recovery timeline

Initial healing from LASIK is fast — in less than a day, you can expect massive improvements in your vision. But what’s going on at the cellular level takes longer. And that can mean that you notice some effects of healing for weeks after the procedure.

Let’s take a detailed look at a typical LASIK recovery. But remember, everyone can heal differently, so your experience may vary. If you’re concerned that your LASIK recovery isn’t going as it should, talk with your provider.

Immediately after LASIK

You can expect to walk out of LASIK surgery seeing much more clearly than you currently do without your glasses or contacts.

LASIK takes fewer than 30 minutes. With prep and post-op instructions, you’ll likely head home within two hours — already seeing more clearly.

Even still, you’ll need to line up a driver to bring you home from surgery.

“You’re not allowed to drive home after any refractive eye surgery,” Dr. Marcellus states. “Your eyes may be sensitive to light, and they may still be numb when you leave. It’s not safe to drive right away.”

Your surgeon will advise going straight home and taking a nap following LASIK.

Why?

During your procedure, your surgeon will numb your eyes with drops. When they wear off, your eyes may be extra sensitive. They can burn or sting a bit. And they may water. That’s absolutely normal and expected.

If you can sleep for an hour or two, it can help your eyes heal quicker. And, bonus, you may not notice any recovery pain or discomfort.

You’ll want to relax your eyes as much as you can that first day. Limit your screen time. Don’t work that evening. And put down your book (even if it’s a good one).

1 to 2 days after LASIK

Most people who have LASIK will have an appointment the day after surgery so their team can check on their progress. Chances are that you’ll be seeing well enough to drive yourself to that appointment.

“The vast majority of people can drive safely within a day of LASIK. Your vision really improves that quickly,” Dr. Marcellus emphasizes. That said, it may not be safe for you to drive at night for a little while. Ask your eye care provider if your prescription is safe for night driving.

Within 24 to 48 hours after surgery, you likely can also go to work and participate in your typical day-to-day activities — with a few restrictions to protect your healing eyes. (More on that in a bit.)

Your vision may not be its absolute best a day or two after surgery, but it’ll be close. And it can continue to improve for up to six months after surgery.

1 to 3 weeks after LASIK

It may not seem like much is happening after that initial LASIK recovery time, but your eyes will continue to heal behind the scenes.

“After LASIK, your corneas can be numb for several weeks. You won’t notice it, but the cells in your eyes take several weeks or months to heal,” Dr. Marcellus explains.

That healing process can cause your eyes to be very dry following LASIK. Because your corneas stay numb for a while, though, you might not realize it. But having dry eye can prolong your healing and affect how clearly you see.

“You might not feel like your eyes are dry or itchy. But dry eye can also cause your vision to get a little fuzzy now and then, and that’s what you might notice more,” Dr. Marcellus points out.

Keep up with any prescription eye drops your provider gives you, and use preservative-free artificial tears four times per day (or more) to promote healing and combat dry eye.

1 to 6 months after LASIK

Within six months of LASIK, 99% of people achieve at least 20/40 vision — good enough to drive legally. More than 90% have 20/20 vision (“normal vision”) or better.

Any dry eye symptoms you experience should mostly go away by about three to six months after surgery. Same for other effects on your vision, like:

• Light sensitivity
• Low night vision
• Sunbursts, glares or halos

Activity restrictions after LASIK

Your team will advise you to take a few precautions after LASIK to allow your eyes to heal fully. Remember, just because your eyesight is improving doesn’t mean your eyes are fully healed. So, your provider will likely recommend:

• Limiting exercise for three days
• Not using makeup or skin care products near your eyes for two weeks
• Avoiding playing contact sports for a month
• Staying out of swimming pools and hot tubs for a month or two

LASIK is popular for a reason: It’s quick and it works.

If you have questions about LASIK recovery or are concerned you’re not healing as well as you should be, talk with your eye health team.