20th Anniversary Event - Save $1,100 on LASIK
20/20 Institute - Denver Lasik
Speak to a LASIK Counselor phone 303.202.0669

What To Avoid After Your LASIK Eye Surgery

If you’re thinking about having LASIK, congratulations! The vast majority of our LASIK patients describe it as “life-changing.” You’re choosing to see in a different way, and it will likely mean a reduction, or an elimination of, the need for eyeglasses or contact lenses.  

For most LASIK patients, the thought of being able to just wake up and SEE is almost surreal. What will you do first with your new-found vision?

After a successful LASIK procedure, you’ll only be bound by your imagination… but there are a few post-procedure restrictions you should consider for a couple of weeks following LASIK. After a few cautionary weeks, you can let your imagination run free.


The First Step…

To get 20/20 or better vision (without glasses or contacts!), your first step is a consultation at 20/20 Institute with an experienced LASIK specialists. We’ll conduct a Free Virtual LASIK Consultation to get you started. One of our very experienced LASIK Counselors can walk you through the important preliminary stuff from the comfort of your home or office.

A 20/20 Institute LASIK consultation is like no other Doctor’s office visit. It surprises many to learn that not all patients with glasses can have the LASIK procedure. You must be deemed a good candidate for LASIK, and our candidacy criteria is extremaly conservative. We approach LASIK candidacy considerations like we’re caring for our own family members.

During a complimentary consultation, you’ll learn if you’re a good candidate for LASIK, and we’ll make sure you’re educated about risks, alternative options, and much more. Even if you don’t know what questions to ask yet, the doctors at the 20/20 Institute, along with their attentive and highly-trained staff, will assist you every step of the way. 

In fact, one of the things you’ll learn about is follow-up care after LASIK. As with any medical procedure, there are things that patients should do (and things that patients should avoid doing!), after the LASIK procedure to help ensure safe healing and the best possible outcome. 


Follow-Up Care After the LASIK Procedure

Following your LASIK procedure, doctors will prescribe eye drops and directions on their use. Typically, these eyedrops are to be used for approximately one week after LASIK. Artificial tears help you heal too, so you might use a lot of those as well. 

But the most helpful directive from your doctor on procedure day is sleep. Patients are prescribed a sedative and asked to sleep for a few hours after LASIK. Most people find that it’s the best way to recover after the procedure. There are, however, a few no-nos after LASIK…

First, when you wake up from your nap, don’t reach in your eyes to pull your contacts out. They’re not there! 

Several days after LASIK, it’s normal to be ‘overly appreciative’ of your new vision. Try not to be too annoying by continually asking friends or family if they can see things as far away as you can!

While these first two tips are a feeble attempt at humor(!), there are real things to avoid after LASIK.


Things to Avoid After the LASIK Procedure

The number one thing to avoid (especially the day of your procedure) is eye rubbing. It’s important to avoid rubbing the eyes for a couple of weeks after LASIK. 

Patients can get back to normal activities (e.g., screen use, driving, etc.) the day after LASIK. However, eye rubbing is not on the list of “normal activities.”  Avoiding eye rubbing helps ensure that the surface of the eye heals properly and quickly. 

When patients hear that they should avoid rubbing their eyes for a couple of weeks, it makes sense. But patients often start to think about practical things like:

  • “What if I get an eyelash in my eye?”
  • “What about eye makeup?”
  • “Can I still shower?” 
  • “Oh, wow, I actually like to rub my eyes. This is going to be tough! How am I going to remember while I’m asleep?”

So, what SHOULD a LASIK patient do, if they get an eyelash or a dust particle in their eye during the first couple weeks after LASIK? 

It’s simple actually – flush the eye with artificial tears. That’ll get the intruder out with no rubbing. 

Our 20/20 team asks that you skip eye makeup for a few days after LASIK. A couple weeks later, when you do go back to wearing eye makeup, remove it with a downward motion.

Patients can shower normally after LASIK and will be asked to simply avoid a shower stream directly into the face, washing the eyelids directly, and wiping or drying the eyelids afterward. 

The pros at 20/20 Institute have got you covered with any sleep concerns. You’ll receive a set of awesome sleeping goggles to wear when napping or at bedtime. These very attractive goggles will help keep your fingers away of your eyes during sleep.

Additionally, the doctors at 20/20 Institute will ask that you avoid sources of dirty water for at least a week. Nonsterile water in the eye during the first week is not advised. So, things like hot tubs, swimming pools, lakes, rivers, and oceans need to wait a couple of weeks.

Your antibiotic eye drops are powerful and do a great job of preventing infection, but most people don’t know that swimming pools and hot tubs are a top spot for bacteria—it’s best to stay away from them.  

LASIK patients often have travel plans following the LASIK procedure and wonder about LASIK-related travel restrictions. The first week after LASIK is the most critical time for healing, so the doctors at 20/20 will ask that you do not travel outside of the country during that time.

Patients are safe to travel domestically during the first week after LASIK though, and we customarily recommend having an ample supply of artificial tears for the trip because airplanes are dry forced-air environments. Artificial tears will help you stay comfortable.

Speaking of the first week after LASIK, you’ll have two checkup visits within the first week after LASIK—these visits aren’t optional. It’s important that a LASIK Specialists at 20/20 Institute sees you for both of these appointments to make certain that you’re healing well. The first visit will be the day after your LASIK procedure and the second one will be within a week following LASIK.

During the first week, our doctors will also ask you to take it easy with exercise activities. You’re welcome to enjoy light exercise, however, avoid heavy-duty workouts that make you sweat—you’ll want to avoid sweat in the eyes.


Maintaining Healthy Results

If a person doesn’t hear well, they probably get a hearing examination to find out what’s going on. Similarly, when a person doesn’t see well, they go to an eye doctor to address their vision problem. The truth is, those eye exams are recommended, even for people who see well. LASIK is an investment, so don’t avoid future eye exams just because you can see better.

Maintaining ocular health is important, and eye exams are the best way to do it. Sometimes, even general health issues like diabetes are first diagnosed in a routine eye exam, so eye exams are important for your whole body. After LASIK, don’t say goodbye to your regular eye doctor and keep up with your visits.


Better Vision Is Within Reach Today…

Vision is a treasured sense, and the LASIK Specialists at 20/20 Institute believe it’s a privilege to help patients live a life free of glasses and/or contact lenses.

The doctors at 20/20 Institute are, most importantly, deeply committed to the long-term ocular health of all people they meet during a LASIK consultation. 

So, what are you waiting for? To schedule your free LASIK consultation, call 20/20 Institute at 303-2020-NOW (669) or let us know to contact you, and one of our experienced LASIK counselors will reach out to find a convenient time to reach you.

Demand
Freedom to live your best life
Schedule a FREE Consultation
Speak to a LASIK Counselor