If you’ve decided to improve your vision and potentially forego the inconvenience of glasses and contacts, congratulations! IntraLASIK, also referred to as Intralase LASIK, can help you to see the world clearer and more sharply than ever before. As exciting as this can be, you may also feel nervous about the operation, which is perfectly normal. Having a better understanding of what to expect following the procedure often can make the process easier and more comfortable. Dr. Steven Dell, our experienced eye surgeon, will discuss all the details of the recovery process with you during your initial consultation, as well as on the day of surgery. While everyone’s eyes are unique, you typically can expect the following to occur unless Dr. Dell says otherwise:
Immediately following the procedure, Dr. Dell will let you rest momentarily before having one of our post surgical specialty doctors perform a brief eye examination. You may feel some mild itching or burning in your eyes, but these effects are temporary and should fade within a few hours. Your vision may be hazy or slightly blurry until the next day, when you will meet with your doctor for a follow-up appointment. This is one of the reasons why he will recommend you have someone drive you home after the operation. In many cases, your vision stabilizes quickly; however, occasionally your eyesight may take several days to improve, and you should not be overly concerned about this. The majority of patients ultimately achieve 20/20 vision or better, often exceeding the clarity they had with contacts and eyeglasses. Our physician will reveal your visual acuity, which can improve over several weeks, at each follow-up appointment. You may be able to return to work the following day, but we often suggest taking a day to rest, and you should also avoid strenuous activity for approximately one week or as long as Dr. Dell recommends.
Complications with IntraLASIK typically are rare and often can be easily corrected, but they may occur. Some examples of potential issues include night glare (seeing halos or starbursts around lights at night), dislodged corneal flap, and infection. IntraLASIK is considered a permanent procedure, though you may require reading glasses once you reach your 40s as the natural aging process can lead to presbyopia, or the loss of near vision.
If you have additional questions about the recovery process or would like to schedule a consultation with Dr. Dell, please contact us today.
