RECOVERING FROM THE REFRACTIVE LENS EXCHANGE PROCEDURE
Your pupil is dilated and will stay dilated overnight, so you will notice that your vision is blurry and you will feel light sensitive until the next day. Your eye should be comfortable after surgery, although you will notice a scratchy feeling on the day of surgery. It is fine to take your preferred pain reliever for this. You should have no more than a mild aching feeling in or around your eye. If there is more than minor pain, you should notify your surgeon. Feel free to watch TV or go out to dinner with friends. There should be no redness or puffiness, and you will be able to see well enough to get around.
You’ll see everything more clearly—including any preexisting floaters, those little objects that float across your field of vision. So if you notice something that looks like a gnat hovering at the edge of your field of vision, it’s nothing to be concerned about.
Your doctor will probably operate on one eye at a time, typically doing the procedures two weeks apart. This way the doctor can make sure that the first eye is healing properly before doing the second eye.
POSTOPERATIVE CARE
You will come into the office the day after your procedure for a checkup, and again during the first week. You will use several different eyedrops. These include a steroid drop to promote healing and a liquid version of aspirin that reduces inflammation. Keeping your follow-up appointments is important, even if your vision is perfect. Your doctor needs to monitor your healing to be sure it is normal.
RESUMING ACTIVITIES
Don’t drive on the day of surgery. Resume driving only when your vision is clear enough that you are safe on the road, which is the next morning for most people. Also, stay away from swimming pools, Jacuzzis, and hot tubs for a week after surgery. Bacteria in the water could cause an infection. It is fine to shower or bathe, though, because tap water has very few bacteria.
It is fine to wear makeup, but avoid wearing old mascara and eyeliner for the first week. Old mascara and eyeliner can accumulate germs, which you do not want to introduce into your eyes. If you wish to wear mascara or eyeliner during the first week after surgery, open a fresh tube. For the same reason, avoid dusty environments for the first three days.
Otherwise, there are very few restrictions on your activities after your surgery. Reading, computer work, watching television, and flying are all fine to do immediately. You may exercise the morning after surgery. You may require a thin pair of glasses for reading. A pair of magnifiers from the drugstore should work fine.
Results You Can Expect From Refractive Lens Exchange
