Refractive surgery is not painful. The intervention protocol includes anesthetic drops to avoid discomfort in the patient. Anesthetic drops allow to perform the operation without pain. It is normal to feel some pressure during the procedure. Afterwards, the eye itches a bit, but patients usually do not require pain medication and can often return to work the day after the procedure.
The intervention is brief. Patients spend approximately 15 minutes in the operating room to complete the procedure on both eyes. Then they go to a recovery room. The stay in the Center is approximately 1 or 2 hours.
General recommendations for the postoperative period include:
- You must wear a protective shield the first two nights after surgery.
- You should not swim or get in a hot tub for two weeks after surgery, although bathing and showering is fine.
- All other activities, including exercise, can be resumed the first day after surgery.
After laser vision correction is performed, patients are sent home with the recommendation to sleep and rest with their eyes closed as much as possible until the follow-up visit the next day.
Patients with lower levels of myopia may have good enough vision to drive the next day, but they must be careful. Patients who have higher degrees of myopia may experience somewhat blurred vision. This usually lasts from days to weeks, depending on the amount of correction.
El Dr. José Alberto Muiños, medical director of Innova Ocular Muiños Clinic, answers this question frequently asked by patients before refractive surgery.