Guide to recovery and post-operative care after laser eye surgery – standards in effect at SwissLaser Clinic 2023

Laser vision correction is one of the most individualized medical procedures. In order to make its course as safe as possible for the patient, and to make the convalescence proceed without complications and in a comfortable environment, we have prepared a guide for you, in which we indicate the standards applicable to post-operative care in our Clinic, and the behaviors through which each patient himself can significantly affect the rate of return to full efficiency.

Standards applicable to pre-, post- and perioperative care at SwissLaser Clinic

You have the right to:

• highly personalized and tailored to your current needs for pre-, post- and perioperative care,
• Rest in the post-operative room for about 2-3 hours and, if there are no contraindications, go home,
• receive a full list of post-operative recommendations during post-operative follow-up, including tips on what to avoid, how to properly care for your eyes and how soon you can return to specific activities (work, sports, pleasure),
• the ability to contact the doctor who operated on you and/or other medical personnel by all methods of communication available today (telephone, e-mail, instant messaging) regardless of the time of day or the time that has elapsed since the procedure,
• regular check-ups at the clinic every few weeks and months.

We are committed to making patients feel taken care of at SwissLaser at every stage of their relationship with us. We know that procedures on such delicate organs of the human body as the eyes always arouse a lot of emotions, and excess stress is not good for recovery. In addition, it can exacerbate the course of chronic diseases, the stabilization of which has enabled patients to obtain approval for eye surgery.

Patients who are perfectly taken care of at every stage of diagnosis, treatment and recovery, and informed in detail about what is happening to them and what awaits them are always in better mental and physical condition.

It is not we who do you a favor by operating on your eyes – it is you who do us the honor of choosing our Clinic, because in doing so you confirm that we are trustworthy, empathetic professionals.

Recuperation after laser eye surgery – how to deal with discomfort on your own and react in different situations

The time it takes to experience post-operative discomfort and the time it takes to return to optimal vision varies depending on which method our eyes were operated on:

• For deep methods (LASIK, FemtoLASIK, ReLEx® SMILE), patients regain optimal vision in one day to a few days. Discomfort may occur up to 3-4 hours after surgery, and there may be tearing due to the fact that the epithelium has been incised.

• With superficial methods (PRK/LASEK/TransPRK), post-operative discomfort can last up to 3-4 days, and patients regain optimal vision in 3-4 months, as they have a slightly longer healing time and a smaller extent of defect removal than in deep methods.

• With the PRESBYOND® LBV (Laser Blended Vision) method, recovery varies from person to person. It all depends on how quickly your brain adapts to the new way of seeing (neuroadaptation).

The first 24 hours after treatment

• for the first few hours your vision may be a bit hazy or blurry, rest with your eyes closed,
• Find a friend or family member to pick you up from the Clinic, if you don’t have to, on the day of surgery, don’t use public transportation due to the possibility of infection,
• you can return to light activity at home, but be careful not to do anything that might lead to touching or rubbing of the eyes,
• avoid all screens – TVs, smartphones, tablets, computers, e-readers – and any activity that requires heavy use of the eyes, such as reading,
• Take a bath instead of a shower so that the soap and water do not irritate your eyes,
• Be careful with air conditioning – it can dry out your eyes,
• If you experience mild itching or dry eyes, use moisturizing drops,
• avoid alcohol

The next day

• Go to the clinic for the first post-operative visit – the surgeon will check that everything is going according to plan,
• if you can – again, ask a friend or family member for a ride to the clinic,
• you can read and watch TV, as long as you use moisturizing eye drops,
• you can go back to work, but make sure you use proper safety glasses, and if you work at a computer, moisturize your eyes well with drops,
• if you have a scheduled flight – fly, but keep eye drops on hand, as the air in the cabin is very dry,
• continue to wash in the shower,
• After dark, count on the halo effect, which will gradually subside as corneal swelling decreases,
• you can have a glass of wine or beer

Day 3

• cornea has already regenerated significantly, you can go to the gym and do light exercise such as stationary cycling, but prevent sweat from getting into your eyes and avoid rubbing or touching them,
• You can apply light makeup and use perfume or aftershave,
• because your eyes will be healing for the next week, you may still experience blurred vision and fluctuations in vision,
• if you decide to drive a car, be extra careful, in low-light conditions and after dark – in the first few months refractive fluctuation will calm down

Week 2

• The halo effect gradually fades – whether recovery is going as planned you will find out during visits after 3-4 weeks and 3 months,
• you can safely participate in sports such as swimming, soccer, tennis, squash, mountain biking, scuba diving, snorkeling, sailing and skiing (with proper goggles or glasses),
• avoid contact sports such as rugby, boxing, martial arts, water skiing and extreme sports for at least one month after treatment,
• unsure if it is safe for you to resume certain activities – contact your health care provider

3-6 months

• you may experience dry eye symptoms for several months after the procedure – use the drops all the time and they will gradually decrease over time,
• avoid tanning beds for the first 6 months after treatment,
• remember after 3 months you will have a follow-up visit, and another one awaits you 12 months after the procedure.