# Aftercare Instructions After LASIK
LASIK aftercare instructions are your surgical team's post-surgery guidelines for healing. They usually cover prescribed eye drops, protecting your eyes, wearing a provided shield while sleeping, pausing certain activities until cleared, and attending follow-up visits. This guide explains the common categories — but your clinic's written plan is the one to follow.
LASIK Cost Compass is an independent educational guide and is not affiliated with any clinic, surgeon, or device maker. Nothing here replaces the written instructions your own provider gives you.
Most clinics hand patients a printed or emailed aftercare sheet before they leave on surgery day. That sheet — not anything you read online, including this article — is your authority. Reading this guide beforehand simply helps the sheet make sense when you get it: you will recognize the categories of advice, know which questions are worth asking before you leave the clinic, and have your home set up so the first day or two feel calmer.
Our LASIK recovery timeline overview pairs with this guide by describing the general rhythm of healing, while this page focuses on the practical instructions themselves.
Key takeaways
- Your clinic's written aftercare plan is the authority. Online guides can explain the categories, but only your surgical team knows your eyes and their protocol.
- Most aftercare plans share the same building blocks: prescribed drops, eye protection, limited activity until cleared, and scheduled follow-ups.
- "Until cleared" is the key phrase. For swimming, eye makeup, contact sports, and eye rubbing, the right timing is whatever your provider specifies for you.
- Know how to reach your clinic after hours before you need to — find out the contact number and what counts as a reason to call.
- Set up your home for a restful first day — a clean recovery spot, your drops nearby, and the day off work all help.
On this page
- Your surgeon's instructions come first
- The building blocks most aftercare plans share
- Activities and products to ask your clinic about
- Signs that mean contact your clinic promptly
- Setting up your home for the first days
- Frequently asked questions
- Your concrete next step
Your surgeon's instructions come first
This point deserves its own section because it is the single most important thing in this guide. LASIK aftercare is not one universal rulebook. Clinics differ in the drops they prescribe, the protective measures they use, the activity restrictions they set, and how they schedule follow-ups. Two patients can have the same procedure on the same day and go home with different written plans.
That is why the right way to use any aftercare article is as orientation, not instruction. Learn the common categories so you can read your own sheet with understanding and ask about anything unclear before leaving the clinic. If something on your sheet ever seems to conflict with something you read online, the sheet wins — ask your clinic to clarify rather than deciding on your own.
Read your aftercare sheet in full at the clinic and ask the staff to walk you through anything unclear — easier in person than by phone later.
The building blocks most aftercare plans share
While the specifics vary, most written aftercare plans address the same handful of topics. Knowing the list helps you check that you have answers for each one.
Prescribed drops. Your clinic will usually prescribe eye drops and tell you exactly how often to use them and for how long. Some plans also mention over-the-counter lubricating drops your surgeon approves. The categories are standard; the products, schedule, and duration are clinic-specific, so note them carefully. If you use other medications or eye drops for another condition, tell your surgical team so they can tell you how everything fits together.
Protecting the eyes. Most plans emphasize avoiding rubbing or pressing on the eyes while they heal. Clinics often provide a clear plastic shield to wear while sleeping for a period they specify, precisely so you do not rub your eyes overnight without realizing it. Your sheet should say how long to wear it.
Resting your vision. Many providers suggest taking it easy on the day of surgery — resting with your eyes closed for part of the day is commonly recommended. Screens, reading, and driving all fall under guidance your clinic sets; ask what is expected of you on day one versus later in the week.
Follow-up visits. Aftercare includes showing up. Your clinic will schedule post-surgery checkups, and attending them is part of the instructions — they are how the team confirms your eyes are healing as expected. Our guide to follow-up visits after LASIK explains what those appointments are for and why they matter.
A contact number. Good aftercare sheets include how to reach the clinic after hours and what symptoms warrant a call. Save that number in your phone before you leave.
Activities and products to ask your clinic about
People tend to have the same handful of lifestyle questions. Rather than memorizing answers, treat this list as your question bank for the clinic — the correct timing for each depends on your provider's protocol and your individual healing.
- Eye rubbing. Ask how long to be especially careful, and what to do if your eyes itch. This is one of the most common restrictions, and it is worth being explicit about.
- Eye makeup. Ask when you can resume it, and whether any products are discouraged. Many clinics give a specific waiting period.
- Swimming, hot tubs, and saunas. Ask when water exposure is acceptable again. This is a "wait until cleared" item at every clinic.
- Exercise and contact sports. Ask what counts as acceptable activity in the early days, and when you can return to workouts, especially anything involving impact or sweat in the eyes.
- Screens and reading. Ask about expectations for workdays — some patients schedule a day or two away from screens, and your clinic can tell you what is realistic.
- Driving. Ask when you may drive. This depends on your vision and your clinic's assessment, so never assume a fixed day.
- Contact lenses and old glasses. If you wore contacts, ask when — if ever — you might need them again, and whether your old glasses prescription still has any role.
- Showering and face washing. Ask how to keep water and soap out of your eyes in the first days, since this comes up constantly in practice.
Writing these questions down before surgery day and checking them off as the team answers keeps you from forgetting the one that matters most to you. Many of these same topics come up during preparation, so reviewing our preparing for LASIK guide beforehand can help you arrive with better questions.
Signs that mean contact your clinic promptly
Every good aftercare plan tells you what should prompt a call. This section does not diagnose anything — it describes the general category of guidance clinics give, so you recognize it on your own sheet.
Clinics commonly ask patients to contact them promptly — including after hours if they provide that option — for things like sudden or severe pain, a sudden noticeable drop in vision, or signs that suggest something is wrong rather than normal healing, such as unusual discharge or worsening redness. Normal healing can include mild, temporary sensations that the clinic will describe to you; the point of this section is not to alarm you but to make sure you know the difference between "expected" and "call us."
Two practical habits make this easier. First, save the clinic's after-hours number in your phone before surgery day, so you are not hunting for paperwork if you are worried. Second, when in doubt, call. Clinics would rather answer a question that turns out to be nothing than have a patient sit at home uncertain. Describing what you notice calmly and factually — when it started, which eye, what it feels like — helps the staff advise you.
Setting up your home for the first days
A little preparation at home makes the aftercare instructions easier to follow, especially on surgery day when your eyes may feel tired.
Create a rest spot. Arrange a clean, comfortable place to recline with your eyes closed, so you can rest immediately when you get home.
Keep drops and paperwork together. Put your prescribed drops, the aftercare sheet, and the clinic's phone number in one visible place. If someone is helping you, show them where everything is.
Arrange the day off. Most people do not work on surgery day. Whether you need more time off depends on your job and your clinic's guidance, so ask at your pre-surgery appointment and plan accordingly.
Sort transport. You will need someone to take you home after the procedure, and your clinic will advise about driving afterward. Arrange the ride in advance rather than improvising on the day.
Stock gentle supplies. Things like sunglasses for brightness sensitivity and any lubricating drops your surgeon approves can be bought ahead of time — confirm brands and products with the clinic first, since recommendations vary.
None of this is medical instruction; it is household logistics. The medical part stays with your surgical team.
Frequently asked questions
Can I read general aftercare advice online instead of following my clinic's sheet?
No — treat online guides as background reading only. Your clinic's written aftercare plan is tailored to their protocol and, in some respects, to your eyes, so it is the only set of instructions you should actually follow. Use guides like this one to understand the categories of advice and to build a good question list for your surgical team. If anything online seems to conflict with your sheet, follow the sheet and ask your clinic to clarify the difference rather than improvising.
How do I use the prescribed eye drops correctly?
Follow the schedule on your aftercare sheet exactly — which drops, how many, how often, and for how many days. Clinics also commonly give technique tips, such as washing your hands first, not touching the dropper tip to your eye, and waiting a few minutes between different drops if more than one is prescribed. If a dose is missed or you are unsure you got the drop in, the safest move is to call your clinic for guidance rather than guessing or doubling up on your own.
Why do clinics emphasize not rubbing the eyes after LASIK?
Rubbing or pressing on the eyes can disturb healing tissue in the early period after surgery, which is why nearly every aftercare plan stresses it and why many clinics provide a protective shield for sleeping. The emphasis is strongest in the early days, for a duration your surgeon specifies. If your eyes itch, that is a question for your clinic — they can suggest an approved way to handle it. Never scratch or press on the eyes to relieve itching without their guidance.
What should I do if my vision seems blurry the day after surgery?
Some fluctuation in the early period is commonly described by clinics as part of normal healing, but only your surgical team can say what is expected for you. Check what your aftercare sheet says about the first days, and use the clinic's contact number if anything worries you — especially sudden, severe, or one-sided changes. This is exactly what follow-up visits are for: the team measures your vision and checks healing at each appointment, so attend every scheduled visit even if you feel fine.
How long do I need to follow aftercare instructions?
That depends on the instruction and on your clinic. Some steps, like the sleeping shield, typically apply to an early period your surgeon defines; others, like attending follow-ups, stretch over weeks or months. Your aftercare sheet should give durations or end points for each item — if any step is unclear about when it ends, ask at your next visit. Think of aftercare as a tapered plan rather than a single rule: intensive at first, lighter as healing is confirmed.
!Abstract soft illustration of an eye drops bottle on a table in calm neutral tones
Your concrete next step
Before surgery day: read your clinic's aftercare sheet while the team can answer questions, save the after-hours number in your phone, and set up a rest spot with drops and paperwork in one place. If you have not had surgery yet, our recovery timeline overview and preparing for LASIK guide are the natural companion reads. Then relax into the plan — following written instructions carefully is the simplest contribution you can make to your own healing.
LASIK Cost Compass publishes educational guides only and represents no clinics or surgeons. Aftercare protocols differ between providers — always follow the written instructions from your own surgical team.
This site is educational information only — not medical advice. Consult a qualified eye-care professional about your own situation.
