LASIK and Traveling

San Francisco, Oakland & San Jose, California

One of the many concerns people have when considering LASIK surgery to correct their vision problems is how it affects traveling, both immediately after surgery and for the long term.

Post-op

You should arrange for someone to give you a ride home following surgery. The topical anesthesia will make you sensitive to light and dilate your pupils, making it uncomfortable. You may also experience a minor irritation and possibly a minimal amount of pain. If you need to entice your family to provide driving services, you can tell them they are welcome to watch the procedure, which only lasts a few minutes. If that doesn't work, you can schedule transportation with our limo service.

After your surgery, your eyes may get tired more quickly than normal, especially when driving at night. Dryness may also contribute to your eyes feeling tired. Make sure you stock up on plenty of artificial tears and get adequate rest.

Air travel

Some people have concerns about flying immediately after surgery, afraid that the change in air pressure may damage their eyes. Commercial aircraft are pressurized so that changes in pressure are minimized. While there may be some anecdotal evidence of problems with flying following LASIK procedures, there is no statistical evidence that flying after surgery will adversely affect your outcome.

Pilots, of course, must consider that their eyes will take time to heal fully and should probably not return to flying planes for at least two weeks following the procedure or as directed by their employer.

Long-term effects

Most activities can be resumed right after surgery. Within two weeks you and your eyes should be able to resume all your daily routines including driving. Other complications may arise that make traveling more uncomfortable for some time, including:

• Dry eyes
• Halos or glare
• Over or under correction

These conditions may be temporary as your eyes adjust to their new vision and dryness decreases, or they may be permanent problems that affect travel. When you choose the Laser Eye Center of Silicon Valley for your vision correction needs, you will benefit from a team of eye care providers with state-of-the-art technology and Dr. Gary Kawesch who is skilled with all aspects of vision correction.

If you are considering LASIK to correct myopia, hyperopia, or astigmatism, schedule a free one-on-one LASIK consultation to discuss custom vision correction and the amazing technology we offer. Our compassionate and caring team is ready to help you see the world in a completely new light.

1.800.725.0740