What kind of vision can I expect the day after lasik/prk/ck surgeries?
Typically patients experience an immediate 50% improvement, sitting straight up off the table from any of these 3 procedures. Distance and near vision are tested separately, as well as each eye. In addition, each patient has differing goals on their particular customized vision goals. Your doctor can estimate for you at the time of your consultation, as well as your first postop visit, what time frame your eyes will take to respond to their distance, near, and intermediate vision needs. Different refractive errors (myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism, and presbyopia) each take various paths as they heal following surgery. Other factors such as patient age and the severity of refractive error also play a big role in patient visual recovery. Most patients can safely drive themselves to their first day postop visit from a visual standpoint; however exceptions do exist with regards to light sensitivity as one example.
