No matter what type of laser eye procedure you’re planning for, your eyes will need time to recover before you get back to your regular day-to-day activities. Driving is no exception – your eyes may be blurry immediately after your surgery and you may still be drowsy from the sedative, so it’s important to not get behind the wheel right away. Learn all you need to know about driving after your laser eye surgery.
It is typically okay 24 hours after your LASIK eye surgery to resume driving. Your first post-operative appointment will be the day following your LASIK. Once your vision has been checked and deemed to be legal driving vision you are good to get back behind the wheel. But remember, just because you are legal to drive does not mean your eyes are done healing. To ensure the ongoing recovery process be sure to follow all post-operative instructions. This normally includes using prescribed eye drops, lubricating drops, and refraining from touching or rubbing your eyes. Wearing sunglasses after LASIK is always recommended.
Based on the nature of the surgery, your eyes will need longer to recover after photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) surgery than after LASIK surgery. At Providence Eye, you will have a day one post-op and a day five post-op appointment. It is on day five that PRK patients typically have legal driving vision. It’s important to plan your surgery date for when you are able to comfortably stay at home for a few days.
Your driver’s license may be issued with restrictions for corrective lenses – in this case, you will need to make a trip to the DMV and change the vision status on your license. This should be accomplished within 30 days. If you get pulled over and haven’t updated your vision status with the DMV, you may receive a citation. It would be beneficial if you keep documentation in your vehicle that indicates that you had vision correction surgery and what your new vision is.
For any laser eye procedure, make sure a trusted friend or family member is available to drive you to and from your appointment on the day of surgery as well as the post-operative appointments. Even though you will be enjoying your new vision your eyes are still healing and your vision may fluctuate in the days and weeks following your laser eye surgery, so be sure to take all safety precautions you can to protect your eyes, from wearing sunglasses and protective glasses to keeping water out of your eyes.
Schedule a consultation with Dr. Mozayeni, to find out the best laser vision correction surgery option for you and your eyes.
