Driving after a laser eye surgery

One of the most frequently asked questions is “when will I be able to drive again after a laser eye surgery?”. This is logical, as most people rely on their car for their work and their household. It is rather inconvenient if you are dependent on other people or public transportation for a long time after the operation. The faster you can move around in your car again, the better.

Immediately after the operation

Luckily, most modern techniques offer a very rapid recovery of the eye sight. More specifically, ReLEx smile has such a quick recovery period that more than 97% of the patients reach sight levels that are above the legal limit for driving, just the day after the surgery. Similarly, after a Femto-LASIK, most patients are capable, in principle, of driving their car again the day after the operation. The recovery after a PRK is a bit slower and it can take a couple of days before someone can drive again.

The first day after the operation there is a first eye check-up. Does that mean that everybody drives their own car to the clinic? No. Even though the eye sight is sufficiently recovered to drive a car from a legal point of view, one shouldn't drive as long as the eyes are irritated, which can be the case. More specifically, we recommend to provide a driver for the day after the surgery and to decide on the day according to how you are feeling. Recovery is different for everybody. But in all cases, driving a car is a question of a couple of days, so really rapid.

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The first months after the operation

Halo

One of the consequences of laser eye surgery is the temporary appearance of halos. These are circles which can be seen around lights, more specifically in the dark. This phenomenon is mostly observed during driving in the evening or at night. It is a temporary phenomenon that disappears after a couple of months, but that can be annoying in the beginning. Therefore, we recommend to pick up driving step by step after a surgery: first short distances during the day and later on, longer distances and driving at night. 

 

Dry eyes

Furthermore, it is normal to have rather dry eyes during the recovery period. You'll notice this especially when the air-conditioning in your car is on. Therefore, it is recommended in the beginning to keep hydrating eye drops at hand. These will counter the drying effect of the air-conditioning. It is perfectly normal to go through a recovery period after a laser eye treatment. However, with the current technologies, you'll be able to drive shortly after the intervention. Your ophthalmologist will advise you on this  and at every check-up he'll tell you exactly how your visual acuity is doing. 

Would you like to find out what the possibilities are for you? Don’t hesitate to contact us, without any obligation.

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