If you look at the millions of people all over the world that glasses or contact lenses to see clearly you will soon realize why laser eye surgery has become so popular. Laser eye surgery is a medical procedure consisting of the use of laser for reshaping the surface of the cornea.  Astigmatic keratotomy incisions, intraocular lenses and implantable contact lenses are among the most common non-laser eye surgery procedures.  One of the big benefits to laser eye surgery is that you can continue with your normal life almost immediately. Indeed, the recovery period is both simple and usually fast.

Laser eye surgery has been a wonderful benefit to many people suffering from poor vision and it is gaining in popularity all the time.  Although quite frightening to some people, this corrective eye procedure is very safe and effective.  There are many different types of laser eye surgery, such as PRK, LASIK, Intralense or LASEK. 

Most people recover from laser eye surgery within two days with approximately 80% of patients receiving their desired vision after treatment. Recovery from laser eye surgery is short, but the benefits will last a lifetime. The Healing is quick and usually no bandages or stitches are required after the laser eye surgery. Recovery from LASIK is very rapid and is one of the reasons it is the preferred procedure. A more highly qualified surgeon and the latest surgical techniques can result in an amazingly fast recovery. Some people will need to wear a special eye shields during the initial recovery period and any rubbing of the eyes is to be avoided. However, there are a few things to keep in mind that will help your recovery process go smoothly. You should avoid any sort of dusty environments for a few days after the surgery. The dust and the fumes could cause irritation which might interfere with the recovery process. Eye drops can be used to facilitate the healing and visual revitalization process. Drops are usually used for 1 week or less with Lasik, and up to several weeks with PRK.

People with dry eyes can usually expect to experience longer, more troublesome recovery periods. It is important to discuss the recovery period involved with your surgeon when you are deciding on your options.

PRK surgery has a slower recovery period than LASIK, and can be a little tender and irritating in the recovery phase. PRK stands for photoreactive keratectomy and was invented in the early 1980s before LASIK. PRK is used to treat mild to moderate farsightedness, nearsightedness and astigmatism. This type of surgery doesn't require any flap to be made in the cornea, however, even though there is no cutting done in a PRK laser eye surgery, recovery tends to be more painful. In addition because PRK removes the entire epithelium the recovery time is significantly longer. Lasik is a quicker operation that takes 15 minutes or so to complete, so the recovery isn't too intense.

After any eye surgery it is also imperative to protect your eyes from the sun’s damaging ultraviolet rays immediately after treatment. You should wear dark sunglasses right after the surgery, until your eyes have fully recovered. You should also plan to have someone drive you home after any laser eye surgery.