LASIK Eye Center of Silicon Valley - Dr. Gary Kawesch

In general, recovery from LASIK surgery is a short process. Although it may take up to six months for your eyes to completely heal, most people experience clear vision within hours to a few days following the procedure.

There are a few factors that affect your recovery from LASIK, including the specifics of your vision condition, your overall health and the technology used in your laser vision correction. The advanced LASIK surgery lasers used by the experienced San Francisco eye surgeons at the Laser Eye Center of Silicon Valley all provide precision and comfort while limiting the physical impact to your eyes that affects recovery time.

That said, aspects of each laser differ and play a role in the time you’ll need to recover.

The LADARVision laser, for example, reshapes your cornea while smoothing the eye’s surface thanks to a unique laser. The laser’s horseshoe-shaped tip (most are flat) and narrow beam allow accurate, uniform reshaping in a manner that is increasingly believed to assist in faster vision recovery.

With the IntraLase laser, the corneal flap necessary to access and reshape your cornea can be created without the use of a blade. In traditional LASIK procedures, a tool called a microkeratome with an oscillating surgical blade was used to hand cut the flap.

With the bladeless IntraLase, the corneal flap is gently separated from the cornea and can be easily replaced following cornea reshaping. In addition to being advantageous for patients with thin corneas, IntraLase provides less pressure on the eye during the corneal flap creation and may reduce the risk of dry eyes and other forms of irritation that can slow recovery.

Of course, your individual recovery will rely on factors aside from technology. Closely following our post-operative LASIK guidelines will also help ensure a quick recovery and clear vision.

If you would like to learn more about LASIK surgery options, please contact the skilled San Francisco ophthalmologists and LASIK experts at the Laser Eye Center of Silicon Valley to schedule a consultation.