“How often should I use lubricant eye drops after Lasik?”
I am a 30 year old male. I want to know how often should I use lubricant eye drops after Lasik?
6 Answers
Lubricating eyedrops generally last only 20 minutes or so. You may apply them whenever your eyes feel dry or uncomfortable. You will not hurt your eyes by using them "too much." Preservative-free drops may be less irritating if you use them often, but cost substantially more. Be sure to use only tear substitute or lubricating eyedrops. Avoid drops that promise "to get the red out". Your eyes are supposed to get red if something irritates them. Anti-redness drops are only cosmetics that defeat your body's natural defense mechanisms without medical benefit.
You can use the preservative-free drops every hour if needed. If you don’t feel dry, you can use them as desired. You don’t have to use them if your eye is not dry.
Dr. LMJ
Dr. LMJ
Always follow your own surgeon's advice. I have the patients use non-preserved artificial tears every hour while awake until the outer layer of the cornea heals, which is called epithelialization. Then they use any artificial tears four times a day until the dryness dissipates.
If they are the non-preserved type of artificial tears, use them often; every couple of hours for the first few days, then 4 times a day for a couple of weeks. The more the better, and the longer the better.
Your eye doctor should determine the frequency of lubricating eye drops used after LASIK. Usually they will be needed every few hours for the first weeks after surgery
Not long
