When is it ok to rub my eyes again after I have the LASIK procedure?
The surgical methods that we have now have allowed surgeons to make such precisely created corneal flaps for the LASIK procedure that make rubbing the eye much less of a threat than it was in the past.
We want our patients to be careful not to rub or bump the operated eye(s) for about two weeks postoperatively. Normally, eye rubbing is likely to cause a problem only on the first post op day. We stress to all of our patients that when you rub your eyes your eye rubbing is likely to cause a problem only on the first post op day.
After one month following LASIK, the risk of displacing the flap with eye rubbing is very low. Chronic Eye rubbing is likely to cause a problem and can cause weakness and ectasia even if there is a propensity for a weakened cornea. Instead of rubbing your eyes, try to get in the habit of putting in artificial tears. This often helps curb the desire to rub your eyes.
Although it is hard to resist the urge to rub your eye and use tears to lubricate your eyes- it is good general eye health for everyone. Light eye rubbing is normally ok after a month with an iflap. An iflap means that your flap was made by a laser and not a microkeratome which uses a blade. The laser uses no blade and creates a much more precise flap for your LASIK procedure.
