After having corrective eye surgery, you or your child may have a sore eye for a few days. The pain can be treated using simple painkillers, such as paracetamol. If the pain does not improve, speak to your eye care specialist or visit your GP.
Children under 16 years of age should not be given aspirin.
Following eye surgery, a pad may be put over the affected eye, which will usually be removed before you or your child are discharged from hospital. There is no need to wear a patch or bandage at home and you or your child will be able to return to daily activities, such as reading, as soon as you (or they) feel able to. The aim is to get the eyes working normally as quickly as possible.
Advice after eye surgery
Follow the advice outlined below when you or your child return home after having an eye operation.
- You or your child may not feel like eating, but drink water at regular intervals.
- You or your child may have double vision, but this will usually resolve itself over the course of a few weeks.
- The stitches can take up to six weeks to dissolve and it may feel like there is a bit of grit in the eye or the eye may be itchy. Try not to rub it.
- Avoid getting any soap or shampoo in the eye for two weeks.
- Your child should not play in sand or use face paint for two weeks after the operation.
- You or your child will need to go back to your eye care specialist for regular follow-up visits.
- If you or your child wore glasses before the operation, it is likely that you will still need to wear them after the procedure.
Returning to school or work
Your child should be able to return to school or nursery after a week or two. If you have had surgery, you should be able to return to work after a week or two.
Sports
After surgery, you or your child should avoid playing sports for around two weeks. You may need to avoid contact sports, such as football, for up to a month. Swimming should be avoided for at least a month after the operation.
Driving
If you have had surgery to correct a squint and you drive, you should ask your surgeon when you can drive again. You should not drive if you have double vision.
