A feel-good activity

During the first check-up after your operation, usually the following day, your taped-on eye shields are removed. By that time you will already have a pretty good idea of your improved vision, because if you are like most people, you have been peeking through the holes or the side.

Your vision will be checked with similar gadgets as they were used during the pre-exam, just this time it is to measure success.

During the check-up you will also receive medication for the next week or so. And eye shields again, for the night-time when you sleep, so you don't accidentally rub your eyes.

We believe that it is the first couple of days after the operation, when you can, by strictly following the instructions from the doctor, have the strongest impact on the overall success of the LASIK procedure. Of the small number of people who end up with eye infections after LASIK it's easy to imagine that not all of them followed the instructions received or even common sense. Be good for the first two weeks - don't go swimming, apply the drops, sleep with eye shields - and you have done your share to ensure that the operation is a full success.

There is usually another check-up after one week. Usually when you go to this check-up you will already be very relaxed about the whole thing. It's more of an opportunity to say thank you to the people at the clinic.

While there must be good reasons for the clinics to include further check-ups later in the first year, it's not clear how many people actually have those done.