Is It Safe to Go Swimming After LASIK?
When considering laser vision correction, many patients are concerned about LASIK and swimming. While the appeal of having their vision improved is strong, they do not want to give up on the water sports they love. The good news is that there is no reason for LASIK to pose a problem for underwater enthusiasts.
Of course, immediately after surgery, you will need to avoid swimming. You should stay out of pools for two to four weeks, and out of rivers and lakes for longer- probably up to eight weeks. This is because seawater has many organisms that could cause damage to a cornea that has been compromised by refractive surgical procedures. Even swimming pools, with chlorination, can cause issues with foreign particles getting into the healing incisions.
The good news is, once your incisions have healed, water sports are back on the menu. People who have had LASIK surgery can surf or scuba dive, with no issues. There has been some concern about the pressure of diving causing injury to an eye that has undergone laser surgical procedures, but this concern is largely unfounded. In fact, Navy SEALS can have corrective procedures, and go back to diving. As long as the patient waits an appropriate amount of time, and is fully healed from the surgical procedure, scuba diving is not risky.
If you plan to undergo corrective vision surgery, be sure to plan ahead, in order to leave enough time to recover before you combine LASIK and swimming. The most important thing to do when making your LASIK plans, though, is to choose the right surgeon. Dallas LASIK surgeon Dr. Gary Tylock is a pioneer of the procedure, with twenty years and over eleven thousand surgeries to his credit. Instrumental in developing some of the surgical equipment used in modern LASIK, he leads a staff that is committed to providing the very best care, with the latest in technology. Visit the Tylock website to learn more about how Dr. Tylock can help to improve your vision.