# Patient Portal Source page: https://www.kudretgozistanbul.com/en/patient-portal > **Summary:** The Patient Portal gathers aftercare guidance for Kudret Eye patients: stage-by-stage recovery timelines, expected sensations and warning signs after ReLEx SMILE, iLASIK, LASEK / PRK / No-Touch laser, lens replacement and phakic lens (ICL) surgery. Times differ from person to person; the surgeon sets each patient's drop schedule and check-up dates. ## Quick Facts - **Showering after laser surgery:** Not for the first 24 hours - **Return to desk work (SMILE, iLASIK):** Usually the second or third day (per-method guides); the next day (general laser timeline) - **Return to work (PRK, No Touch):** Within a few days, after the bandage lens is removed - **Bandage lens removal (LASEK / PRK / No-Touch):** Days 3-5, by the surgeon - **Lens replacement and ICL:** Around 15-20 minutes per eye under anaesthetic drops, home the same day with a companion - **Check-ups:** Day 1, week 1 (laser), month 1 and month 3, then a yearly examination --- ## Recovery After ReLEx SMILE and iLASIK ### First 6 Hours - Rest with eyes closed, do not rub them, start prescribed drops straight away; no shower for the first 24 hours. - Normal: pain or burning, a gritty or sandy feeling, the urge to keep the eyes closed. ### Day 1: Follow-up Examination - **SMILE:** The surgeon checks how the small incision is healing and visual acuity. Vision is usually noticeably clearer; settling fully can take up to 10 days. - **iLASIK:** The surgeon checks corneal healing and visual acuity. Vision is usually noticeably clearer; short periods of screen use are fine. ### Days 2-3: Back to Work - Desk work is usually possible on the second or third day. - Do not rub the eyes, avoid dusty and smoky places, wear sunglasses outdoors. ### Week 1: Back to Daily Life - Light exercise is allowed; avoid pools, the sea, saunas and eye make-up in the first week. - Continue the drop schedule; it is reviewed at the one-week visit. - Normal: sensitivity to bright light, mild headache or feeling unwell, difficulty looking at a screen for long. ### Month 1 and Month 3 - **Month 1:** Vision settles; night haloes and dryness gradually fade. The drop plan is adjusted if needed. - **Month 3:** Corneal healing is largely complete; the final result is measured and follow-up closes, then a routine yearly eye examination is enough. Dry or tired eyes may be felt. ### iLASIK Flap Care - Protect the flap in the first days: do not rub the eye and wear the protective shield for as long as the surgeon says. ### When to Contact Us (SMILE and iLASIK) - Severe pain persisting more than 6 hours after treatment - A clear or sudden deterioration of vision - Increasing redness of the eye - A white spot or whitish area of infection in the centre of the eye ## Recovery After LASEK / PRK / No-Touch Laser - **First 3 to 4 days:** Rest with eyes closed, no rubbing, start drops, no shower for 24 hours. Normal: persistent pain in one or both eyes, swollen eyelids, burning or gritty feeling, urge to keep eyes closed. - **Day 1:** The surgeon checks surface healing and that the bandage contact lens is in place. Vision is still blurred and can take a few weeks to clear. - **Days 3-5:** Once the surface has closed, the surgeon removes the bandage lens (never remove it yourself). Most patients return to work after this, when vision has cleared enough. - **Week 1:** Same rules as above (light exercise; no pools, sea, saunas or eye make-up). Normal: light sensitivity, mild headache, blurred or reduced vision, screen difficulty. - **Month 1 and Month 3:** Vision settles, then the final check closes follow-up. - The first days are less comfortable than after other laser methods and vision clears more slowly; this is expected. ## General Laser Recovery Timeline A separate summary section of the page gives a shorter timeline that differs in places from the per-method guides above: - After iLASIK and SMILE most patients are back to their daily routine and desk work the next day; after PRK and No Touch this takes a few days. - Next-day check: after iLASIK and SMILE vision is already noticeably clearer; after PRK and No Touch it clears more slowly, with full clarity taking 2-4 weeks. - Burning, stinging, watering and light sensitivity are normal in the first hours. - Avoid swimming pools and the sea for about 20 days (the per-method guides say the first week), and saunas and eye make-up during the first week. ### When to Contact Us - A white spot or whitish area of infection in the centre of the eye - Increasing redness - Severe or persistent pain after removal of the bandage contact lens ## Recovery After Lens Replacement (and Cataract Surgery) ### First 6 Hours - Done under anaesthetic drops, around 15-20 minutes per eye; home the same day with a companion. - The eye is bandaged; the bandage is removed at the next-morning check-up. Do not rub the eye; wear the protective shield as advised. - Normal: irritation or a gritty feeling, swollen eyelids; blurriness, mild stinging and light sensitivity in the first hours. ### Day 1 - Eye pressure, lens position and visual acuity are checked. Most patients notice clearly better distance vision; light daily activities are fine. ### Week 1 - Antibiotic and anti-inflammatory drops on a tapering schedule. - Avoid heavy lifting, bending forward for long, pools and saunas. - Normal: mild headache or feeling unwell, light sensitivity. ### Week 2: Vision With Both Eyes - The second eye is usually operated on a separate day, most often the day after the first; both eyes can be done the same day if the surgeon considers it suitable. - Near, intermediate and distance vision are then assessed together. ### Month 1 and Month 3 - **Month 1:** With a multifocal lens the brain adapts over a few weeks; night haloes and glare gradually diminish. Vision quality is measured and drops are stopped. - **Month 3:** Vision is fully settled; acuity at every distance and vision without glasses are assessed, then a yearly check-up is enough. Dry eyes and reduced night vision may be felt. ### When to Contact Us - Nausea or headache with eye pain - A sudden and significant decrease in vision - Increasing redness - New flashes of light, a sudden increase in floaters or a curtain over part of the vision The same list applies after cataract surgery. If the eyes are operated on separately, the periods restart for each eye. ## Recovery After a Phakic Lens (ICL) - Follows the same stages as lens replacement: around 15-20 minutes per eye under anaesthetic drops, bandage removed next morning, tapering antibiotic and anti-inflammatory drops, second eye usually the day after the first. - At month 1 night haloes and glare diminish and drops are stopped; at month 3 vision is fully settled. Dry or irritated eyes and reduced night vision may be felt. - The early check-ups also measure the pressure inside the eye, so keep the appointments given. ### When to Contact Us - Nausea with headache or pain around the eye - A sudden and noticeable decrease in vision - Increasing redness of the eye - New flashes of light, a sudden increase in floaters or a curtain over part of the vision --- Recovery times differ from person to person; these timelines are for information only.