Can I drink after laser eye surgery?

Dr. Matthew Russell explains if you can drink after laser eye surgery

If you’re wondering to yourself, “Can I drink after LASIK?” we recommend that you avoid drinking alcohol after laser surgery – of any form. You will have had a sedative to take before the surgery and there can be an interaction between the sedative and alcohol. You’ll be very relaxed already and I suspect you won’t need alcoholic drinks the night after surgery. You’ll be surprisingly relaxed after that and it may even give you impaired judgement. This is why we recommend you bring trusted company with you on the day of treatment.

24 hours after, however, the effects of that sedative will have worn off and it is absolutely fine to consume alcohol after LASIK surgery. If you feel ready, you can show up to planned social engagements.

If you’ve had surface laser or PRK for the first two to three days after treatment, your eyes will be uncomfortable and your vision will be affected by the laser treatment.

Therefore, we would not recommend alcohol consumption until your vision has recovered three to four days after the treatment.

During this recovery period, you should also regularly use the eye drops provided by your eye doctor to relieve temporary side effects like dry eyes. Also, ensure you prioritise a good night’s sleep, particularly for the first few nights after surgery to aid your healing.

If you would like to learn more about vision correction in Brisbane and understand which treatment could free you from glasses or contact lenses, then please contact one of our laser vision professionals.