Surgery journey: questions, page 2
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From the first consultation to the last follow-up: what is measured and why, how to prepare, what happens on the day, and what a normal first week and first month actually look like.
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The surgery journey questions and answers
Surgery journey
From the first consultation to the last follow-up: what is measured and why, how to prepare, what happens on the day, and what a normal first week and first month actually look like.
Eligibility & assessment 1
What a clinician checks, and why no page can decide it for you.
What happens if the assessment says I am not suitable? Answer
The clinician should tell you why, and what would change the answer if anything would: treating a dry surface first, waiting for the prescription to stabilise, or choosing a different procedure or a lens-based option. A refusal without a reason is an incomplete assessment.
A clinic declining to operate is a positive signal about how it works rather than a wasted appointment. It is also worth knowing that being unsuitable at one clinic does not mean the same at the next, because surgeons work to different limits.
What this depends on
- The specific finding that ruled it out
- Whether it can be treated or waited out
- Whether another procedure would be appropriate
Sources Dubai Health Authority , StatPearls, NCBI Bookshelf
This information is for educational purposes and does not replace an examination by a qualified eye-care professional.
Eye tests & scans 12
Topography, tomography, pachymetry, OCT, dilation and what each one shows.
What is a refraction test? Answer
It is the measurement that produces your glasses prescription: the lens power that gives the clearest vision for distance. It is a vision measurement rather than a health check, which is why a refraction alone cannot detect glaucoma, retinal disease or a corneal problem.
This is the distinction worth holding on to when comparing appointments. An optician’s sight test normally includes a refraction and a look at the health of the eye; a surgical assessment adds measurements of the cornea and retina that a refraction cannot provide.
What this depends on
- Whether the measurement was taken with the eye relaxed
- Whether the test included a dilated examination
- Whether it was repeated on a second occasion
Sources American Academy of Ophthalmology
This information is for educational purposes and does not replace an examination by a qualified eye-care professional.
What does 20/20 vision mean? Answer
It means you can see at twenty feet what a person with standard vision can see at twenty feet. It is a comparison against a reference, not a perfect score, and it says nothing about how well your eyes work together, your peripheral vision or the health of the eye.
A common misunderstanding is that 20/20 means nothing is wrong. People with early glaucoma, diabetic changes or a retinal problem often read the chart normally, which is exactly why the examination is more than the chart.
What this depends on
- Whether the chart was read with one eye or both
- Whether contrast sensitivity was also measured
- Whether the reading was with or without your glasses
Sources American Academy of Ophthalmology , National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health (US)
This information is for educational purposes and does not replace an examination by a qualified eye-care professional.
What is a visual field test? Answer
It maps your peripheral vision by presenting lights at different positions while you look straight ahead and press a button when you see one. It is used mainly to monitor conditions that affect side vision, particularly glaucoma, where the field can narrow before a patient notices anything.
Because it depends on your attention and reaction, a single result is read together with previous ones. A field test that looks slightly worse than last time is often a tired afternoon rather than a change, and a series of results over years is what shows a trend.
What this depends on
- How rested and attentive you are during the test
- Whether you have had the test before, for comparison
- Whether the result matches the pressure and optic nerve findings
Sources National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (UK) , American Academy of Ophthalmology
This information is for educational purposes and does not replace an examination by a qualified eye-care professional.
What is a slit lamp examination? Answer
It is the microscope examination of the front of the eye with a narrow beam of light, which shows the cornea, the front chamber, the iris and the lens at magnification. It is also the instrument used to examine the retina with a lens held in front of the eye.
Most of what a clinician concludes about your eye comes from this examination rather than from a machine. The scans measure; the slit lamp is where the measurements are interpreted against what the tissue actually looks like.
What this depends on
- Whether the pupil was dilated at the time
- How the findings compare with previous examinations
- Whether photographs were taken for the record
Sources American Academy of Ophthalmology
This information is for educational purposes and does not replace an examination by a qualified eye-care professional.
How is dry eye measured? Answer
With a combination of a symptoms questionnaire, the time it takes your tears to break up after a blink, staining of the surface with dye, and an examination of the eyelid glands. There is no single number that defines dry eye, which is why the assessment is a set of findings rather than one result.
The gland examination matters because a large share of dryness comes from the oil layer of the tear film rather than from its water content, and the treatment is different. A clinic that measures only tear quantity is measuring part of the problem.
What this depends on
- Whether the eyelids were examined as well as the tears
- Whether a questionnaire was used
- Whether the assessment was repeated on another day
Sources Journal of Ophthalmology (via PubMed Central) , National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (UK)
This information is for educational purposes and does not replace an examination by a qualified eye-care professional.
What is a Schirmer test? Answer
It measures how much tear fluid is produced over a set period using a small strip of paper placed inside the lower eyelid. It is one part of a dry-eye assessment and not a diagnosis on its own, because a normal tear volume can still leave the surface uncomfortable.
What this depends on
- Whether anaesthetic drops were used, which changes what is measured
- The room conditions during the test
- The other findings from the same visit
Sources National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (UK)
This information is for educational purposes and does not replace an examination by a qualified eye-care professional.
What is a wavefront or aberrometry measurement? Answer
It maps how light is distorted as it passes through your eye, including distortions beyond the ordinary prescription, called higher-order aberrations. Some surgical planning uses it to decide whether a customised treatment is appropriate.
The measurement is genuinely useful in some eyes and not in others, and it is one of the things a clinic charges for. The question worth asking is whether the treatment it would change is one you are being offered, rather than whether the measurement is available.
What this depends on
- Whether your aberrations are above the ordinary range
- Whether your prescription is stable enough to plan around
- Whether the platform supports a customised treatment
Sources American Academy of Ophthalmology
This information is for educational purposes and does not replace an examination by a qualified eye-care professional.
What is a contrast sensitivity test? Answer
It measures how well you see objects that are faint rather than small. Two people can both read the 20/20 line and still differ in how well they see in fog, at dusk or in low-contrast light, and that difference shows up in this test.
What this depends on
- Whether you are tested with glare present
- Whether the result differs between your two eyes
- Whether it has changed since a previous test
Sources American Academy of Ophthalmology
This information is for educational purposes and does not replace an examination by a qualified eye-care professional.
How many visits does an assessment take? Answer
Often one long appointment, sometimes followed by a second short visit before surgery. The second visit exists where the cornea needs to be re-measured on a different day, where a contact lens stop period has to be respected, or where the first set of measurements was equivocal.
A clinic that re-measures is not being inefficient. Corneal measurements taken a week apart are the ordinary way of knowing that the shape they plan to reshape is stable, and it is one of the few checks a patient can see happening.
What this depends on
- How long you have been out of contact lenses
- Whether the first measurements agreed with each other
- Whether any finding needs treatment first
Sources Dubai Health Authority
This information is for educational purposes and does not replace an examination by a qualified eye-care professional.
Can an optometrist diagnose eye disease? Answer
An optometrist can detect signs of disease during an examination and will refer you onward, and the diagnosis and treatment of eye disease sits with an ophthalmologist, a doctor who has completed specialist training and can perform surgery.
This matters in a surgical clinic for a specific reason: ask who will be examining you and who will be operating. In some clinics the assessment is done by one practitioner and the treatment by another, which is not necessarily wrong, but you are entitled to know.
What this depends on
- The training and licence of the person examining you
- Whether they refer on when a finding needs specialist care
- Whether the person who assesses you also operates
Sources Ministry of Health and Prevention, United Arab Emirates , The Official Portal of the UAE Government
This information is for educational purposes and does not replace an examination by a qualified eye-care professional.
What happens at a contact lens fitting? Answer
The cornea is measured, a lens design is chosen, and the lens is checked on the eye for fit, movement and vision. A proper fitting includes teaching handling and hygiene, and a review appointment to confirm the lens is still comfortable and the surface still healthy.
Contact lenses are a regulated medical device in most countries and are not one-size items. Buying lenses without a fitting means nobody has checked whether the lens sits correctly on your eye, which is where most comfort problems and some safety problems begin.
What this depends on
- Your corneal curvature and tear film
- How long you wear lenses each day
- Whether you need astigmatism or reading correction in the lens
Sources American Academy of Ophthalmology
This information is for educational purposes and does not replace an examination by a qualified eye-care professional.
Why does a clinic measure the length of my eye? Answer
Because lens implants are chosen from it. The power of an intraocular lens depends on how long the eye is and how strongly the cornea focuses, so a measurement of eye length, called biometry, is taken before cataract or lens-replacement surgery.
What this depends on
- Whether previous laser surgery has changed the cornea’s contribution
- Whether the measurements were repeatable
- Whether the same device was used as at a previous visit
Sources National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (UK)
This information is for educational purposes and does not replace an examination by a qualified eye-care professional.
Recovery & aftercare 12
The first week, the first month, and what is expected rather than alarming.
How long does vision take to stabilise? Answer
Vision usually settles over weeks to a few months, and the prescription is not considered final until it has stopped changing. That is why enhancement decisions are made later rather than sooner.
This information is for educational purposes and does not replace an examination by a qualified eye-care professional.
When can I shower after eye surgery? Answer
Showering is usually permitted early, with care to keep water and shampoo out of the eye. Rubbing the eye and letting water run into it are what the instructions are designed to prevent.
This information is for educational purposes and does not replace an examination by a qualified eye-care professional.
When can I wash my face after eye surgery? Answer
Washing the face is usually fine soon afterwards, but splashing water directly into the eye and rubbing around the eye are avoided for a period. Your clinic will give you the specific interval.
This information is for educational purposes and does not replace an examination by a qualified eye-care professional.
What happens if I accidentally rub my eye after surgery? Answer
A single accidental rub is unlikely to cause harm, and the eye is usually more resilient than the instructions make it sound. Report it to the clinic if it was forceful or if your vision changed afterwards.
The instructions about not rubbing exist mainly because repeated rubbing in the early period can disturb healing. Rubbing becomes more of a concern after a flap procedure, which is why eye shields are sometimes used at night.
This information is for educational purposes and does not replace an examination by a qualified eye-care professional.
When should I contact my clinic after surgery? Answer
This answer explains what the symptom commonly indicates. If it has come on suddenly, or is accompanied by pain or loss of vision, seek urgent care rather than waiting for an appointment.
Contact the clinic if your vision is getting worse rather than better, if you have significant pain, if there is discharge, or if you have any doubt at all. Asking early is not a nuisance.
Sudden loss of vision, a curtain across the vision, or severe pain needs urgent assessment rather than an appointment request.
Which symptoms need urgent care
This information is for educational purposes and does not replace an examination by a qualified eye-care professional.
What does the follow-up schedule involve? Answer
Follow-up usually starts with a check the day after surgery or within a few days, then continues at intervals over months. The early visits look at healing; the later ones look at stability.
Ask how many visits are included in the price and what happens after they run out, because that is where clinics differ most and where the cost of a problem can quietly land on you.
This information is for educational purposes and does not replace an examination by a qualified eye-care professional.
What eye drops will I need after surgery? Answer
Usually an antibiotic drop for a short period, an anti-inflammatory drop that is tapered over weeks, and lubricant drops for dryness that are used as needed. The exact combination and schedule are the clinic’s instruction for your eye and are not interchangeable between clinics.
Two things go wrong with drops most often: stopping the anti-inflammatory drop early because the eye feels fine, and using the bottles past their discard date after opening. Both are worth a line in the discharge instructions rather than a guess later.
What this depends on
- Which procedure you had
- How your eye responds in the first days
- Any allergy or intolerance you have to a preservative
Sources StatPearls, NCBI Bookshelf , StatPearls, NCBI Bookshelf
This information is for educational purposes and does not replace an examination by a qualified eye-care professional.
How long do I need to wear the eye shield? Answer
The shield is usually worn overnight for a period your clinic specifies, and sometimes at other times in the first days. Its purpose is to stop you rubbing the eye in your sleep rather than to protect it from light.
If you take it off and cannot remember putting it back on, the useful action is a phone call to the clinic rather than a guess. Most reported problems in the first nights are nothing, and the clinics prefer the call.
What this depends on
- Which procedure you had, since surface treatment usually needs it longer
- Whether you sleep on your side or face down
- What your clinic instructed
Sources StatPearls, NCBI Bookshelf
This information is for educational purposes and does not replace an examination by a qualified eye-care professional.
Why does my vision fluctuate during the day after surgery? Answer
Because the tear film fluctuates, and the surface of the eye is the first lens light passes through. Vision that is sharper after blinking or after drops and softer when the eye is dry is a tear-film pattern rather than a problem with the treatment.
This is the reason a single measurement of vision in the early weeks is not a verdict. Clinics look at the trend across visits, which is also why they ask you to attend the follow-up visits on the days they specify rather than whenever it suits.
What this depends on
- How dry your eye was before surgery
- How consistently you use the lubricant drops
- How much screen time you are doing
Sources StatPearls, NCBI Bookshelf , Peer-reviewed literature (via PubMed Central)
This information is for educational purposes and does not replace an examination by a qualified eye-care professional.
How long will I need lubricant drops after surgery? Answer
Many people use them regularly for the first weeks and then occasionally for months, and a minority use them long term. The pattern depends on your ocular surface before surgery as much as on the surgery itself.
What this depends on
- Whether you had dry-eye signs before treatment
- Which procedure you had
- The humidity and air conditioning where you work
Sources Journal of Ophthalmology (via PubMed Central) , Peer-reviewed literature (via PubMed Central)
This information is for educational purposes and does not replace an examination by a qualified eye-care professional.
Can I wear contact lenses again after laser surgery? Answer
In principle yes, for cosmetic or occasional use, once the eye has healed and the clinic has confirmed the surface is healthy. People who were corrected to good distance vision usually find they no longer need them, and reading lenses are the more common reason to wear one again.
What this depends on
- How the surface healed
- Whether you still need a prescription for any distance
- What your clinic advises about when to be refitted
Sources American Academy of Ophthalmology
This information is for educational purposes and does not replace an examination by a qualified eye-care professional.
What happens if I miss a follow-up appointment? Answer
Rearrange it rather than dropping it. The early visits are where a problem that is easy to treat is found before it becomes harder to treat, and they are also where the record of your healing is built, which matters if anything changes later.
What this depends on
- How far after surgery the missed visit was
- Whether you have any symptom in the meantime
- Whether you are still using the prescribed drops
Sources Dubai Health Authority
This information is for educational purposes and does not replace an examination by a qualified eye-care professional.
Work, driving, sport & travel 5
Getting back to ordinary life, and the timescales clinics work to.
When can I use a computer or phone after eye surgery? Answer
Screens are usually permitted soon after surgery, and the practical difficulty is comfort rather than safety. Dryness can make prolonged screen use tiring for a while.
Short sessions with deliberate breaks are easier in the first days than long stretches. Keeping the screen slightly further away and increasing the blink rate helps more than most settings.
This information is for educational purposes and does not replace an examination by a qualified eye-care professional.
When can I play football or contact sports after eye surgery? Answer
Contact sports are deferred until the eye has healed, and the period depends on the procedure and on how much contact is involved. Protective eyewear is often advised when you return.
This is one of the areas where the procedure choice matters: a flap is more of a consideration for sports with a risk of a blow to the eye than a flap-free procedure is.
This information is for educational purposes and does not replace an examination by a qualified eye-care professional.
When can I return to the gym after eye surgery? Answer
Light exercise is often allowed within days, while heavy lifting and anything involving a risk of being struck are usually deferred. Sweat in the eye and straining that raises pressure are the reasons.
This information is for educational purposes and does not replace an examination by a qualified eye-care professional.
When can I use eye makeup after surgery? Answer
Eye makeup is typically avoided for a short period after surgery so that particles and bacteria stay away from the treated surface. The clinic will give you the interval it uses.
This information is for educational purposes and does not replace an examination by a qualified eye-care professional.
When can I travel after eye surgery? Answer
Travel is usually possible soon afterwards, and the practical considerations are dryness on a flight and having your first follow-up where the operating clinic can see you.
For anyone travelling to Dubai for treatment, the sequencing of assessment, procedure and first check is worth agreeing before booking flights.
This information is for educational purposes and does not replace an examination by a qualified eye-care professional.
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These answers describe what is generally true. They are not a diagnosis and they cannot say whether a treatment is suitable for you, because suitability depends on measurements taken during an examination. Only a qualified ophthalmologist who has examined you can decide.
Sources & further reading
We prefer primary sources. Where a claim comes from a manufacturer, a single study or a regulator, it is labelled as such below.
- EyeSmart: eye health information for the public
Patient-facing material from the largest ophthalmology professional body, covering conditions, tests and treatments outside refractive surgery.
Used for Cross-checking patient-facing explanations of non-refractive eye conditions; Describing what tests such as dilation and OCT involve.
Link checked 23 September 2026
- Eye Health Information
Condition-by-condition eye health information from a US government research institute, written for patients rather than for clinicians.
Used for Plain-language explanations of eye conditions and their symptoms; Healthy vision and screening guidance.
Link checked 23 September 2026
- Cataracts in adults: management (NG77)
Clinical guidance on when cataract surgery is indicated, what should be discussed before it, and what follow-up is expected.
Used for When cataract surgery is considered appropriate rather than cosmetic timing; What patients should be told before cataract surgery.
Link checked 23 September 2026
- Dry Eye after Small Incision Lenticule Extraction (SMILE) versus Femtosecond Laser-Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis: A Meta-Analysis
A meta-analysis pooling several studies on dry eye after SMILE compared with femtosecond LASIK. It also documents where the included studies disagreed.
Used for The dry-eye discussion on the comparison and risks pages; Explaining that the evidence base is mixed rather than unanimous.
Link checked 22 September 2026
- American Academy of Ophthalmology
A large professional body publishing both clinical guidance and plain-language patient education on refractive surgery.
Used for Cross-checking patient-facing explanations of refractive surgery.
Link checked 22 September 2026
- DHA circular on the scope of practice for ophthalmologists performing laser refractive surgery
A Dubai Health Authority circular addressing how laser refractive surgery sits within the licensed scope of practice for ophthalmologists in Dubai.
Used for Explaining that refractive surgery is a regulated activity in Dubai.
Link checked 22 September 2026
- UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention
The federal health authority for the UAE, relevant to facilities licensed outside the Dubai Health Authority system.
Used for Explaining which authority licenses which facility.
Link checked 22 September 2026
- Health regulatory authorities in the United Arab Emirates
The UAE government’s own listing of the federal health authority and of the emirate-level health authorities, naming which part of the country each one covers.
Used for Explaining that more than one authority licenses healthcare in the UAE; Explaining which body to approach about a licensed facility.
Link checked 24 September 2026
- Laser In Situ Keratomileusis (LASIK)
The equivalent clinical reference chapter for LASIK, used so that comparisons describe both procedures symmetrically.
Used for How LASIK creates and manages a corneal flap; LASIK complication categories.
Link checked 22 September 2026
- Small Incision Lenticule Extraction (SMILE)
A continuously updated clinical reference chapter covering SMILE indications, technique, outcomes and complications, written for clinicians.
Used for How the lenticule is created and removed; Indications and contraindications; Complication categories; Corneal biomechanics compared with flap-based surgery.
Link checked 22 September 2026
- Dry Eyes After SMILE
A review of ocular surface changes after SMILE, including how dry-eye signs and symptoms are measured and how they change over the first postoperative months.
Used for Explaining why dry eye is a key preoperative consideration.
Link checked 22 September 2026
- Post-LASIK dry eye disease: A comprehensive review of the current literature
A review of dry eye after LASIK, including the mechanisms involved and how other procedures compare in the published literature.
Used for Balanced comparison of dry-eye risk between procedures.
Link checked 22 September 2026