Is It Safe to Fly After Lasik Surgery?

When I was at Harvard, one of the surgeons there who had LASIK went to climb K2, which is the 2nd tallest mountain in the world after Mt. Everest. Unfortunately, he developed corneal edema (water-logged cornea), as when you have LASIK you wind up with a two-piece cornea, and the 2 pieces never fully join as well as if you didn't have a "sandwich" configuration, so the upper flap got watter-logged because the corneal endothelial cells that pump the water out of your cornea... more

I am always amazed at how busy my LASIK patients are and how many things they have planned! I think my LASIK patients have alot more fun than I do! Seriously, other than the dryness on an airplane, air travel is fine as soon as two days postop (I traveled on  the second day after my laser surgery). There are no issues with altitude or pressure. You will have to be careful to not get hit in the eye for a week or so, in addition to avoiding water sports for a week. So, try to plan... more

Flying is generally safe after LASIK surgery. But, since the eyes tend to be drier after surgery and airplanes are notoriously dry environments, I would recommend bringing a lot of lubricating eye drops on the trip.

What we said was, "While the change in cabin pressure may cause your ears to pop, it will not harm your LASIK surgery, even if you’ve had surgery that very morning. The bigger cause for concern when flying is the dry air. After LASIK, your eyes may be dry and irritated, and dry eyes are more susceptible to infection. So if you’re in a plane or going skiing in cold, dry mountain air, be sure to bring your lubricating eye drops with you. Keep those eyes moisturized and... more

We are often asked this questions since many patients travel from far away to have LASIK at our center. There is no problem with flying even shortly after LASIK surgery from a medical standpoint. There might be a problem immediatelly after surgery in negotiating the airport, dealing with travel stress and delays, and more importantly what to do if having some discomfort during the flight, or needing to return to be checked if problems arise. We recommend that patients be checked one day... more

It is OK to fly shortly after LASIK. I've had patients fly the very next day (after their morning one day postop visit). Air in planes can be dry, so I tell patients to bring plenty of artificial tears to use. The altitude and pressure will have no effect at all. I'm assuming your question is as a passenger. As a private pilot, as soon as you (and your doctor) feel comfortable with your vision, you can have your FAA physician sign you off, or have your eye surgeon sign off on a form. I've... more

Flying or altitude does not affect LASIK! Rubbing your eyes and getting dirty water in them will affect your surgery. So, enjoy your vacation, perhaps with goggles!