How Long After Lasik Eye Surgery Will the Eyes Be Recovered Enough for Driving?

The average person is able to drive within the first few days after Lasik surgery. Some people, especially during the first postoperative month, will notice glare or haloes around lights at night. This does not usually interfere with driving. Of course, every patient is unique and some people may have a postoperative recovery which is different than the average experience.
 

Most patients can drive the first day after surgery because LASIK patients heal very quickly!  That is one of the great benefits of LASIK over PRK.

There can be no guarantee as to the result of LASIK surgery, but the vast majority of patients see well enough to drive the morning after their LASIK procedure.  My wife had surgery at 6 PM and saw well enough to drive the next morning.  I have had pilots fly planes the next day and I performed surgery the day after my LASIK.

If you are like 99 percent of patients, you will see well enough to be able to drive the day after LASIK.

I will typically allow my LASIK patients to drive within 24 hours of their surgery. I also ask them not to over do it. In other words, in my Baltimore, Maryland practice, I will say it is okay to drive the next day, but don't drive to Ohio, just run your usual errands or trip to work. I go a little slower with my cataract patients and recommend waiting 48 hours before driving. Modern day patients are not always very "patient" so we try to get them back to full activity quickly, as long as it is safe.