Recovery After LASIK Eye Surgery?

It may take 1-2 days to recover after LASIK eye surgery. Most patients can return to work the next day after LASIK procedure.

The initial healing after LASIK is so fast that it has been termed the "wow" effect because so many patients say "wow I can see already."
This is from the fact that the flap only needs to heal at the edges, and the central vision part of the cornea is not disturbed. Although the initial healing is fast, so that most patients achieve close to 20/20 vision in less than 24 hours, sometimes it can take longer for the vision to stabilize. In addition, the vision can continue to change slightly throughout the healing process for several months.
Mechanically the flap is not really healed this quickly, and one needs to be careful to avoid eye trauma, especially during the first few weeks.

For LASIK surgery (creating a flap) you can typically expect several hours of slightly blurred vision immediately after the surgery. This can be accompanied by some minor stinging or tearing.
By the next morning most people are seeing very well and have little discomfort. Night time glare can be an issue for days to weeks but typically resolves quickly. Mild dry eye is also typically encountered for a couple months after the procedure.
If the surface treatment is used (no flap), the recovery is a little longer. Many surgeons will use a bandage contact lens for several days to allow the cornea to heal properly. Significantly more itch and burn is encountered. Discomfort is usually transient and last less than a week. Steroid eye drops are used for multiple weeks and full visual recovery will be slower.