How Soon Can I Go Running After Lasik Eye Surgery?

Question

I'm an avid runner, and I'm supposed to have my Lasik procedure in about a week. I'm wondering how soon after the procedure I'll be able to be running again. Is it possible that the impact from running might affect my recovery or the healing? Or is there no risk involved?

Sandy Feldman, MD · Answer

You can resume running after LASIK within three to seven days if you wear sunglasses to protect your eyes from external elements such as sun and wind. It is also important to not rub your eyes. Perspiration may cause your eyes to burn so consider running with a sweatband and/or hat.

Mazin Yaldo, MD · Answer

I typically recommend 3-5 days of rest before getting back to cardiovascular activity such as running. Weight lifting on the other hand and other extremely strenuous activities should be avoided for 10-14 days after your procedure. You should focus on taking your drops religiously and avoiding a lot of sunlight. Try to wear sunglasses when running.

William Ellis, MD, FACS · Answer

Running or any other physical activities may result sweating. From that point of view we don't recommend running first two days after the surgery. You can go running 2 days after LASIK as long as you are careful- do not rub your eyes and wear sunglasses to protect your eyes. To be safe start with moderate running.

Arturo Chayet, MD · Answer

Engaging in a moderate amount of running is okay 2 days after the LASIK procedure. Make sure to use sunglasses and avoid any hand contact to your eyes. Use a head cap or band to prevent sweat from getting into your eyes. The impact from running does not affect the LASIK procedure or the eye in relation to LASIK.

Arthur Benjamin, MD · Answer

It is important to remember that while LASIK is associated with a rapid visual recovery it is still a surgical procedure that requires the healing of tissues.  It takes about 6 months for the LASIK flap to reintegrate into the cornea strongly enough that it is difficult to lift or dislodge.  However everyday after the procedure the flap adhesion strengthens. We recommend our patients sleep with a shield for the first week after surgery and wear protective eyewear (sun or clear) to avoid rubbing the eyes. A month after surgery the flap is extremely unlikely to be dislodged.  A week out after the procedure it I believe it is safe enough to jog if protective eyewear is in place.

Michael K. Tracy, MD · Answer

Most people can go running a week after LASIK. Your surgeon will see you one week post-op and at that time he should be able to tell you for certain, but be careful even one week after surgery. It is best to approach exercise with caution for at least a month after surgery.

Paul C. Kang, MD · Answer

Reasonable running and exercise is not a problem the next day after LASIK. I usually tell patients to make sure to keep their eyes lubricated with frequent artificial tears and protected from the wind. Also if you are running or working out in a gym, avoid fans as they can exacerbate dryness. Dryness is something that can negatively impact your recovery process. I do have my patients refrain from swimming for a week after LASIK

Christopher Coad, MD · Answer

Running is allowed the day after surgery. Speedy recovery is one of the great things about LASIK.

Emil William Chynn, MD, FACS, MBA · Answer

any activity after LASIK that can result in your eye getting hit by something puts you at risk of having the LASIK flap that's been cut come back up. every high-volume refractive surgeon (defined as performing 1,000 cases or more every year) has seen SEVERAL patients who had LASIK who got hit in the eye with a ball, or a finger playing basketball, or falling down and the FLAP COMES BACK UP. sometimes, the flap is actually torn off. often, it can be sewn back in place, but usually this results in some fine wrinkles in the flap called striae, which often cause diplopia, or double vision. rarely, you can't find the flap, as it winds up on the playground or whatever, so you're missing a part of your eyeball forever, which does not exactly enable you to see a normal 20/20 afterwards

	what the average person doesn't realize is that the LASIK flap NEVER FULLY HEALS and can be VERY EASILY DISLODGED FOR YEARS AFTERWARDS. that's why a surgeon can enhance a LASIK years afterwards simply by lifting the flap back up and lasering the bed and putting the flap back down--because the flap never seals down fully!

	this is why i switched my entire practice to LASEK a few years ago, because there isno flap at all in the first place. this is why i have boxers, wrestlers, mixed martial arts professionals, and military special forces patients in my office every week--because they cannot afford the risk of trauma to the eye and having the flap come up, so they can only get the safer non-cutting LASEK.  So, to answer your question, it is never fully safe to engage in ANY CONTACT SPORTS after LASIK, but it is 100% safe after the noncutting LASEK and epiLASEK procedures (we recommend 1 week after for sports and 2 weeks after for contact sports, including getting hit in the head with someone else's elbow in a metal cage, which apparently is what the professional mixed martial arts guy i did LASEK on last week does for a living!);)

	Emil Chynn, MD, FACS, MBA

Christopher Starr, MD · Answer

On average many LASIK surgeons would likely recommend waiting about 7 days before resuming strenuous activity and exercise after uneventful LASIK surgery. Since running, unlike team sports like football, basketball and soccer, is lower risk for direct ocular trauma, it can often be resumed sooner but protective eyewear should be used. That being said, there is always risk with any physical activity of developing a flap complication, inflammation or infection. Since every surgery is unique and everyone heals differently I would defer to your surgeon for guidance on resuming running and other physical activity.

How Soon Can I Go Running After Lasik Eye Surgery?

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