Activity schedule

When you get home from your surgery, you should spend the remainder of the day resting. Some patients like to have a friend or family member nearby to assist them in these first few hours. During this time, your eyes will be very sensitive. For this reason, it is important to avoid activities in which the eye may be poked, rubbed or touched. Be sure to keep your eyes well lubricated. Follow these steps on the day of your surgery:

• Always avoid rubbing your eyes. Instead, use lubricating drops when they feel irritated.
• Avoid staring without lubricating the eyes.
• Avoid watching TV or reading.
• Avoid showering (you may take a bath but avoid getting soap or water in the eyes, showering or bathing before surgery is fine).
• Avoid alcohol consumption.
• Do not drive (even if only one eye has been treated).

• Shower (please continue to avoid getting any soap or water in the eyes).
• Low-maintenance activities: Going to the office or school; reading or writing.
• Drive short distances, if we have confirmed that you have adequate vision.
• Work on a computer or watch TV, but keep your eyes well lubricated.
• Fly in an airplane (please keep eyes generously lubricated and apply eye drops approximately every 30 minutes or so).
• Facial makeup application (but not eye makeup).
• Lift objects of moderate weight.
• Sauna and steam room.

• Apply eye makeup (but please remove it gently and avoid touching the eyes).
• Light exercise, such as using a treadmill, Stairmaster or stationary bike.
• Play gently with babies and toddlers.
• Outdoor activities, such as jogging, rollerblading, relaxed bicycling, horseback riding, golfing and boating.
• Swimming with goggles.
• Dyeing hair.
• Waxing eyebrows.
• Facial muscle relaxants around the eyes or forehead.
• Sun-tanning and salon tanning.
• Tennis and baseball.

Additional activities that you are permitted to do while wearing eye protection:

• Waterslides, scuba diving and snorkeling.
• Water skiing, windsurfing, surfing and kayaking.
• Hockey, basketball, football and soccer.
• Motorcycling and snowmobiling.
• Skiing and snowboarding.
• Dirt biking and mountain biking.
• Squash, racquetball and badminton.

• Swimming and sailing.

• Parachuting and bungee jumping.
• Boxing and mixed martial arts.

Additional activities that you are permitted to begin without eye protection, but must proceed with caution:

• False eyelashes and eyelash growth products.
• Hockey, basketball, badminton, football and soccer.
• Skiing and snowboarding.
• Water skiing, wind surfing, kayaking and surfing.
• Waterslides.

• Blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery).
• Boxing and mixed martial arts; however, you should discuss this beforehand with your eye care professional.

• After your surgery, you should rest.
• Always be very careful about activities where the eye may be poked, rubbed or touched.
• Always avoid rubbing eyes. Instead, use lubricant drops for irritation.
• Avoid staring without having lubricated your eyes.
• Take a bath instead of a shower and avoid getting soap and water in the eyes.

• Shower, but continue to avoid any soap or water in the eyes.
• Restrict your movement to light activities. Work should probably be avoided but working at home is acceptable.
• Driving short distances after the eye examination is acceptable, if your vision is deemed adequate at the post-operative evaluation.
• Reading and watching TV is acceptable, as long as you administer frequent lubrication to the eye.
• Use computers, but keeping the eyes generously lubricated.
• Flying in airplanes is acceptable, but keep eyes generously lubricated by administering drops every 30 minutes; airplanes have very dry air.

• Apply face makeup (but not eye makeup).
• Return to the office and perform usual daily tasks (like sit in front of a computer).

• Light exercise, but only activities that do not pose a risk to the eyes (such as a treadmill or stationary bike).
• Play with children (but be careful so as not to get poked in the eye).
• Moderate alcohol consumption may be resumed.
• Long-distance driving (driving for an hour or more).

• Applying eye makeup (avoid touching the eyes).
• Jogging outdoors.
• Rollerblading.
• Relaxed bicycling (but no mountain biking, as it can pose a risk to your eyes).
• Golf.
• Suntanning and salon-tanning (but please wear eye protection).
• Sauna and steamroom.
• Use of a hair dryer (but avoid blowing air directly in the eyes).

• Contact sports

• Racquet sports – tennis, squash, racquetball, badminton (but always wear eye protection).
• Swimming; scuba diving; snorkeling.
• Sailing.
• Motorcycling; dirt biking; mountain biking.
• Parachuting.
• Baseball; basketball; football; soccer.
• Skiing.
• Riding roller coasters.
• Dyeing hair (including eyebrows).

• Water skiing; wind surfing; surfing.
• Kayaking.
• Martial arts and boxing (training without contact can start at 1 month).