Lens replacement aftercare & recovery

Comprehensive aftercare for every patient.

At Optical Express, we firmly believe that our patients should receive exemplary levels of care before, during and after their lens replacement surgery. With that in mind, we put together a complete aftercare plan that’s individually tailored to each patient and their specific refractive lens exchange recovery. It helps to ensure that their surgery is successful for the long term.

Your aftercare timeline

We'll take care of your vision long after your lens surgery.

  1. Day 1

    Lens surgery

    Your surgeon will remove your natural lens and replace it with a premium synthetic lens. After lens surgery, patients generally experience some temporary discomfort as the anesthetic wears off. Some patients may benefit from using over-the-counter pain relief to manage this. Your surgeon will provide you with medication to aid the healing process. Once your surgery is complete, it's important that you return home to rest and to start your recovery. A small number of patients may require their second eye to be treated the following day.

  2. Day 2

    Optometrist aftercare appointment

    Our clinical care team will conduct a thorough assessment to check that your eyes have started to heal well. After your appointment, you should give yourself time to relax and recover from your procedure. For the first few days, it's important to avoid activities which are strenuous for your eyes, such as driving and be careful not to rub your eyes or get them wet.

  3. 1 week

    Optometrist aftercare appointment

    We'll take good care of your vision following your lens surgery, because we consider the care after your treatment to be just as important as the surgery itself. Our comprehensive aftercare programme helps to ensure that your surgery is successful for the long term.

  4. Continued Care

    As part of our aftercare programme, we provide 12 months of aftercare as standard. Within this time, you should return for regular aftercare appointments as recommended by your optometrist. During their refractive lens exchange recovery, our patients also have access to a 24 hour helpline in the first 12 months following surgery, for complete peace of mind.

  5. One year on

    Annual examinations

    Just like a visit to the dentist, eye examinations should be a part of your regular health checks. Visit us once a year to help maintain your eye health.

Don't just take our word for it, find out how we've helped our amazing patients enjoy the things they love!

Read Patient Reviews

Still have questions?

Below you'll find answers to the questions we're asked most frequently.

  • What happens after I have lens surgery?

    The short answer is: A quick recovery period

    It can take up to two weeks for your eyes to settle after lens surgery. You should attend your follow-up appointments during your refractive lens exchange recovery as planned and follow the advice given by your optometrist and your surgeon.
  • Do I need to take medication after having lens surgery?

    The short answer is: Yes

    Following your surgery, your surgeon will provide you with anti-inflammatory and antibiotic eye drops which will aid the healing process.
  • How long will I experience discomfort after lens surgery?

    The short answer is: A very short period of time

    Lens replacement surgery itself is not painful, as your eyes are anaesthetised with numbing drops. When these wear off you will feel some discomfort, but in the vast majority of cases this reduces quickly as your recovery progresses.
  • How quickly can I expect to see results with lens surgery?

    The short answer is: Within two weeks, but sometimes as quickly as 24 hours

    While some of our lens replacement patients notice an improvement in just one day, the majority can expect an improvement within two weeks.
  • Will I need further treatments?

    The short answer is: For a small number of patients, further treatment may be required

    The premium lenses we use in lens surgery are designed to last a lifetime. However, our eyes do still continue to change and age and so some patients may require further treatment. Your optometrist and surgeon will be happy to discuss this with you.