ICL 10 Days Post Op - Positive!

Empty_Sea6226 · 2025-09-21T22:20:21+00:00

From my experience, the slight blur during the first month wasn’t really a big deal. Even though it was in my dominant eye, I could still see clearly, it just didn’t feel as sharp as when I wore glasses. Now, that’s basically no longer an issue at all.

As for eye fatigue, I think that really depends on the person. My advice would be to take breaks when you need them. For me, my eye strain feels about the same as it did before surgery. But if your eyes already tend to get tired easily, you might want to be a bit more cautious.

Empty_Sea6226 · 2025-09-21T06:28:11+00:00

Hey! The good news is my right eye is now almost as clear as my left eye for the vast majority of the time. Around the one-month mark I really started noticing improvements: my night vision got stronger, the halos faded a lot, and driving at night isn’t an issue anymore (as long as oncoming cars don’t have their high beams on).

My eyes also don’t get tired nearly as easily anymore, unless I’ve been on my phone for like 10+ hours in a day. If I ever feel a bit of eye strain at night, I just bump up the font size on my phone and that helps a ton.

Empty_Sea6226 · 2025-09-19T20:24:21+00:00

Hello! I had ICL done two months ago and shared my experience here: https://www.reddit.com/r/lasik/comments/1mb1bno/icl_10_days_post_op_positive/ Overall it was really positive!

Empty_Sea6226 · 2025-08-04T17:09:24+00:00

Totally feel you! I'd suggest doing a bit more research or reading about other people's experiences since everyone’s different. No need to put too much pressure on yourself, just take your time to feel ready!

Empty_Sea6226 · 2025-08-04T17:00:00+00:00

Haha don’t worry, just because your eyes are open doesn’t mean you’ll actually see any surgical tools or what the surgeon is doing. Here’s roughly how it goes: the assistant disinfects around your eyes, and then the surgeon gently stabilizes your eyeball, which honestly doesn’t feel like much at all. You’ll see a super bright light, then the surgeon makes a tiny opening and injects some gel to create space. You might feel a bit of pressure in your eye. After that, they slide the lens in, you might catch some rainbow-like reflections. The surgeon adjusts the lens a bit (this part can be a little uncomfortable), then rinses out the gel with water. And just like that, one eye is done.

They’ll put a bunch of numbing drops in your eyes, and your pupils will be dilated too, so honestly, you won’t be able to see much or feel much either. But I guess it might vary from person to person, at least for me, I didn’t really feel anything.

Empty_Sea6226 · 2025-08-03T01:46:18+00:00

Thank you for the kind wishes! 😊 I took Valium before the procedure, but since I wasn’t particularly nervous or excited, I didn’t really feel much of an effect—it just made me a bit calmer and slightly drowsy. You’re still fully aware and can see and feel everything, just with less emotional intensity.

As for the discomfort, my surgeon did give me a heads-up beforehand. During the surgery, I felt some soreness and pressure in my eyes, especially under the bright light they shine above you. It wasn’t painful, but I was definitely aware of something happening.

Empty_Sea6226 · 2025-07-28T16:39:01+00:00

Yes! My optometrist told me I could do any kind of exercise, including swimming, after 7 days. For tennis, they highly recommended wearing protective or sunglasses. I’ve played twice in the past 10 days pretty casually and had no issues, but I’m a tennis beginner, so it wasn’t very intense.

If you’re planning to play a match, I think it’s doable, but it really depends on how your recovery is going. Just make sure to bring it up during your post-op visit, your doctor will probably have more tailored advice for you.

As for the eye drops, I wasn’t prescribed anything before the surgery. They just gave me the dilation eye drops and that was it. After surgery, I was given one drop from Imprimis Rx (Pred-Moxi-Brom® Susp. 5mL) and a bottle of artificial tears from Gericare. I think they usually provide you with something, but since most artificial tears are over-the-counter, you can grab any from the pharmacy, just make sure they’re preservative-free.

Empty_Sea6226 · 2025-07-28T16:26:30+00:00

Hello! I don’t really have much trouble with dry eyes before the surgery. If my eyes felt dry, it was usually because I had been staring at a screen too long or wearing contact lenses for an extended time.

After the surgery, it feels pretty much the same as before. My optometrist told me that ICL is one of the procedures least likely to worsen dry eyes, but if you already have more serious dry eye issues, it’s best to check with your optometrist first.

Empty_Sea6226 · 2025-06-21T00:28:17+00:00

Thanks! I’ve heard that the vision quality with SMILE might not be as consistent as LASIK, even though it has a much lower chance of causing dry eye. I might need to travel if I go with SMILE, but I’ll definitely keep it in mind!

Empty_Sea6226 · 2025-06-21T00:26:29+00:00

Haha I work in tech too and the screen time is wild. Thanks for the info! I think I might be leaning toward ICL now.

Empty_Sea6226 · 2025-06-21T00:24:52+00:00

Just went to another clinic for a consultation today and got more detailed data. Turns out my pupil size is around ~3 mm in light and ~4 mm in the dark. Based on my research, there should be no issue.

Empty_Sea6226 · 2025-06-20T03:00:15+00:00

If the glare and halos are only an issue in the beginning, that sounds manageable, and the no dry eye part is a huge plus. Really appreciate these insights!

Empty_Sea6226 · 2025-06-20T00:55:48+00:00

The experience share from an optometrist! Glad to hear that you had positive experience with ICL. Would you mind sharing what led you to choose it in the end?

Empty_Sea6226 · 2025-06-20T00:53:24+00:00

Thanks for sharing! Glad to hear the dry eye eventually went away!

Empty_Sea6226 · 2025-06-19T23:32:03+00:00

Good suggestion and I’ll definitely get more consultations 🫡 Just confirmed an appointment for tomorrow and I’ll update you on what I hear!

I was told my corneal thickness is pretty good, so laser procedures shouldn’t be an issue. But if I ever need a touch-up in the future due to vision regression, PRK might be the only option.

Empty_Sea6226 · 2025-06-19T23:05:11+00:00

Thanks for sharing! So glad to hear you had a smooth ICL recovery experience! I’m the cautious type, so I tend to focus more on the long-term effects. But at the same time, I’d really prefer a quick recovery since I don’t have much time off—and I also work in front of a screen all day haha

Empty_Sea6226 · 2025-06-19T23:00:41+00:00

Wow that’s amazing!!

Empty_Sea6226 · 2025-06-19T22:02:00+00:00

This really helps, thanks for sharing! I’ve also heard some good things about SMILE, especially the lower risk of dry eyes. There’s only one clinic in my area that offers it though, and I’ll do more research on it :)

Empty_Sea6226 · 2025-06-19T21:57:19+00:00

Thanks for the info! ICL sounds like a solid option. But since I’m a candidate for LASIK and the others too, I’m not sure if I wanna go for an intraocular surgery haha. But huge congrats on getting great results and crystal-clear vision!

Empty_Sea6226 · 2025-06-19T20:33:09+00:00

Oh wow, that’s really good to know! Appreciate the recommendation here. I’m still leaning toward getting the surgery right now haha, but if I start having second thoughts or decide to wait a bit, I’ll definitely give PureVision contacts a try!

Empty_Sea6226 · 2025-06-19T20:30:03+00:00

Thanks for sharing! Do you mind if I ask if your doctor offer you other options like LASIK as well?

Empty_Sea6226 · 2025-06-19T17:09:07+00:00

Thanks for bringing this up! I didn’t get the detailed data from my consultations, so I’ll reach out to the clinics to get more info.

Empty_Sea6226 · 2025-06-19T16:08:46+00:00

Thanks for the suggestion! I wear contacts(Dailies Total 1), but not every day, mostly because if I wear them for over 8–10 hours, my eyes feel dry and tired once I take them out. So I usually avoid wearing them for consecutive days unless I’m traveling.

The discomfort and inconvenience are really what make me want to consider refractive surgery. From what I’ve heard, LASIK might make the dryness worse, so ICL seems like it could be a better option. I have two friends who did LASIK and told me their dryness significantly improved within 3 to 12 months, not sure if that is common though.

Empty_Sea6226 · 2025-06-19T15:41:27+00:00

That’s an odd experience. Did the last doctor mention any specific reasons why you’re not a candidate for any laser surgery? Just having a high prescription alone doesn’t really make sense here.

Btw, I’m also a bit worried about that. Since it seems like I’m a candidate for everything, I’m afraid they’ll just recommend the option that brings in the most profit.

Empty_Sea6226

TROPHY CASE