How Getting LASIK Can Enhance Your Summer Travel Plans
Summer is right around the corner. As the weather gets warmer you may be considering acting on those dreams of travel you’ve kept tucked away. Whether you’re planning to hop from one Greek island to another or backpack through southeast Asia, any extended travel plans will require a lot of preparation. If you wear glasses or contacts, one option you may want to consider is getting LASIK.
LASIK may seem like a dramatic pre-trip arrangement, but it’s much more practical than you’d think, especially if you plan on travelling for an extended period of time. While glasses and contacts are certainly effective ways of correcting your vision, they can be inconvenient when you’re moving from city to city and participating in various physical activities.
LASIK Is A More Convenient Option When Engaging In Physical Activity
Depending on the nature of your trip, you may be spending a large amount of time outdoors. Taking a hike or scuba diving is considerably easier with LASIK. In order to keep your expensive glasses safe you will be tempted to tuck your specs away during many activities. Not only is this inconvenient, but it also means that you will miss out on the full experience due to your reduced vision.
LASIK isn’t just convenient for people participating in strenuous physical activity, but for those enjoying leisurely activities on their trips as well. Constantly taking your contacts out before heading into the water can be annoying during your Caribbean beach vacation. Getting sand in your eye is painful enough as it is. Getting sand in your eye while wearing contacts is simply horrifying. LASIK allows you to enjoy your vacation without paying any mind to such tedious steps.
You No Longer Have To Worry About Losing Your Glasses Abroad With LASIK
LASIK not only makes your trip more enjoyable – it makes it more convenient, too. There’s an unspoken rule that so long as you don’t lose your passport while traveling, you’ll be fine. Those with poor vision add one more item to that rule: their glasses (or contacts). Losing your glasses while abroad can be a nightmare. If your vision is particularly bad and you didn’t bring an extra pair, you may spend a majority of your trip confined to the safety of your blurry hotel room. If you did remember to bring your prescription it could take an uncomfortable amount of time before a new pair of glasses or set of contacts can be made for you. Additionally, some countries may have difficult regulations about the prescriptions they fill.
With LASIK, you won’t find yourself wandering a foreign country squinting at street signs. Getting LASIK eliminates the possibility of this stressful scenario.
How Far In Advance Should I Get LASIK Before A Trip?
LASIK is a routine procedure that takes approximately fifteen minutes per eye. Patients who undergo LASIK at Katzen’s Baltimore location can be in and out of the clinic in a little over an hour. LASIK post-op recovery is not very intensive. Patients are required to visit their doctor 24-48 hours after the procedure to ensure their eyes are healing correctly. Additional routine check-ups are recommended in the weeks and months following LASIK eye surgery.
Patients should be extra cautious about any contact to their eyes following LASIK for about a week after the procedure. Barring exceptional circumstances, if everything checks out at the 24-hour post-op appointment you are clear to drive that same day. A person’s individual situation will vary depending on their recovery and their doctor’s advice, but patients can generally return back to their regular activities within 2-4 weeks. Under these circumstances, with a little recovery time, travel is absolutely an option soon after LASIK.
If you’ve been thinking about getting LASIK eye surgery or think it may be a smart move before embarking on an exciting trip, stop by for a consultation at any of our Maryland locations in Lutherville, Baltimore, or Rosedale. A Katzen LASIK specialist will be happy to discuss how laser eye surgery can help you lead your most adventurous life.
