At my one day postsurgery exam I could see distance fairly well with my "weak" eye, but couldn't read newsprint. My "distance" eye wasn't seeing distance even as well as my "weak" eye. My doctor said that there was inflammation and that it would take a week to 10 days to straighten out. He said that the cornea looked fine and made it all sound perfectly normal. I made an appointment for two weeks. It's been four days and I can't tell any difference. Is this really normal? Everyone I talked to said that they could see almost perfect the first day.

Cathy -
While most patients see very well within one day, sometimes it takes a while for things to improve (although it should still be dramatically improved on the first day). I am concerned however that your doctor suggested part of the problem is inflammation, but he did not want to see you for 2 weeks. Inflammation needs to be treated agressively and dealt with immediately if it is progressing. You may want to ask for another visit with your doctor.

Gary A. Varley, M.D.
Medical Director, Cincinnati Eye Institute Laser Centers