Recommended Resources for Recovery

1. 1

   Wraparound sunglasses with full UV protection

   Light sensitivity is normal in the first days after surgery. A comfortable wraparound pair shields the healing eye from glare and wind outdoors — and you'll keep wearing them for general eye health long after.

2. 2

   Preservative-free artificial tears

   Surgery temporarily disrupts the eye's surface, so grittiness and fluctuating vision from dryness are common in the first weeks. Preservative-free drops (single-use vials) are the gentlest option — ask your surgeon which type they prefer.

3. 3

   Protective eye shield / sleep mask

   Your surgeon will give you a shield to wear at night for about a week — nighttime rubbing is unconscious and forceful. If the provided one is uncomfortable, a molded sleep mask designed for eye protection is a good backup.

4. 4

   Large-print books

   Reading can feel like work during the first week or two while vision fluctuates. Large-print editions make recovery downtime genuinely pleasant instead of a strain.

5. 5

   Audiobooks for recovery downtime

   Many patients rest their eyes the first few days by listening instead of reading or watching. An audiobook or two queued up before surgery day makes the first evenings easy.

6. 6

   Drop schedule reminder (timer or pill organizer app)

   Patients consistently say the drops — not the surgery — were the hardest part. A phone alarm for each dose, set the day before surgery, is the simplest way to stay on schedule.

7. 7

   Button-front shirt or pajamas

   Nothing should pull over your head near the fresh eye on surgery day or the nights that follow. A button-front shirt laid out the night before is one less thing to think about.

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