What Post-Op Care Should I Expect from a Good Eye Surgeon?

Post-operative care is where a practice’s genuine commitment to patient outcomes shows — or does not. Here is exactly what a high-quality provider delivers.

The Standard Post-Operative Follow-Up Schedule

A quality practice provides structured visits at these intervals:

24-48 hours post-surgery: Immediate follow-up. Visual acuity check, flap assessment (LASIK), or epithelial healing review (PRK). This visit is clinically critical — not optional.
1 week: Visual acuity, slit-lamp examination, dry eye assessment, medication management.
1 month: Refractive stability assessment, enhancement planning if needed.
3 months: Visual stability confirmation.
6 months: Long-term corneal stability assessment.
1 year: Annual comprehensive review.

PRK patients may have an additional visit at 2 weeks. EVO ICL patients have intraocular pressure monitoring incorporated throughout.

What Should Be Included

All of the above visits should be included in the procedure fee — not billed separately. Any practice that charges for post-operative visits on top of the stated procedure price is not providing all-inclusive care.

24-hour emergency access. In the first week after surgery, you need to be able to reach a clinical resource immediately if something unexpected happens. This means a phone number that connects to an on-call physician, not an answering service.

Clear medication instructions. Antibiotic and anti-inflammatory eye drop schedules should be written, specific, and explained verbally before you leave the facility.

Enhancement policy in writing. If your initial outcome does not achieve target vision, you should know in advance what the retreatment policy is and what it costs.

Warning Signs of Inadequate Post-Op Care

Post-operative visits billed separately
All post-operative care delegated to an unaffiliated provider with no surgeon escalation pathway
No after-hours phone number provided
Enhancement policy not available in writing
Dry eye managed only if you bring it up, rather than proactively assessed

For a complete breakdown of what top practices provide, see our full guide to post-operative care. This evaluation is a key part of choosing an eye surgeon.