Any eye surgery creates a corneal wound, however small. Healing times vary widely depending on the procedure: a few days after cataract surgery, several months after a graft. This page sets out the normal course, procedure by procedure, and the signs that warrant a consultation.
Modern cataract surgery uses very small corneal incisions, around two millimetres, usually self-sealing and without sutures. These micro-incisions close within a few days.
Vision often improves within the first few days, but may remain blurred or fluctuating for two to four weeks because of transient corneal oedema: the ultrasound used to break up the lens stresses the endothelium, which takes some time to resume its job of keeping the cornea dehydrated. Complete stabilisation of vision generally takes four to six weeks, after which a definitive optical correction can be prescribed.
Postoperative dry eye is very common and often underestimated: incisions cut corneal nerves, temporarily reducing sensation and the tear secretion reflex. It explains much of the gritty sensation, stinging or fluctuating vision of the first weeks, and justifies prolonged use of preservative-free artificial tears.
Timelines depend entirely on the technique, because they do not affect the surface in the same way.
| Technique | Surface closure | Visual stabilisation |
|---|---|---|
| LASIK | A few hours (flap repositioned) | Functional vision the next day; refinement over a few weeks |
| PKR (surface) | 3 to 5 days (epithelial regrowth) | 1 to 3 months |
| SMILE | A few days (micro-incision) | A few days to a few weeks |
PKR is the most uncomfortable of the three in the first days, precisely because it relies on genuine epithelial healing: the epithelium is removed and must grow back, exactly as after an erosion. A bandage contact lens is fitted during regrowth. The trade-off for this initial discomfort is the absence of a corneal flap, hence no long-term flap-related risk.
After PKR a particular phenomenon may occur: haze, a superficial scarring veil caused by an excessive keratocyte reaction. It typically appears between one and three months and usually regresses spontaneously. It is a direct example of poorly regulated stromal healing, and one of the mechanisms detailed in the corneal wound healing course.
This is where healing takes longest, since donor tissue must be durably integrated with recipient tissue.
After a penetrating keratoplasty, which replaces the full corneal thickness, sutures stay in place for a year or more. Vision stabilises over twelve to eighteen months, as sutures are gradually removed and astigmatism settles.
After an endothelial lamellar graft (DMEK, DSAEK), which replaces only the posterior layer, recovery is much faster: from a few weeks to three months, without extensive corneal suturing. After DALK, which replaces the anterior portion while preserving the patient's endothelium, refractive stabilisation timelines approach those of penetrating keratoplasty.
Follow-up remains prolonged in all cases, notably because of the risk of rejection, which can occur years after grafting. Recent-onset vision loss, redness or photophobia in a grafted patient must always be considered a possible rejection and prompt rapid consultation. The dedicated site Corneal graft covers this in detail.
The following are usual after corneal surgery: blurred or fluctuating vision, a gritty sensation, tearing, light sensitivity, mild redness. These symptoms gradually subside.
One point deserves emphasis: a surface wound persisting beyond two weeks after surgery is never trivial. This is termed a persistent epithelial defect, and its cause must be sought — severe dryness, loss of corneal sensation, diabetes, eye-drop toxicity. This is developed on the healing time page.
Corneal ulceration or delayed healing, post-surgical or spontaneous.
Urgent consultation →This information is provided for educational purposes and does not replace the advice of your surgeon, who knows the details of your procedure and situation. The timelines given are orders of magnitude and vary between patients.
