When can I go back to work after a corneal transplant?

Both the Academy and the National Eye Institute handle this the same way: they tell you to talk with your ophthalmologist about when you can get back to your normal daily routine, rather than publishing a fixed number. That is because the answer depends on your graft type, your job, and how the eye is healing.

Two things usually drive the decision. First, vision. If you had DMEK or DSAEK the cornea often clears over weeks, so screen work becomes comfortable sooner. After a full thickness graft the operated eye can be blurry for many months, so people whose work needs sharp vision in that eye may be out longer or may need accommodations. Second, safety. Published guidance for full thickness grafts is to avoid rigorous physical activity for at least six weeks, and to permanently avoid activities that can cause a direct blow to the eye. Jobs with heavy lifting, impact risk, dust, or chemical splash need clearance and usually protective eyewear.

If your job is early on and your surgeon still has you positioning face up after an endothelial graft, that alone rules out most work for those days.