When can I swim after SLT laser treatment?

SLT does not create a surgical wound in the eye wall, which is why published guidance treats it very differently from incisional glaucoma surgery. BrightFocus Foundation says laser surgery does not require hospitalization or any change in daily activities, and the Glaucoma Research Foundation says people can generally resume their normal routine the next day after laser surgery.

That said, none of the sources cited on this page mention swimming, pools, hot tubs, or lakes after SLT specifically. Because the Glaucoma Research Foundation also says the eye is typically treated with anti-inflammatory drops for a couple of days and that post-operative inflammation is common but generally mild, many people simply wait until those drops are done and the eye feels normal before getting water in it.

Practical middle ground: treat the first day or two as the take-it-easy window the Glaucoma Research Foundation describes, then ask your ophthalmologist for their own rule on chlorinated pools and hot tubs. If your eye is still red, sore, or light sensitive, that is a reason to wait regardless of the calendar.