Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsHow It WorksWhat to ExpectBenefitsRisks

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

How It Works

What to Expect

Benefits

Risks

Laser eye surgery improves vision and involves using a laser to change the shape of the cornea—the outer layer of the eye that allows light in. It usually lasts just a few minutes and is typically painless, but there is some recovery involved. Laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis, commonly known as LASIK, is the most common type of laser eye surgery.

How Does Laser Eye Surgery Work?

Your cornea plays a significant role in vision. Its job is to bend or refract light to reach your retina, which then sends messages to your brain through the optic nerve. The shape of your cornea can impact the way light reflects off it and, in some cases, blur your vision. Laser eye surgery uses a laser to reshape your cornea to bend light differently and make images appear clearer.

What to Expect: Before, During, and After

Before Surgery

Before surgery, yourophthalmologist(medical eye doctor) will conduct a series of exams to ensure your eyes are healthy enough for surgery and measure your prescription. These exams include:

The ophthalmologist will give you any instructions you need to prepare you for the day of surgery, such as not wearing contact lenses for one to three weeks before surgery.

During the Procedure

On the day of surgery, you will receive an anesthetic to numb your eye’s surface. You also receive medicine to help you relax without going to sleep.

The ophthalmologist will cut a corneal tissue flap using a laser or a special knife. Next, that flap is peeled back so a different laser can reshape the cornea. Based on specific tests and measurements done in advance, your ophthalmologist will decide how much corneal tissue to remove. The amount they remove will depend on your prescription and the shape of your cornea’s surface.

After reshaping your cornea, the eye surgeon will put the corneal flap back into place without any stitches. The surgery for each eye will take about 10 to 15 minutes. It’s common to have eye surgery on both eyes, if needed, on the same day.

Can You Blink During Laser Eye Surgery?An eyelid speculum will keep your eye open during laser eye surgery so you can’t blink. The surgical team will also apply numbing drops to relax your eye and make the need to blink less likely.

An eyelid speculum will keep your eye open during laser eye surgery so you can’t blink. The surgical team will also apply numbing drops to relax your eye and make the need to blink less likely.

LASIK Eye Surgery: Factors to Consider

After the Surgery

Immediately after laser eye surgery, it’s normal to feel burning, itching, or discomfort in your eye. Your vision also may be blurry. Your care team will place a shield over your eye to keep you from rubbing it, as doing so could move the cornea flap. Plan to have someone drive you home from surgery.You can expect the following instructions for care and recovery at home:

Your eye surgeon will schedule a follow-up appointment for you within a day or two after surgery and then at a scheduled interval for the first six months. However, let your eye surgeon know as soon as possible if you have severe eye pain or if your vision worsens.

Your vision may change for three to six months after laser eye surgery. You also may continue to have specific vision-related symptoms, such as glare or halos. If needed, your eye surgeon can perform an enhancement to improve your vision, but they will likely wait until your vision has stabilized.

You likely will be able to see better two to three days after having a laser eye surgery such as LASIK. However, it can take three to six months for your vision to fully stabilize.

Is It Permanent?

Cataracts—a clouding of the lens—also become more common with age, which may lead to the need for cataract surgery.

Benefits of Laser Eye Surgery

The primary benefit of laser eye surgery is seeing more clearly with less reliance on glasses or contact lenses. Additional benefits of laser eye surgery include the following:

They may also use a laser to repair a retinal tear or detachment.

Associated Risks

As with any surgery, laser eye surgery like LASIK comes withrisks, including:

Many side effects and risks associated with laser eye surgery will go away. Yet some remain permanent. You should inform your eye surgeon about any new side effects or vision changes after surgery. Although many of these are normal, your eye surgeon can provide further information.

Summary

Laser eye surgery is a type of surgery done to reshape the cornea and improve vision. An eye surgeon will conduct a series of tests before surgery to ensure your eyes are healthy before laser eye surgery. After the procedure, you can expect to have some limitations to avoid damage to your healing eye. Benefits of eye surgery include improvement of nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism. Risks include dry eye, halos, glare, and increased light sensitivity. Discuss any new side effects and vision changes with your eye doctor.

9 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.University of Rochester Medical Center.Types of eye surgery for refractive errors.Vinciguerra R.Preoperative evaluation for LASIK surgery.MedlinePlus.LASIK eye surgery.American Academy of Ophthalmology.LASIK—Laser eye surgery.U.S. Food & Drug Administration.What should I expect before, during, and after LASIK?UCLA Health.Laser refractive surgery: postoperative instructions.U.S. Food & Drug Administration.What should I expect before, during, and after surgery?Refractive Surgery Council.How long does LASIK last?American Academy of Ophthalmology.Facts about LASIK complications.

9 Sources

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.University of Rochester Medical Center.Types of eye surgery for refractive errors.Vinciguerra R.Preoperative evaluation for LASIK surgery.MedlinePlus.LASIK eye surgery.American Academy of Ophthalmology.LASIK—Laser eye surgery.U.S. Food & Drug Administration.What should I expect before, during, and after LASIK?UCLA Health.Laser refractive surgery: postoperative instructions.U.S. Food & Drug Administration.What should I expect before, during, and after surgery?Refractive Surgery Council.How long does LASIK last?American Academy of Ophthalmology.Facts about LASIK complications.

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

University of Rochester Medical Center.Types of eye surgery for refractive errors.Vinciguerra R.Preoperative evaluation for LASIK surgery.MedlinePlus.LASIK eye surgery.American Academy of Ophthalmology.LASIK—Laser eye surgery.U.S. Food & Drug Administration.What should I expect before, during, and after LASIK?UCLA Health.Laser refractive surgery: postoperative instructions.U.S. Food & Drug Administration.What should I expect before, during, and after surgery?Refractive Surgery Council.How long does LASIK last?American Academy of Ophthalmology.Facts about LASIK complications.

University of Rochester Medical Center.Types of eye surgery for refractive errors.

Vinciguerra R.Preoperative evaluation for LASIK surgery.

MedlinePlus.LASIK eye surgery.

American Academy of Ophthalmology.LASIK—Laser eye surgery.

U.S. Food & Drug Administration.What should I expect before, during, and after LASIK?

UCLA Health.Laser refractive surgery: postoperative instructions.

U.S. Food & Drug Administration.What should I expect before, during, and after surgery?

Refractive Surgery Council.How long does LASIK last?

American Academy of Ophthalmology.Facts about LASIK complications.

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