LASIK surgery is considered safe and has a strong track record. Complications are rare, and most people are happy with the results. Some side effects, like dry eyes and temporary visual disturbances such as glare, are relatively common but typically resolve within weeks or months, though a few people may find them more persistent.
What’s important is separating the effects that can reasonably be expected while your eyes recover from the complications that are genuinely unusual.
LASIK safety also depends on the individual eye. Corneal shape and thickness, prescription, existing dry eye and other aspects of eye health can all change the level of risk.
If you are still weighing up the treatment itself, our LASIK eye surgery page explains what LASIK can correct, who it may suit and what results can realistically be expected.
✓LASIK has a strong safety record in suitable, carefully screened patients.
✓Temporary dryness, fluctuating vision, glare and halos are much more common than serious complications.
✓Infection following LASIK is rare.
✓Because LASIK creates a corneal flap, it carries a small group of flap-specific risks that do not apply to PRK or LASEK.
✓Corneal ectasia is rare, but it is one of the reasons detailed corneal scanning is needed before treatment.
✓Existing dry eye, a thin or irregular cornea, a high or unstable prescription and certain eye conditions can increase risk.
✓Modern femtosecond lasers and detailed corneal imaging have reduced some of the risks associated with earlier LASIK techniques.
✓One of the most important safety measures is having a surgeon prepared to recommend another treatment or no surgery when LASIK is not the right option.
Not every symptom after LASIK means that something has gone wrong.
Temporary dryness, some fluctuations in vision, and visual effects around lights can all be part of the normal healing process. A true complication is different: it is an unwanted problem, such as an infection, a flap issue, or progressive weakening of the cornea, that may require additional treatment.
Keeping that distinction clear gives a more realistic picture of LASIK laser eye surgery side effects and risks.
The most prevalent issue reported after laser eye surgery is dry eyes.
Dry eyes before treatment can increase the risk of longer-lasting eye dryness after LASIK, so significant dry eye should be treated before laser eye surgery is performed.
At Focus Clinic, correct patient selection and pre-treatment of existing dry eye are an important part of reducing this risk.
LASIK temporarily affects some of the corneal nerves involved in sensation and tear production. During recovery, this can make the eyes feel dry or gritty and can cause vision to vary throughout the day.
In most cases, this improves as the eye recovers. Someone who already has significant dryness may need treatment before LASIK is considered, and in some cases, another vision-correction procedure may be more appropriate.
Read our LASIK recovery and aftercare guide that looks in more detail at how the eyes typically settle after treatment.
Some patients experience halos around bright lights or glare after surgery, but these symptoms can resolve as the eyes recover from the procedure.
These symptoms are more often associated with higher prescriptions.
Starbursts, ghosting and reduced contrast can also occur during early recovery. They usually improve as the eyes settle, but persistent night-vision problems should be properly assessed.
If night driving is particularly important for your work or lifestyle, mention this during your consultation rather than waiting to see whether symptoms develop afterwards.
Vision can vary while the eye heals, particularly when the surface is dry. You may find that sight is clearer at one part of the day than another.
This is different from vision suddenly becoming noticeably worse or continuing to deteriorate, which should be checked by the clinic.
Retreatment may sometimes be required because of over- or under-correction, where the achieved prescription is not exactly the intended result.
The LASIK protocols followed at Focus Clinic have historically produced a low retreatment rate.
Regression is slightly different. It describes some prescriptions gradually returning after an initially successful result, and is more likely with stronger starting prescriptions.
If vision changes later, the first step is a new assessment and fresh scans rather than assuming that another laser treatment is automatically required.
The complications below are much less common than the temporary effects described above, but they are part of an honest discussion about LASIK eye surgery risks.
Infection after LASIK is rare.
Antibiotic eye drops are provided after surgery to help reduce the risk of infection.
Recognising a potential infection early is key. Increasing pain, worsening redness, discharge or a sudden deterioration in vision should be assessed promptly.
The corneal flap is the feature that most clearly distinguishes LASIK from surface laser surgery.
Possible problems include the flap becoming displaced, small folds or wrinkles developing within it, inflammation beneath the flap, or epithelial cells growing underneath it.
These complications are uncommon, but the flap is more vulnerable during early healing. That is why patients are advised not to rub their eyes and to protect them from direct knocks after surgery.
The LASIK procedure page shows how the flap is created, moved aside during treatment and repositioned afterwards.
Corneal ectasia is a rare condition in which the cornea progressively weakens and changes shape after refractive surgery.
The risk is closely connected to the structure of the cornea before treatment. A cornea that is too thin, irregular or otherwise suspicious may make LASIK unsuitable even when the prescription itself could technically be corrected.
Detailed corneal scans are therefore a safety test, not simply part of calculating the laser prescription.
Serious permanent loss of sight following modern LASIK is very rare, but no responsible surgeon should describe the risk as zero.
Severe infection, corneal weakening or another uncommon complication could potentially affect vision.
The aim of screening is to identify eyes carrying a higher risk before they ever reach the operating room.
Modern LASIK surgery uses a femtosecond laser to create the flap in the top layers of the cornea.
Focus Clinics only offers laser-created flaps for LASIK surgery.
Once the laser correction is complete, the flap is returned to its original position without stitches.
For most patients, it heals normally, but the presence of the flap creates risks specific to LASIK, including displacement, folds, inflammation, and epithelial ingrowth.
The flap also matters when choosing between different procedures. Someone regularly exposed to direct blows to the eye through sport or work may sometimes be better suited to a flap-free surface treatment.
LASIK has also evolved in how the treatment itself is planned and customised. Our Types of LASIK guide explains the main approaches and how newer treatment methods differ.
For suitable patients, the procedure has a strong safety record.
The biggest risk in the LASIK process can arise at the consultation stage.
Safety is primarily about only operating on suitable candidates. Most LASIK complications arise when patients are not good candidates for the procedure.
So the more useful question is not simply whether LASIK eye surgery is dangerous. It is whether LASIK is a safe choice for your particular eyes.
An abnormal corneal shape, insufficient thickness, significant dry eye or another risk factor may mean that PRK/LASEK, a lens-based treatment or no surgery at all is the safer option.
That decision should be based on detailed measurements and a clinical examination rather than on whether your prescription appears to fall within a treatable range.
LASIK risk is not identical for every patient. Your surgeon will look particularly carefully at factors such as:
!a thin or irregular cornea
!keratoconus or suspicious corneal scans
!a high prescription requiring more tissue removal
!a prescription that is still changing
!significant dry eye, blepharitis or other surface disease
!previous eye surgery
!another relevant eye condition
!a job or sport with a high risk of direct eye trauma
Having one of these factors does not automatically rule out vision correction, but it may change which procedure is most appropriate.
Our LASIK eligibility page explains what we assess before recommending treatment.
Safety is primarily about only operating on suitable candidates.
At Focus Clinic, correct patient selection and pre-treatment of any existing dry eye are important parts of reducing the risk of problems after surgery.
Screening is as much about identifying who should not have LASIK as deciding who can.
✓Detailed corneal measurements allow the surgeon to assess thickness, shape and signs of structural weakness. Prescription stability, the condition of the eye surface and existing dry eye also form part of the decision.
✓If the eye surface is unhealthy, treating that first can be safer than pressing ahead with surgery.
✓Focus Clinics only offers laser-created LASIK flaps. Current femtosecond technology allows the flap to be created without the mechanical blade systems historically used in LASIK.
✓Treatment can also be planned using ray-tracing technology, which maps the optics of the individual eye in much greater detail.
✓After surgery, patients are given antibiotic eye drops to help prevent infection or inflammation.
✓Aftercare is part of the safety process. Patients need a clear route back to the clinic if their recovery stops following the expected pattern.
Read our guide to Ray-Tracing Guided LASIK, which explains how this personalised treatment planning works.
✓Watery or gritty eyes
✓Temporary light sensitivity
✓Some blur or fluctuation
✓Halos or glare around lights
✓Dryness relieved by lubricating drops
!Severe or increasing pain
!A sudden deterioration in vision
!Increasing redness, swelling or discharge
!Symptoms becoming worse after they had begun improving
!A knock to the eye or concern that the flap may have moved
You are not expected to diagnose a complication yourself. If something about your recovery concerns you, contact the clinic.
So, if you’re considering laser eye surgery, is it worth the risk?
Ultimately, that’s for you to decide, but the data shows that laser eye surgery is an incredibly safe procedure.
In fact, you’re 5 times more likely to suffer from vision problems as a result of wearing contact lenses than from corrective surgery.
If you’re getting tired of wearing glasses or contact lenses and you’re considering refractive surgery, then get in touch today, and a member of our team will be happy to discuss your suitability and talk you through the different options available to you.
or call us on 0207 307 8250
These LASIK safety answers are written and reviewed by Focus Clinics chief surgeon, Mr David Allamby MD, who has performed more than 30,000 laser eye surgery procedures over 25 years. Focus is an Alcon-named Centre of Excellence and European training centre for ray-tracing-guided LASIK.
Many problems following LASIK can be successfully managed, particularly when they are identified early. Treatment depends on what has happened and may involve adjusting eye drops, treating dryness or inflammation, examining or repositioning the flap, or occasionally carrying out another procedure.
Some complications, including infection, inflammation and flap problems, generally become apparent during the early healing period. Other issues, such as regression or rare corneal weakening, can develop considerably later.
This is one reason access to both immediate and longer-term aftercare is important.
Most surgical problems occur relatively early, but your eyes continue changing throughout life. Your prescription can alter, age-related changes such as presbyopia and cataracts can develop, and rare conditions such as corneal ectasia can sometimes appear well after the original operation.
Higher prescriptions generally require more corneal tissue to be reshaped. That does not automatically make LASIK unsafe, but it makes the thickness and shape of the cornea, and the amount of structural tissue that will remain after surgery, particularly important.
Possibly. Mild or treatable dry eye does not necessarily rule out LASIK, but significant dryness should usually be brought under control before surgery is considered.
Your surgeon will assess the eye surface and tear film as part of deciding whether LASIK is appropriate.
LASIK should not be forced onto an eye simply because the prescription can be treated.
If the cornea looks too thin, irregular or otherwise unsuitable, your surgeon may recommend PRK/LASEK, a lens-based treatment or no surgery at all. The safest recommendation depends on what the scans show.
Possibly, but the type of sport and likelihood of direct eye trauma matter. Because LASIK creates a corneal flap, someone regularly exposed to hard blows around the eye may sometimes be better suited to a flap-free procedure such as PRK or LASEK.
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An official Alcon Center of Excellence and European training hub for Ray-Tracing Guided LASIK - the first of its kind in the UK, delivering 20/20 vision in 100% of treated eyes based on published clinical research.
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