What are the possible complications of laser eye surgery?
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The main complication groups are dry eye, night vision symptoms such as glare and halos, imperfect correction leaving a residual prescription, and uncommon problems involving the flap, infection or inflammation.
- Subject
- Risks & safety
- Topic
- Complications
- Kind of question
- What is…
- Last reviewed
- 9 November 2026
In more detail
This is a list of categories rather than a list of likelihoods, and that is deliberate: the frequency of each one depends on the eye, the prescription and the technique, so a general figure would not describe your situation.
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Where this answer sits
It is one of 483 answers in the vision and eye health knowledge base, filed under Risks, safety & side effects in Complications . The subject page carries the answers either side of it, and the hub is searchable.
This information is for educational purposes and does not replace an examination by a qualified eye-care professional.
General answers cannot tell you what is happening in your own eyes. Only an examination by a qualified ophthalmologist can do that.
Sources & further reading
We prefer primary sources. Where a claim comes from a manufacturer, a single study or a regulator, it is labelled as such below.
- Laser In Situ Keratomileusis (LASIK)
The equivalent clinical reference chapter for LASIK, used so that comparisons describe both procedures symmetrically.
Used for How LASIK creates and manages a corneal flap; LASIK complication categories.
Link checked 22 September 2026
- Comparison of clinical outcomes of LASIK, Trans-PRK, and SMILE
A comparative study of three commonly used refractive procedures, including a summary of proposed advantages of each.
Used for The procedure comparison page, particularly the PRK discussion.
Link checked 22 September 2026