Are you awake during LASIK?
Yes. LASIK is done with the eye numbed by drops, and you are awake and able to follow instructions for the whole procedure. Sedation is not usually needed.
- Subject
- Vision correction
- Topic
- LASIK
- Kind of question
- Other questions
- Procedures
- LASIK
- Last reviewed
- 22 September 2026
In more detail
You will be asked to look at a target light while the laser works. If your eye moves, the laser tracking system is designed to follow it or pause, which is a frequent source of worry that clinics are used to addressing before treatment starts.
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Where this answer sits
It is one of 483 answers in the vision and eye health knowledge base, filed under Vision correction & laser eye surgery in LASIK . The subject page carries the answers either side of it, and the hub is searchable.
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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.