Is LASIK safe?
LASIK is an established procedure with a long safety record, but no surgical procedure is risk-free, and the honest version of the question is not whether it is safe in general but whether it is appropriate for your particular eyes.
- Subject
- Vision correction
- Topic
- LASIK
- Kind of question
- Is it safe…
- Procedures
- LASIK
- Last reviewed
- 22 September 2026
In more detail
Serious complications are uncommon, and the more frequent issues are dryness, glare and halos, and imperfect correction. Most of these are temporary or manageable, and some are treatable with further treatment.
The assessment exists to catch the situations that make surgery a poor idea, which is why a clinic that talks you out of treatment after measuring your eyes is behaving well rather than badly.
Related guides
People also ask
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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.
Subjects this question touches
The pages that answer the subject behind the question, rather than the question itself.
- Procedure LASIK
- Procedure Femto LASIK
- Comparison LASIK vs SMILE
- Comparison LASIK vs PRK
- Place LASIK in Dubai
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
- American Academy of Ophthalmology
A large professional body publishing both clinical guidance and plain-language patient education on refractive surgery.
Used for Cross-checking patient-facing explanations of refractive surgery.
Link checked 22 September 2026
- Cochrane Library
Systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Useful for readers who want to know how strong the pooled evidence is, not just what one trial found.
Used for Helping readers judge the strength of the evidence base.
Link checked 22 September 2026