What is LASIK?
LASIK is laser vision correction in which a thin flap is created in the surface of the cornea, the tissue underneath is reshaped with an excimer laser, and the flap is laid back into place.
- Subject
- Vision correction
- Topic
- LASIK
- Kind of question
- What is…
- Procedures
- LASIK
- Last reviewed
- 22 September 2026
In more detail
The flap is what distinguishes LASIK from surface treatments such as PRK and from lenticule extraction such as SMILE. It is also why the surface of the eye feels close to normal within a day or so: the outermost layer of the cornea is lifted rather than removed.
Whether it is a reasonable option for a particular eye depends on the measurements taken during an assessment, including corneal thickness, corneal shape and tear film.
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