What tests are needed before LASIK?
Before LASIK, the assessment usually includes refraction, corneal topography and tomography, measurement of corneal thickness, an assessment of the tear film and ocular surface, eye pressure, and a retinal examination with dilated pupils.
- Subject
- Vision correction
- Topic
- LASIK
- Kind of question
- What is…
- Procedures
- LASIK
- Last reviewed
- 22 September 2026
In more detail
The purpose is not only to decide whether surgery is possible but to decide which procedure and which treatment profile to use. That is why the measurements matter more than the procedure name.
Dilation means your vision stays blurred for some hours, so it is worth planning not to drive yourself home from the assessment.
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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.
- The Royal College of Ophthalmologists
The UK professional body for ophthalmologists, which publishes standards and commissioning guidance for refractive surgery services.
Used for What good preoperative assessment and consent look like.
Link checked 22 September 2026