LASIK: procedure guide
Flap-based laser vision correction: a thin surface layer of the cornea is lifted, the tissue beneath it is reshaped, and the layer is replaced without stitches.
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Quick answer
LASIK reshapes the cornea with an excimer laser after lifting a thin flap in its surface layer. It is used to correct short sightedness, long sightedness and astigmatism, within limits that depend on the cornea rather than on the prescription alone.
General educational information about a subject, not an assessment of your own eyes. Suitability and treatment decisions are made by a qualified ophthalmologist who has examined you.
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LASIK
LASIK is the flap-based form of laser vision correction, and it is the procedure most people mean when they say laser eye surgery. A thin layer of the cornea is lifted out of the way, the tissue beneath it is reshaped with a laser, and that layer is laid back down, where it adheres without stitches.
Two things decide whether it is a reasonable option for a particular eye: how much tissue the prescription would need to remove, and the shape and stability of the cornea itself. Both are measurements taken at an assessment, and neither can be judged from a prescription alone.
What happens during the procedure
The flap is created with a femtosecond laser, or in some older and still-used variants with a mechanical instrument. The flap is lifted, an excimer laser removes a calculated amount of tissue from the bed underneath, and the flap is replaced.
Both eyes are usually treated in the same visit. The laser itself takes seconds per eye; the appointment is longer because of preparation, checks and measurements.
What it changes, and what it does not
LASIK changes the shape of the cornea. It does not change the lens inside the eye, which is why presbyopia, the age-related loss of near focus, is not something it removes.
How much of a prescription can be corrected depends on corneal thickness and on how regular the surface is. A prescription that is too high for the tissue available is a reason to consider a different option, not a reason to expect a lesser result from this one.
Recovery and aftercare
Vision is often usable within a day, while refraction keeps settling for weeks and dryness is common in the first months. Follow-up appointments and the instructions from your own surgeon take priority over anything general written here.
Reported risks include dry eye, glare and halos, under- and over-correction, and rare complications such as infection or corneal ectasia. Suitability and risk are individual, and both are the subject of the assessment rather than of a page.
Also known as LASIK eye surgery, laser in situ keratomileusis
Questions about LASIK
Each answer below is the short version; the question links to the page that carries it in full, with sources.
- 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.
- How does LASIK work?
LASIK works by removing microscopic amounts of corneal tissue so that the cornea becomes flatter or steeper, which changes where light comes to focus inside the eye.
- What does LASIK correct?
LASIK is used to correct short sightedness, long sightedness and astigmatism, within limits that depend on your prescription, corneal thickness and corneal shape.
- 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.
- How long does LASIK recovery take?
Most people are back to ordinary daily activities within a day or two, while the eye continues to settle for several weeks and in some cases a few months.
- When can I drive after LASIK?
Driving depends on whether your vision meets the legal standard for driving and whether you feel able to react safely, so the decision is made per person rather than by the calendar. Most clinics advise arranging not to drive yourself home on the day.
- What is the main difference between SMILE and LASIK?
The difference is the access route. LASIK lifts a flap and reshapes beneath it; SMILE shapes a lenticule inside the cornea and removes it through a small incision. The rest of the treatment plan is built the same way, from your measurements.
- How does laser eye surgery work in general?
All laser vision correction procedures remove or reshape corneal tissue to change the eye’s focusing power, and they differ mainly in how the laser reaches the tissue it needs to reshape.
- Is LASIK permanent?
The change LASIK makes to the cornea is permanent, but the eye continues to change with age, so vision later in life can differ from the vision you have in the months after surgery.
- How long does LASIK last?
The corneal reshaping does not wear off, so there is no fixed lifespan for the effect. What does change over time is your eye, and the most predictable change is the loss of near focus that begins around the mid-forties.
- What are the risks of LASIK?
The risks of LASIK fall into three groups: symptoms such as dry eye, glare and halos; imperfect correction, meaning some prescription remains or too much tissue is removed; and rare complications involving the flap or infection.
- What are the side effects of LASIK?
The commonly reported side effects are dry or gritty eyes, halos and glare around lights, light sensitivity and vision that fluctuates during the day, particularly in the first weeks.
All 112 LASIK questions, searchable
Where this is covered in full
- How LASIK works
The flap, the two lasers, and what the surface of the eye does afterwards.
- Recovery after laser eye surgery
What the first week is like, technique by technique, and activity by activity.
- Preparing for LASIK
Contact lenses, medication, transport, and the mistakes worth avoiding.
- The eye examination before surgery
What each test measures, and why a refraction on its own is not enough.
- Choosing an eye clinic in Dubai
What can be checked about a clinic, and what only the consultation will tell you.
Related subjects
- Myopia (short sightedness)
The eye focuses light in front of the retina, so near objects are clear and distant ones are blurred. It is the refractive error most commonly treated with laser vision correction.
- Hyperopia (long sightedness)
The eye focuses light behind the retina. Younger eyes often compensate without noticing, which is why it tends to present later than short sightedness and is assessed more cautiously for surgery.
- Astigmatism
The cornea is curved unevenly, so light is focused differently across different axes and the blur is not the same in every direction. It commonly occurs alongside short or long sightedness.
- Blurred vision
Vision that is soft or unclear. It has many causes, from an uncorrected prescription to a change inside the eye, and only an examination can say which one applies.
- Headaches and eye strain
Headaches and tired eyes that follow sustained near work. Often a focusing or uncorrected prescription issue, and often improved by changing how the work is done rather than by surgery.
- SMILE
Lenticule extraction: a lenticule is shaped inside the cornea and removed through a small incision, so there is no flap.
- Femto LASIK
LASIK in which the flap is created by a femtosecond laser instead of a mechanical instrument, which is a difference in how the flap is made rather than in what the procedure corrects.
- PRK
Surface treatment: the outer layer of the cornea is removed and the tissue beneath it is reshaped, with no flap and no lenticule. The surface then regrows, which is why the first week is slower.
- LASIK vs SMILE
A flap procedure against a flapless one. The difference readers care about is what happens to the surface of the eye, not which laser is better.
- Dubai
The emirate where most of the UAE refractive surgery capacity is, and the one most international patients travel to. Licensing, clinic choice and what a quote should contain are the local questions.
- SMILE Pro vs LASIK
The current lenticule platform against the flap-based standard: what the platform generation changes, and what having a flap changes for good.
- LASIK vs PRK
A flap against a surface treatment. The clinical difference is tissue and recovery rather than result, which is why PRK is still used where the cornea is thin.
This page describes what is generally true about lasik. It is not a diagnosis, and it cannot say whether a treatment is suitable for you, because suitability depends on measurements taken during an examination.
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) Clinical reference StatPearls, NCBI Bookshelf
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 Professional body 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 Peer-reviewed literature Cochrane
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
- Post-LASIK dry eye disease: A comprehensive review of the current literature Peer-reviewed literature Peer-reviewed literature (via PubMed Central)
A review of dry eye after LASIK, including the mechanisms involved and how other procedures compare in the published literature.
Used for Balanced comparison of dry-eye risk between procedures.
Link checked 22 September 2026
- The Royal College of Ophthalmologists Professional body The Royal College of Ophthalmologists (UK)
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
- Refractive surgery and dry eye: an update Peer-reviewed literature Peer-reviewed literature (via PubMed Central) · 2023
An update on how different refractive procedures affect the ocular surface, with attention to preoperative screening for dry eye.
Used for Why tear film assessment belongs in preoperative screening.
Link checked 22 September 2026
- Comparison of clinical outcomes of LASIK, Trans-PRK, and SMILE Peer-reviewed literature Peer-reviewed literature (via PubMed Central)
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
- European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons Professional body ESCRS
A European professional society for refractive and cataract surgery, publishing guidance and outcome registries.
Used for Refractive surgery outcome measurement and reporting.
Link checked 22 September 2026
- Small Incision Lenticule Extraction (SMILE) Clinical reference StatPearls, NCBI Bookshelf
A continuously updated clinical reference chapter covering SMILE indications, technique, outcomes and complications, written for clinicians.
Used for How the lenticule is created and removed; Indications and contraindications; Complication categories; Corneal biomechanics compared with flap-based surgery.
Link checked 22 September 2026
- Dry Eyes After SMILE Peer-reviewed literature Peer-reviewed literature (via PubMed Central)
A review of ocular surface changes after SMILE, including how dry-eye signs and symptoms are measured and how they change over the first postoperative months.
Used for Explaining why dry eye is a key preoperative consideration.
Link checked 22 September 2026
- EyeSmart: eye health information for the public Patient information American Academy of Ophthalmology
Patient-facing material from the largest ophthalmology professional body, covering conditions, tests and treatments outside refractive surgery.
Used for Cross-checking patient-facing explanations of non-refractive eye conditions; Describing what tests such as dilation and OCT involve.
Link checked 23 September 2026
- DHA circular on the scope of practice for ophthalmologists performing laser refractive surgery Regulator Dubai Health Authority · 2017
A Dubai Health Authority circular addressing how laser refractive surgery sits within the licensed scope of practice for ophthalmologists in Dubai.
Used for Explaining that refractive surgery is a regulated activity in Dubai.
Link checked 22 September 2026
- Dubai Health Authority: Sheryan licensing and Dubai Medical Registry Regulator Dubai Health Authority
The Dubai Health Authority’s licensing portal, including the public medical registry used to check that a facility and a practitioner hold a current Dubai licence.
Used for How to verify a Dubai clinic licence; How to verify a surgeon’s licence and scope of practice; Regulatory context for the Dubai guide.
Link checked 22 September 2026
- UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention Health authority Ministry of Health and Prevention, United Arab Emirates
The federal health authority for the UAE, relevant to facilities licensed outside the Dubai Health Authority system.
Used for Explaining which authority licenses which facility.
Link checked 22 September 2026
- Cataracts in adults: management (NG77) Clinical reference National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (UK) · 2017
Clinical guidance on when cataract surgery is indicated, what should be discussed before it, and what follow-up is expected.
Used for When cataract surgery is considered appropriate rather than cosmetic timing; What patients should be told before cataract surgery.
Link checked 23 September 2026
- ZEISS VISUMAX 800 Manufacturer documentation ZEISS Medical Technology
The manufacturer’s own product page for the femtosecond laser platform used for SMILE pro.
Used for What describes the technology behind SMILE pro; The distinction between SMILE and SMILE pro; Claimed workflow features such as automated centration.
Link checked 22 September 2026
- Comparison of clinical outcomes following small incision lenticule extraction with the VISUMAX 800 and VISUMAX 500 Peer-reviewed literature Peer-reviewed literature (via PubMed Central) · 2025
A single comparative study of SMILE performed on the newer and older generations of the ZEISS platform. A single study, not a pooled analysis.
Used for The SMILE vs SMILE pro section, explicitly labelled as single-study evidence.
Link checked 22 September 2026
Guides that explain this
These pages go deeper on the questions that usually follow this one.