Can laser eye surgery make my vision worse?
It can leave you with a result you are unhappy with: an under- or over-correction, a residual prescription, troublesome night vision, or dryness that persists. A catastrophic loss of vision is rare, and it is a different risk from an imperfect result.
- Subject
- Risks & safety
- Topic
- Complications
- Kind of question
- Can I…
- Last reviewed
- 22 September 2026
In more detail
The two are often blurred together in both marketing and horror stories, and the distinction matters when weighing a decision. What a clinic should be able to describe is the range of ordinary imperfect outcomes for cases like yours, and what it does about them.
What this answer depends on
- Your measurements and how predictable your case is
- Whether you have a condition that affects healing
- What the enhancement policy is
Related guides
People also ask
The questions readers move to next from this one: the closest subjects first, from either question bank.
Where this answer sits
It is one of 483 answers in the vision and eye health knowledge base, filed under Risks, safety & side effects in Complications . 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
- 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