What does laser eye surgery feel like?
It is usually described as pressure or a sensation of something touching the eye rather than pain, because the eye is numb. Afterwards, grittiness, watering and light sensitivity are common for some hours.
- Subject
- Surgery journey
- Topic
- Surgery day
- Kind of question
- What is…
- Last reviewed
- 22 September 2026
In more detail
People describe the experience quite differently from one another. What matters is that your clinic tells you what to expect and what to do if it is worse than that.
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 The surgery journey in Surgery day . The subject page carries the answers either side of it, and the hub is searchable.
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.