Does LASIK hurt?
The procedure itself is usually described as pressure rather than pain, because the eye is numbed with drops beforehand. Discomfort afterwards is common and is typically described as grittiness, watering or a burning sensation for some hours.
- Subject
- Vision correction
- Topic
- LASIK
- Kind of question
- Can I…
- Procedures
- LASIK
- Last reviewed
- 22 September 2026
In more detail
People report the experience differently, and how much discomfort you feel afterwards cannot be predicted from a page. What matters practically is that your clinic tells you what to expect and what to do if it is worse than expected.
Related guides
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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