Which procedure is suitable if I have dry eyes?
All of the corneal procedures can affect the tear film, and the honest answer is that dryness is assessed and treated before any of them is planned. Where dryness is significant, a lens-based option may be discussed instead.
- Subject
- Vision correction
- Topic
- Comparing procedures
- Kind of question
- Which option…
- Procedures
- LASIK, SMILE, PRK
- Last reviewed
- 22 September 2026
In more detail
There is research comparing dryness between procedures, but it describes group averages rather than your eye. The useful part of the answer is the sequence: measure the surface, treat it if needed, then reassess.
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 Comparing procedures . 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.
- Comparison LASIK vs SMILE
- Comparison LASIK vs PRK
- Comparison SMILE vs PRK
- Comparison SMILE Pro vs LASIK
- Condition Dry eye
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.
- Refractive surgery and dry eye: an update
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
- Post-LASIK dry eye disease: A comprehensive review of the current literature
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
- Dry Eyes After SMILE
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