Who is not suitable for LASIK?
LASIK is generally avoided where the cornea is too thin for the amount of tissue that would need removing, where the cornea is irregular or unstable, where the eye surface is significantly dry, and in a number of medical and medication situations.
- Subject
- Vision correction
- Topic
- LASIK
- Kind of question
- Who can…
- Procedures
- LASIK
- Last reviewed
- 22 September 2026
In more detail
Being told you are not suitable for LASIK is not the same as being told nothing can be done. Surface treatments, lenticule extraction or lens-based options may still be appropriate, and sometimes the answer is to treat something else first.
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
- The Royal College of Ophthalmologists
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