Is it painful?

Laser vision correction is mostly pain-free but this does not mean you will not feel anything. The most common sensations are pressure around the eye and a cold sensation when fluid is used to clean the eye. During LASIK, your vision will go away for about 30 seconds or so. I usually ask patients ahead of time whether they would like to be told about what is going on. Many prefer not to know anything!

After LASIK, you may feel some stinging and foreign body sensation for a few hours. It is very comfortable the next morning. For LASEK (and PRK – epi-LASIK), you may experience some discomfort for a few days after the procedure. About 2 out of 10 patients will experience frank pain. This is why we give all LASEK patients oral pain killers to keep them comfortable in the first few days.

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