Side Effects of Laser Eye Surgery


Following laser eye surgery, you must inform the clinic immediately if you experience more than mild pain, loss of vision or if your eyes become increasingly red.  These side effects are either normal or may indicate a serious problem with your eyes and prompt examination may prevent long-term damage.

Side effects from laser eye surgery are essentially the same across the different laser procedures.  Visit the summary page, for a quick comparison of the main laser eye surgery procedures.

  • Vision - Vision usually becomes stable after four weeks and is often quite blurred or hazy for the first couple of days following surgery. The type of laser eye surgery will affect how fast you will see the benefit of improved vision by laser procedure. 
  • Pain - Mild pain may be experienced and this is inevitable. Painkillers may be taken. Some types of laser eye surgery are reported as more painful than others. LASIK and Wavelength LASIK are relatively pain free and discomfort usually resides within a day. Pain from PRK and LASEK can last for up to four days. Pain associated with Epi-LASIK is midway between LASIK and PRK/LASEK surgery. Pain is subjective and people have varying levels of tolerance and pain thresholds.
  • Discomfort - Eyes are often itchy, feel uncomfortable or as if they are burning or as if there is something in them. Some people describe this as a gritty feeling. This will reduce over time and depends on the type of laser eye surgery completed.
  • Headaches - Tension headaches may be experienced whilst vision is impaired and the full benefits of laser eye surgery are not experienced. 
  • Light Sensitivity, Starbursts, Halo & Glare - These are all normal side effects and usually reduce overtime.  Initially vision may be clearer some days and worse other days and may even vary on blinking because of the quality of the tear film on the surface of the cornea.  Night driving may be affected due to a halo or glare around bright lights caused by the untreated peripheral cornea. This can last for up to six weeks and sometimes for a longer period of time.  Gradually eyes should settle down, and stable vision should resume.
  • Drooping Eyelid - Occasionally people experience drooping eyelids. This normally stops within a few weeks but consult your surgeon if it does not.
  • Dry Eyes - Eyes may feel dry for up to 12 months following laser eye surgery. This can be overcome in a number of ways. Visit the Dry Eye Guide to find out more about this condition.
  • Watery Eyes - Both eyes may water following laser eye surgery, even if they both have not been treated.

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