Customised LASIK

Before your LASIK procedure begins, we’ll apply topical anaesthetic eye drops to numb your eyes. These drops usually take effect within 30 minutes.

During the procedure, you may notice a sensation of pressure from the laser or feel slight tension when the instrument is used to gently keep your eyelids open. These sensations are common and generally manageable. You shouldn’t feel pain.

A mild sedative can be offered to help you feel relaxed. You’ll remain awake throughout, and the LASIK procedure is typically brief.

Many people notice visual changes within the first day after LASIK or laser eye surgery. It’s common for vision to continue adjusting over the days and weeks that follow as your eyes heal and stabilise.

Recovery timelines vary from person to person. Your likely progress will be discussed during your consultation, based on your individual eye health and treatment plan.

Many people experience a noticeable improvement in their vision the day after LASIK, though the recovery timeline varies depending on individual factors. At Vista Eyes, your vision will be monitored through a series of post-operative appointments until you are discharged from care.

In some cases, an enhancement procedure may be recommended later to refine results. This is more common for patients with long-sightedness and occurs in less than 5% of cases overall.

If needed, enhancements are performed at no additional cost within 3 years of your initial LASIK procedure at Vista Eyes.

Your likely outcomes and the possibility of needing an enhancement will be discussed with you during your consultation.

During your LASIK procedure, it’s natural to worry about blinking or small movements, but the technology is designed with this in mind.

The WaveLight® EX500 Excimer Laser includes a built-in eye tracking system that monitors eye position hundreds of times per second. If your eye shifts slightly, the laser adjusts in real time to maintain precision. For larger movements, like a sneeze or sudden head motion, the system will pause treatment and resume only when your eye is properly aligned again.

Throughout the procedure, your eyelids will also be gently held open with a small instrument, so blinking isn’t a concern.

A small surgical device called a speculum is used during your procedure to hold your eyelids open. This can be a little uncomfortable at first, but most people soon forget about it and think they are blinking normally even though their eyes are being held open.

Yes, in most cases LASIK is performed on both eyes during the same appointment. This is often preferred by patients due to the convenience of a single recovery period.

There is no clinical reason that requires treating one eye at a time. With current technology and surgical techniques, performing LASIK on both eyes in the same session is considered safe and effective. In earlier stages of laser eye surgery, procedures were sometimes separated as a precaution, but advances in equipment and experience have significantly reduced those concerns.

Your suitability for same-day treatment will be confirmed during your pre-operative assessment.

A sterile drape will be placed over your face, exposing only the eye being treated. Your eyes will remain open during the procedure, but you won’t be able to see what’s happening to them directly.

Instead, you’ll be asked to focus on a small green light above you. This helps keep your gaze steady and provides a point of focus. Most people report only seeing the green light and sensing some movement—not the details of the procedure itself.

LASIK is performed using topical anaesthetic eye drops, applied just before your procedure. These drops numb the surface of your eyes and typically take effect within 30 minutes.

You’ll be awake during the procedure, but you won’t feel pain. Some people notice a sense of pressure or tension around the eyelids, which is normal and generally well tolerated.

To help you feel more relaxed, a mild sedative may also be offered before surgery.

Laser eye surgery is not recommended during pregnancy or while breastfeeding. Hormonal changes during this time can temporarily affect your vision, which may impact the accuracy of your eye measurements and the stability of your results.

For the best outcome, it’s generally advised to wait until your hormone levels have returned to normal before considering surgery. Your suitability will be assessed during a comprehensive consultation.

No, eye patches aren’t required after LASIK. However, your eyes may feel light-sensitive on the day of your procedure. We recommend wearing sunglasses to protect your eyes from glare and brightness.

You’ll also be given protective eye shields to wear while sleeping for the first four nights after surgery. These help prevent you from accidentally rubbing your eyes as they heal.

It’s normal for your vision to feel slightly blurry or hazy immediately after LASIK. Most people are able to move around and return home with assistance.

Clearer vision is often noticed the following day, though recovery timelines can vary. Your expected progress will be discussed with you during your consultation.

Dry eye is one of the more commonly reported side effects after LASIK, though it’s usually temporary. Lubricating eye drops are provided after surgery to help manage symptoms and support comfort during recovery.

At Vista Eyes, all patients undergo dry eye testing as part of the pre-operative assessment. This helps us identify and manage any existing dryness before proceeding with LASIK. Many people we see already experience dry eye prior to surgery — often due to difficulty wearing contact lenses.

In some cases, we may recommend treatment for dry eye before or after LASIK. This could include options like IPL (Intense Pulsed Light) therapy, which targets the underlying causes of dry eye and is available at our clinic.

All potential side effects and individual risk factors will be discussed in detail during your consultation

If you wear contact lenses, it’s important to leave them out before your LASIK assessment and procedure.

Soft contact lenses: Avoid wearing them for at least 3 days prior to surgery (or follow your surgeon’s specific recommendation).

Hard or rigid gas permeable lenses: These should be left out for at least 4 weeks before surgery (or as advised), as they can alter the shape of your cornea for longer.

This step helps ensure your eye measurements are accurate, which is essential for planning safe and effective treatment.

As we age, it becomes harder for our eyes to focus on nearby objects. This common condition, known as presbyopia, usually begins in your mid-40s and is caused by the natural hardening of the lens inside the eye. Many people notice they need reading glasses to see up close.

If you have presbyopia, monovision LASIK may be one of the options available. This approach adjusts one eye to focus better at close range and the other for distance vision. When used together, the brain blends the inputs to support functional vision at a range of distances.

We can demonstrate how monovision might work for you during your consultation. If it’s not a good match, another potential treatment option—depending on your eye health and goals—may be Refractive Lens Exchange (RLE).