Femto-LASIK is one of the safest procedures to correct near and far-sightedness and astigmatism. It is a form of LASIK (laser in-situ keratomileusis) that doesn’t involve a blade to create an opening on the corneal surface, which is why Femto-LASIK is sometimes known as bladeless LASIK.
Instead of the blade, a femtosecond laser is used to create a small incision in the cornea to expose the eye, ready for the excimer laser to correct the refractive conditions of the eye. It does this by using very short pulses of energy in order to create the corneal flap, without causing any damage to the surrounding tissue. This clean cut also means that there is a reduced risk of complications during healing of the surgery.
Femto-LASIK is best suited for adults aged 18 and over who find visual aids (glasses, varifocals or contact lenses) impractical. Patients must also have stable vision, which means there have been no changes in glasses or contact lens prescription in at least 12 months.
Ideal patients must also not be taking any medications that may change their vision, or have any hormonal fluctuations that can affect visual acuity, including breastfeeding or diabetes. You may not be suitable for Femto-LASIK if you have previously undergone refractory surgeries or procedures. The thickness of your cornea will be examined during your initial consultation to determine your suitability for the procedure.
If you would like more information please meet our London surgeons.
You’ll undergo a personal consultation with one of EuroEyes London’s expert eye surgeons, using wavefront analysis of the eye to create an individual image of the corneal surface. This allows us to decide if you’re suitable for Femto-LASIK and discuss your individual Femto-LASIK treatment.
The comprehensive preliminary examination and measurement of your eyes will take place before your treatment. You’ll receive a detailed explanation of the procedure by a specialist, and given aftercare instructions.
You should not wear soft contact lenses for at least one week, or hard contact lenses for at least two weeks before this appointment.
You will receive anesthetic administered by eye drops.
The corneal flap is prepared with the femtosecond laser in a way that’s gentle on the tissue. The laser treats each eye individually, working with high precision and uniformity.
Based on the wavefront analysis, the excimer laser corrects your refractive error and models the cornea.
The flap is then folded back again. It is self-adhesive due to internal bonding forces, so there is no need for sutures.
On the day of your treatment, we recommend dressing comfortably and not driving yourself to the appointment. We suggest having someone drive for you, taking a cab or using public transport. You can eat and drink regularly, but you must avoid smoking.
It’s best to avoid wearing makeup and perfume and arriving to the appointment with a clean face. You won’t need to wear any eye patches or bandages, and the procedure typically lasts around 25 minutes for both eyes.
You should avoid rubbing your eyes and continue to use the antibiotic eye drops as instructed by your surgeon. You may use lubricated eye drops, or ‘artificial tears’, as needed, depending on how comfortable your eyes feel.
We recommend avoiding any professional or sporting activities for three days following your procedure. You should also wait two weeks before using any pools or saunas. Avoid driving any cars or operating heavy machinery until your doctor confirms you’re ready to.
For patients, Femto-LASIK is one of the best possible treatments for correcting near and far-sightedness, or astigmatism.
Advantages include:
Femto-LASIK is an outpatient procedure which lasts no longer than 30 minutes. Recovery occurs over the following weeks, and you don’t need to wear an eye patch or bandages. You may feel like there’s something in your eyes immediately following the surgery, but this feeling will go down over the following hours, and eye drops will alleviate this feeling.
Immediately following the surgery, your vision may be blurry, but this is only temporary and will clear up over the following week while you use your antibiotic eyedrops.
Common side effects of Femto-LASIK surgery include:
Like any surgical procedure, Femto-LASIK carries a small level of risk. However, modern laser eye surgery is considered extremely safe, particularly when performed by experienced refractive surgeons using advanced diagnostic technology. Most side effects are temporary and can be managed effectively by carefully following the aftercare instructions provided by your surgeon.
The surgeons at EuroEyes London are highly experienced in the field of refractive surgery and use some of the most advanced laser eye surgery technology available today. Every procedure is carried out by qualified ophthalmologists who have collectively performed thousands of successful treatments over more than three decades.
While complications are uncommon, there is still a small possibility of temporary effects such as dry eyes, inflammation or light sensitivity during the healing process. For this reason, patients are advised to carefully follow the guidance provided by our clinical team and attend all recommended follow-up appointments. You can also learn more about what to expect when visiting our clinic by exploring our London eye clinic. At EuroEyes London, our team remains available throughout your recovery to provide support and advice as your vision stabilises. If you would like to find out whether Femto-LASIK is suitable for you, we invite you to book a consultation with one of our experienced surgeons.
One of the most common concerns patients raise during a consultation at our London clinic is how their current prescription affects everyday vision. Many people rely on glasses or contact lenses to see clearly when driving, watching television, using a computer or carrying out day-to-day tasks. LASIK eye surgery is designed to correct these common refractive errors by reshaping the cornea so that light focuses more accurately on the retina.
Using highly precise laser technology, LASIK treatment can correct vision problems such as short-sightedness (myopia), long-sightedness (hyperopia) and astigmatism. For many patients, the procedure can significantly reduce or remove the need for glasses or contact lenses, helping restore clear and comfortable vision across the distances used in everyday life. The table below illustrates how LASIK eye surgery can improve visual clarity for common daily activities.
| Vision Distance | Without Vision Correction | After LASIK Eye Surgery |
|---|---|---|
|
Near Vision 30–50 cm Reading messages, books, menus |
Often blurred without glasses or contact lenses |
Clearer near vision depending on prescription |
|
Intermediate Vision 60–100 cm Computer screens, cooking, dashboards |
Often requires glasses or contacts |
Improved visual clarity for daily tasks |
|
Distance Vision 2 metres + Driving, watching TV, outdoor vision |
Often blurred without glasses or contact lenses |
Clear distance vision without glasses for many patients |
| Everyday Vision Experience | Dependence on glasses or contact lenses for clear vision | Many patients experience clearer vision across everyday activities without relying on glasses |
"LASIK is an advanced form of laser eye surgery designed to correct common refractive errors such as short-sightedness (myopia), long-sightedness (hyperopia) and astigmatism. Using highly precise laser technology, the procedure gently reshapes the cornea so that light can focus more accurately on the retina. This allows many patients to achieve clearer distance vision and significantly reduce their dependence on glasses or contact lenses for everyday activities such as driving, watching television and using digital screens."
All patients must be at least 18 years old for Femto-LASIK laser eye treatment. However, at our London clinic we do offer alternative laser treatment for the age group of 20-39 years of age.
Your values, or prescription, should be stable for at least one year before any laser eye treatment.
Your vision will take a few hours to start restoring after laser treatment. Usually, your vision restores to 80%-90% 24 hours after Femto-LASIK surgery. Within three days of treatment, you will have full visual acuity.
While complications are minimal, there are always risks to laser eye surgery. At EuroEyes London, we pay the utmost attention to maintaining high standards of quality and hygiene in order to keep any complication rates as low as possible.
Real complications are extremely rare. In order to avoid any issues with healing, it’s important that all patients follow the aftercare advice clearly and carefully. We highly suggest that all patients also keep to their follow-up appointments so our experts can keep track of how well the eyes are healing and spot any issues well in advance.
Any side effects that can occur during laser vision correction are usually short-term, harmless and treatable for a full recovery.
Eye makeup, swimming or using a sauna is recommended after three-four weeks, depending on your recovery. Your surgeon will let you know when it is safe to do these activities again, after noting your recovery in your follow-up appointments.
If you’re not suitable for Femto-LASIK surgery, you may consider Smile Pro, which is a procedure suitable for patients with higher refractive errors, thinner corneas and/or dry eyes. Near-sightedness up to -10 diopters can be treated with the Smile Pro procedure.
