Why does a patient's pupil size matters to his or her suitability for LASIK?

Hi Susanne In the first step of the LASIK procedure, a ‘flap’ is created using a femtosecond laser (or, in the past, a special blade called a microkeratome). During this step, the laser is ‘connected’/docked to the eye with a ring-like device that grips the white part of your eye. You can watch an animation here: There are many small blood vessels on this part of the eye, and sometimes the suction pressure providing the grip may cause some of the blood vessels to leak some blood, causing red patches after the LASIK.

Key to treating someone with a certain pupil size is to ensure the laser treatment zone chosen is sufficient to accommodate that size of pupil. Whether one does it via LASIK, PRK and ReLEx SMILE would be based on other factors like corneal shape and corneal thickness. It’s important for your surgeon to customise the treatment choice to your specific case and that way maximise your chances of a good result. Therefore, look to surgeons who are experienced in not just one type of refractive surgery.