There is no pain involved during laser eye surgery. You will be given a topical anaesthetic to numb your eyes – most patients report feeling some pressure on the eye (which can be a strange sensation) but not pain. Many LASIK and SMILE patients do not experience any discomfort after surgery – although it is normal to experience some grittiness, light sensitivity and eye watering for the first 24 hours. After surface procedures (PRK, LASEK and Epi-LASIK), the eyes take a few days to heal. However, patients should not find the healing process painful, as they are given pain-relief medication and fitted with bandage contact lenses.