Short answer: For LASIK, PRK, ASA and TransPRK, you stay awake, but you’re given medication to relax you very well, and numbing drops mean you shouldn’t feel pain during the surgery. For CLEAR, you can be asleep. Focus Vision’s laser is the only hospital-based laser in Queensland, in an accredited day hospital, so an anaesthetist can be there to sedate you during CLEAR. Not everyone is a good candidate for CLEAR, so your surgeon will advise which procedure suits your eyes.
Feeling nervous about someone working on your eyes is completely normal, and “Will I be awake?” is one of the questions we’re asked most. This guide explains what happens with each type of laser eye surgery, and how we help you stay comfortable.
Awake or asleep: each procedure
| Procedure | Awake or asleep? | How you’re kept comfortable |
|---|---|---|
| LASIK and Ray Tracing LASIK | Awake | Numbing drops, plus medication to relax you |
| PRK, ASA and TransPRK (surface laser) | Awake | Numbing drops, plus medication to relax you |
| CLEAR lenticule extraction | Asleep, if you choose | An anaesthetist sedates you, in our accredited day hospital |
LASIK, PRK and TransPRK: awake, relaxed and comfortable
With LASIK and surface laser treatments (PRK, ASA, which stands for advanced surface ablation, and TransPRK), you stay awake. During the laser you look at a blinking target light, and being able to follow simple instructions, such as “keep looking at the light”, helps the treatment go smoothly.
Being awake doesn’t mean being uncomfortable:
- Medication to relax you. You’re given medication before surgery to relax you very well. Most people are surprised by how calm they feel and how quickly it’s over.
- Numbing drops. Anaesthetic drops numb the surface of your eye, so most people feel no pain during the surgery. You may feel pressure or a light touch.
- A clip keeps your eyelids open, so you don’t need to worry about blinking.
- The laser follows your eye. Its eye tracker follows small movements of your eye and pauses if you move too far, then restarts when you’re back in position. See what happens on the day.
- It’s quick. The laser part takes seconds to about a minute per eye.
After PRK and TransPRK, the eye is sore for a few days while the surface heals; we give you pain relief for this. After LASIK, the eye is usually gritty and watery for a few hours. See Is laser eye surgery painful? for more on what you’ll feel.
CLEAR: you can be asleep
CLEAR is Ziemer’s femtosecond-only lenticule extraction: the laser shapes a thin disc of tissue inside the cornea, which your surgeon removes through a small incision, with no flap. In published one-year series, outcomes after CLEAR are comparable to SMILE and femtosecond LASIK (J Refract Surg, 2024).
Because Focus Vision’s laser is in an accredited day hospital (it is the only hospital-based laser in Queensland), an anaesthetist can be present to sedate you for CLEAR, so you can be asleep for the procedure.
What to expect if you choose to be asleep:
- An anaesthetist reviews your health before surgery and sedates you during it.
- You’ll be given instructions before the day, which may include fasting.
- You’ll need someone to take you home, as with all laser eye surgery.
- There is currently no extra charge for sedation with CLEAR: the CLEAR price is the same whether you’re awake or asleep.
Is CLEAR right for me?
Not every patient is a good candidate for CLEAR. It suits short-sightedness, with or without astigmatism, in eyes with healthy corneas of adequate thickness. If you are long-sighted, or your corneas or prescription suit another procedure better, your surgeon will recommend LASIK, TransPRK or an implantable contact lens, and you’ll be given medication to keep you relaxed.
The right procedure depends on your eyes first. Being asleep is a reason to discuss CLEAR, not a reason to choose it if another procedure suits your eyes better. See Types of laser eye surgery for how the procedures compare.
Having lens surgery instead?
For cataract surgery and refractive lens exchange, you can also be asleep, with twilight sedation from an anaesthetist. See Can I be asleep for my cataract or lens replacement surgery?
Cost
All-inclusive prices per eye: CLEAR from $4,250, with no extra charge currently for sedation if you choose to be asleep; LASIK and Ray Tracing LASIK from $4,250; TransPRK from $3,500. They cover pre-operative assessments, the procedure and a year of follow-up appointments; prescribed medications and eye drops are extra (costs page). Enhancements are free for two years under our enhancement policy.
If you’re anxious about surgery, tell us at your free optometrist assessment, or call (07) 3239 5005. We’ll explain each step and talk through whether CLEAR, and being asleep, suits you.
References
- Keratorefractive Lenticule Extraction Using the Ziemer FEMTO LDV Z8 Platform (CLEAR): One-Year Results. J Refract Surg. 2024. doi:10.3928/1081597X-20241016-01. journals.healio.com/doi/full/10.3928/1081597X-20241016-01