Refractive surgery
LASIK in Paris and Cachan: Laser Refractive Surgery
Lasting laser correction of myopia, hyperopia and astigmatism. A 15-minute procedure, with recovery within 24 to 48 hours. Personalised assessment at the Cachan office.
UNDERSTANDING LASIK
What is LASIK? Principle and mechanism
LASIK (Laser-Assisted In situ Keratomileusis) is the most widely performed laser refractive surgery technique in the world. It durably corrects myopia, hyperopia and astigmatism by reshaping the cornea, the transparent membrane on the surface of the eye. The goal: to see clearly without glasses or contact lenses.
The procedure takes place in two stages, on both eyes the same day. A femtosecond laser first cuts a thin corneal layer, the flap, about 120 microns thick. The flap is lifted, then a second laser, the excimer, sculpts the cornea according to the correction profile calculated during the pre-operative work-up. The flap is finally laid back down without sutures and adheres within a few minutes.
The whole procedure takes about 15 minutes for both eyes, under anaesthetic eye drops. LASIK has more than twenty-five years of clinical experience behind it, and current lasers, in particular topography-guided protocols (TG-LASIK), offer very high correction precision.
Which vision problems does LASIK correct?
LASIK surgery can treat the main refractive errors of the eye:
- Myopia: blurred distance vision, clear near vision. LASIK corrects mild, moderate and high myopia, generally up to -8 to -10 dioptres depending on corneal thickness.
- Hyperopia: blurred near vision, sometimes blurred distance vision too with age. LASIK corrects hyperopia up to around +5 dioptres.
- Astigmatism: distorted, doubled or imprecise vision at all distances. LASIK corrects astigmatism up to 5 dioptres, whether isolated or combined with myopia or hyperopia.
- Presbyopia: difficulty seeing up close after the age of 45. A variant called PresbyLASIK can restore intermediate and near vision without glasses.
Beyond these limits, other techniques take over: PRK for thin corneas, SMILE for a less invasive approach, or the phakic implant for very high myopia.
Who is LASIK suitable for?
LASIK is elective surgery: it does not treat a disease, it improves quality of life. The decision is therefore made after a full pre-operative work-up, which checks that your eye is suitable.
Indications (ideal candidate)
- Age: from 18, if vision is stable, ideally with a stable refraction for at least two years (no change greater than 0.5 dioptre over the past year).
- Cornea of sufficient thickness and regular curvature, measured by corneal topography and pachymetry during the work-up.
- Refractive error within correctable limits: myopia up to -8/-10 D, hyperopia up to +5 D, astigmatism up to 5 D.
- Good general eye health: no severe dry eye, no corneal disease (keratoconus in particular) or progressive retinal condition.
- Clear motivation and realistic expectations, after full information on the benefits and limits of the procedure.
Contraindications
LASIK is not suitable for every eye. The main contraindications:
- A cornea that is too thin or shows early signs of keratoconus (progressive corneal deformation).
- Severe dry eye not controlled by treatment.
- Unstable refraction, still changing (young patients whose vision is still developing, recent hormonal changes).
- Current pregnancy or breastfeeding (hormonal variations may alter the refraction and the operating conditions).
- Active systemic conditions: poorly controlled autoimmune diseases, unbalanced diabetes, immunosuppressive treatments.
- Eye history: recurrent ocular herpes, uncontrolled glaucoma, progressive cataract (in which case cataract surgery with a premium implant is generally preferable).
If LASIK is not indicated in your case, another technique may be. The pre-operative work-up is the place to discuss it.
HOW THE PROCEDURE WORKS
How does a LASIK procedure work?
The pathway has three stages: the pre-operative work-up at the Cachan office, the procedure at the Clinique Laser Victor Hugo, then follow-up. Each stage matters for the final result.
Surgical video · Dr Tourabaly‘s practice
Cutting the corneal flap with the Zeiss VisuMax 800 femtosecond laser
A key step of LASIK: 8 seconds of real procedure, filmed on the screen of the VisuMax 800 (Carl Zeiss Meditec), while the femtosecond laser cuts the corneal flap.
LASIK surgery in 5 steps
The gold-standard femtosecond laser technique, performed under anaesthetic eye drops, fast and suture-free.
1Creating the corneal flap⏱ ~8 secondsA thin corneal layer is cut with the Visumax 800 femtosecond laser, with micrometric precision.
- 2Lifting the flap⏱ ~10 seconds
The flap is gently lifted to expose the underlying corneal stroma.
- 3Reshaping the cornea⏱ ~60 seconds
The excimer laser sculpts the cornea to correct the refractive error, under anaesthetic eye drops.
- 4Repositioning the flap⏱ ~30 seconds
The flap is repositioned precisely, with immediate natural adhesion and no sutures.
- 5Corrected eye✓ Healing in 24 h
Vision becomes useful from the next day and stabilises over a few weeks.
Refractive surgery · LASIK
LASIK, step by step
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Creating the corneal flap⏱ ~ 8 seconds
A thin corneal layer is cut with the Visumax 800 femtosecond laser, with micrometric precision.
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Lifting the flap⏱ ~ 10 seconds
Gentle opening from the upper hinge, exposing the stroma.
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Reshaping the cornea⏱ ~ 60 seconds
Excimer laser: sculpting the stroma according to the visual correction.
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Repositioning the flap⏱ ~ 30 seconds
The flap is laid back onto the reshaped cornea, without sutures.
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Corrected eye⏱ Healing in 24 h
Useful vision from the next day, stabilisation over a few weeks.
The detailed run-through: assessment and procedure dayPre-operative work-up · Procedure day
Step 1: the pre-operative work-up
The work-up takes place at the Cachan office (94), which brings together the corneal measurement equipment: topography, pachymetry, aberrometry, pupil measurement. It lasts about 30 minutes. A second appointment, after a cycloplegic eye drop (Skiacol) that puts the eye’s focusing at rest, is sometimes needed to check for the absence of overcorrection or to examine the fundus. This step depends on your profile and is not systematic.
Before the work-up, stop wearing your contact lenses so that the cornea returns to its natural shape: 24 to 48 hours for soft lenses, 3 to 5 days for rigid lenses.
At the end of the work-up, Dr Tourabaly tells you whether you are a candidate for LASIK and calculates the correction parameters. The examinations are described in detail on the pre-operative work-up page. Book on +33 1 45 47 08 11 or via Doctolib.
Step 2: the day of the procedure
The procedure takes place at the Clinique Laser Victor Hugo, in the 16th arrondissement of Paris, generally on Thursdays. Allow about 1 hour on site: preparation, checks, the procedure itself lasting 15 to 20 minutes for both eyes, then an immediate check. You go home the same day.
Anaesthesia is by eye drops, with no injection and no drip. You remain conscious and simply fix your gaze on a light for a few seconds at each laser step. Straight afterwards, Dr Tourabaly checks at the slit lamp that the flap is correctly positioned. Vision remains blurred for 2 to 4 hours: a companion is essential for the journey home.
The usual schedule: LASIK on Thursday, check-up on Friday (day 1) at the Cachan office, then a weekend of rest. Recovery and follow-up are detailed further down.
CLINICAL RESULTS
What results can you expect from LASIK?
LASIK is one of the best-documented surgical procedures in the world. Here is what the large series show.
Sandoval 2016 (67,893 eyes)
PROWL FDA studies 2017
since 1999
The reference meta-analysis by Sandoval et al. (Journal of Cataract and Refractive Surgery, 2016) covers 67,893 eyes from 97 studies. 99.5% of eyes achieve an uncorrected visual acuity better than 20/40, the driving-licence threshold. 98.6% fall within ±1.0 dioptre of the target.
A literature review published in 2025 details the results of topography-guided LASIK (TG-LASIK), which Dr Tourabaly performs: 91.8% of myopic patients achieve 20/20 without correction, and 95% of eyes fall within ±0.50 dioptre of the targeted correction.
Satisfaction follows: 98.8% of satisfied patients in Sandoval, and 96% to 99% in the PROWL studies (FDA, National Eye Institute and Department of Defense, JAMA Ophthalmology, 2017), depending on the questions asked.
These figures are averages. Only the pre-operative work-up can estimate the result to expect for your eye.
How is recovery after LASIK?
Fast recovery is one of LASIK’s advantages over PRK. The usual post-operative timeline:
- Evening of day 0: blurred vision, watering eyes, a gritty sensation, light sensitivity. Resting in a dimly lit room is recommended.
- Day 1: mandatory check-up at the Cachan office. Vision is often already useful for everyday activities (reading, screen use). Dr Tourabaly explains at the check-up when you can resume driving, generally within 2 to 3 days depending on your individual recovery.
- Days 2 to 7: gradual improvement. Dry eye is common, treated with artificial tears.
- Weeks 1 to 4: visual stabilisation, with possible night-time halos in low light.
- Months 1 to 3: complete refractive stabilisation in most patients.
Apply the antibiotic and anti-inflammatory eye drops as prescribed. Guidelines for resuming activities:
- Screen work: 48 to 72 hours
- Light sport: 1 week
- Swimming, contact sports, sauna: 2 to 3 weeks
- Eye make-up: 2 weeks
Follow-up includes a check-up at day 1, then at 1 month, to confirm the stability of the result.
FAIR INFORMATION
Possible risks and complications
No surgery is free of risk. Informing you fairly about it is part of the consultation.
Transient side effects (common, mild)
- Dry eye for 1 to 3 months, treated with artificial tears
- Night-time halos and glare, most often transient
- Slight visual fluctuations in the first few weeks
- Transient light sensitivity in the first few days
Rare complications worth knowing about
- Flap folds (about 0.73% of cases): treatable by early repositioning, most often within 48 hours
- Diffuse lamellar keratitis: a benign inflammation of the flap interface, resolving with intensive anti-inflammatory treatment
- Undercorrection or overcorrection: a laser enhancement may be offered after 3 to 6 months of stability
- Corneal infection: exceptional with current post-operative protocols — infection-prevention practices analysed in a French national survey led by Dr Tourabaly (JCRS, 2021)
- Corneal ectasia: a rare progressive deformation (estimated between 0.04% and 0.6% depending on the studies), whose risk is minimised by a rigorous pre-operative work-up including topography and pachymetry
The safety figures in context
To put these risks in context: the 2025 review in the Journal of Refractive Surgery reports 0.07% serious, sight-threatening complications, fewer than one case per thousand. In the Sandoval meta-analysis, 0.61% of eyes lose two or more lines of visual acuity. In the PROWL studies, fewer than 1% of patients describe notable difficulties in daily life.
LASIK therefore ranks among the best-documented elective surgeries, provided candidates are carefully selected. That is the role of the pre-operative work-up at Cachan: spotting a contraindication early remains the key to safety. The full picture of the data is on the safety of refractive surgery page.
LASIK vs PRK vs SMILE: how to choose?
PRK and SMILE meet other indications. Understanding their differences helps prepare the discussion at the work-up.
Principle: creating a corneal flap with the femtosecond laser, then sculpting with the excimer laser.
Indications: myopia ≤ -10 D, hyperopia ≤ +5 D, astigmatism ≤ 5 D, cornea of sufficient thickness.
Recovery: useful vision within 24 h, stabilisation over 1 to 3 months.
Notable features: high post-operative comfort, fast recovery.
Principle: direct sculpting of the corneal surface (no flap). See the PRK page.
Indications: thin corneas, occupations with a risk of eye trauma (contact sports, military personnel).
Recovery: useful vision from day 4 (removal of the bandage lens), stabilisation over 1 to 3 months.
Notable features: no flap (eliminates the risk of folds), more uncomfortable in the first few days.
Principle: extraction of a corneal lenticule through a micro-incision (no full flap). See the SMILE page.
Indications: myopia ≤ -10 D, moderate astigmatism, patients wanting a minimally invasive approach.
Recovery: useful vision within 24-48 h.
Notable features: better preserves corneal innervation (less dry eye), not indicated for hyperopia.
A note on PRK: in Dr Tourabaly’s practice, the bandage lens is removed on the Monday after the procedure (day 4). Vision is then often already clear, even though stabilisation takes 1 to 3 months.
The final choice depends on your cornea, your activities and your clinical profile. For very high myopia, the phakic implant is an alternative.
Where do the procedure and consultations take place?
The procedure: Clinique Laser Victor Hugo (Paris 16)
LASIK is performed in the operating theatre of the Clinique Laser Victor Hugo, in the 16th arrondissement of Paris. The facility combines the Zeiss VisuMax 800 (femtosecond laser) and the Schwind Amaris 750S (750 Hz excimer laser). Access, technical facilities and the patient pathway are detailed on the Clinique Laser Victor Hugo page.
Assessment and follow-up: the Cachan office (94)
The pre-operative work-up and the check-ups (day 1, then 1 month) take place at the Cachan office, 1 Ter Rue Camille Desmoulins, 94230 Cachan, +33 1 45 47 08 11. RER B: Bagneux a 5-minute walk away, Arcueil-Cachan 10 minutes.
The Paris 13 office
The office at 12 Rue du Moulin des Prés, 75013 Paris (01 89 31 30 60) provides general ophthalmology and follow-up of diabetes and the retina. LASIK work-ups, however, take place in Cachan, about 20 minutes away by RER B.
How much does LASIK cost and is it reimbursed?
LASIK costs €3,000 for both eyes, as a package: surgeon’s fees, laser and Clinique Laser Victor Hugo fees, the first month of follow-up and any laser enhancement within the first 6 months. PresbyLASIK, which also corrects presbyopia, is €3,500 for both eyes. The pre-operative assessment and the post-operative eye drops are billed separately.
As elective surgery, LASIK is not reimbursed by the French national health service. Many complementary health insurers do, however, offer a “refractive surgery” allowance: ask yours, quote in hand.
A personalised quote is given to you at the end of the work-up, based on the technique chosen. All prices are on the refractive surgery pricing page.
SURGICAL EXPERTISE
Why choose Dr Tourabaly for your LASIK
A few factual pointers about Dr Tourabaly’s background and approach.
Dr Tourabaly’s background and approachFormer Chef de Clinique, Quinze-Vingts National Eye Hospital (Sorbonne University)
Academic background
Former Chef de Clinique at the Quinze-Vingts National Ophthalmology Hospital (Paris), Sorbonne University.
Surgical specialisation
Regular practice of LASIK, PRK, phakic implants for high myopia, and cataract surgery with premium implants.
Technology used
Zeiss VisuMax 800 femtosecond laser and Schwind Amaris 750S excimer laser at the Clinique Laser Victor Hugo, two latest-generation systems that enable high-precision topography-guided LASIK.
Patient approach
A thorough pre-operative work-up, transparent information on both the benefits and the limits and risks of the procedure, and check-ups the day after surgery and at one month, and at any time if something bothers you.
Patient reviews
More than 1,150 Google reviews for the Cachan office, with an average rating of 4.9/5.
To find out more about the background and qualifications of Dr Tourabaly, ophthalmic surgeon in Paris and Cachan, see his profile page.
PATIENT TESTIMONIALS
Reviews from LASIK patients
Genuine reviews published on Google Maps: more than 1,150 reviews · 4.9/5.
After a LASIK procedure to correct my myopia, I can say two months on that the result is more than convincing. A big thank you to Dr Tourabaly, who supported me really well; he took the time to explain how the procedure would go, which allowed me to approach it calmly. Very professional, conscientious and patient 👍
I had LASIK refractive surgery with Dr Tourabaly. He takes the time to explain the procedure clearly and listens to every question. I recommend him.
A great experience, a very professional practice and honestly a really pleasant welcome at reception, a surgeon who takes his time and calls you the day after your procedure. Now I live without glasses and I am more than happy, thank you again.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about LASIK
Book an appointment for a LASIK assessment
The pre-operative work-up is the essential step before any decision: it checks your eligibility, compares the techniques suited to your profile and answers your questions. If you would like a second opinion, your work-up is given to you to make that easier.
A no-obligation consultation: the pre-operative work-up determines whether LASIK is suitable for your case.
You can also contact the Cachan office on +33 1 45 47 08 11 (1 Ter Rue Camille Desmoulins, 94230 Cachan) for a LASIK assessment or any consultation.
Scientific sources
- Sandoval HP, Donnenfeld ED, Kohnen T, Lindstrom RL, Potvin R, Tremblay DM, Solomon KD. Modern laser in situ keratomileusis outcomes. J Cataract Refract Surg. 2016;42(8):1224-34. PubMed
- Eydelman M, Hilmantel G, Tarver ME, et al. Symptoms and Satisfaction of Patients in the Patient-Reported Outcomes With Laser In Situ Keratomileusis (PROWL) Studies. JAMA Ophthalmology. 2017;135(1):13-22. PMID: 27893066.
- Laser in Situ Keratomileusis Outcomes and Complications: 2016 to 2023. J Refract Surg. 2025. PubMed
📍 The procedure takes place at the Clinique Laser Victor Hugo (Paris 16): access, technical facilities and the pathway from assessment to procedure day. Discover the clinic →
Patient journey: your refractive surgery step by step
Patient questions
Each answer is written and verified by Dr Tourabaly as general information. It does not replace a consultation.