While the minimum age for LASIK surgery is 18, technically there is no age limit for laser vision correction. Candidacy for LASIK surgery generally does not depend on age, but on the stability and health of the eye. The good news is that there is no age limit for LASIK surgery if your eyes are healthy. We have treated patients from a wide age range with great success, including patients aged 40, 50, 60 and older.
That said, there are special considerations when planning laser vision correction for people over 40, as this is a time when the eyes are likely to begin to change once again. LASIK is approved by the FDA for anyone 18 years of age or older. This is the only strict age limit rule for this procedure, but since adult vision is typically healthiest between the ages of 19 and 40, anyone who falls within this range is a great candidate. We look forward to working with you to determine the best eye surgery or nonsurgical treatment for your individual needs.
Start your journey to a clearer vision now and book your appointment with us at one of our many centers in our extensive network. There is no specific age that is considered too old for surgery, but it is necessary to explore certain considerations and recommendations in the older population. It's important to ensure that your eyes are healthy and stable and that other conditions are met to ensure that you meet the requirements for corrective refractive eye surgery. Your age is an important factor in deciding whether or not to undergo LASIK.
LASIK surgery is not approved by the FDA for people under 18 years of age, except in very rare cases where a child may have extreme myopia in only one eye. The National Library of Medicine (NLM) publishes that the use of some lasers is only approved for people 21 years of age or older. Refractive errors, such as myopia (myopia), may continue to evolve until late adolescence, explains the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). However, LASIK surgery only requires that you have had a change of less than half a diopter for one year, which means that most adults will meet this requirement.
LASIK surgery involves altering the shape of the cornea to correct a refractive error in order to improve the sharpness of images focused on the retina using an excimer laser. This way, things like farsightedness and nearsightedness can be corrected. Astigmatism, a deformed cornea, can also be corrected with LASIK surgery. Most surgeons typically allow patients between 25 and 40 years of age to undergo LASIK eye surgery for several reasons.
To begin with, your eyeglasses and contact lenses have stabilized at this age. A stable eye makes you an ideal candidate for surgery. While there is no upper age limit that prevents older people from undergoing LASIK surgery, several factors must be considered before surgery is approved for older adults. Even patients over 60 years of age with clear vision are good candidates.
However, you should tell your eye surgeon about the use of your medications and other eye problems that occur before surgery. In order to undergo LASIK surgery, your eye prescription cannot have changed more than half a diopter in the past year. This is to help ensure that the correction is ideal and does not require another surgery in the near future. The FTC reports that about 10 percent of Americans who undergo LASIK surgery will need a new treatment, or a second surgery, in the future to maintain the vision correction that began with the procedure.
This is especially true if the refractive error being corrected is significant. LASIK corrects a certain range of prescriptions, and your eye doctor can ensure that your vision is within the correctable range. Some expert providers, such as NVISION, only need to withdraw 2% of patients within the first year and 5% beyond that year. Pregnancy can affect the stability and measured refraction of the eyes.
After having a baby, you should wait until you finish breastfeeding before considering LASIK surgery. Certain medications, such as steroids, can affect eye health and measurements. They must be discontinued for a period of time before a LASIK procedure is detected. The general state of health must be good to consider LASIK surgery.
This means both eye health and that of the rest of the body. LASIK is a surgical procedure and your body needs to be able to heal properly after the procedure. To determine your eligibility for LASIK, the initial evaluation will include an initial evaluation to determine what level of correction is needed, explains the FDA. To get to a precise reference point, you'll need to stop wearing contact lenses for a few weeks, so that your corneas can return to their normal shape.
This ensures an accurate evaluation that can lead to the best possible surgical outcomes and improvements in vision. You can hardly ever be considered too old for LASIK surgery, but there are certain considerations that should be explored as you age. There are several age-related conditions that can affect the eye and, therefore, influence eligibility for LASIK surgery. If your eyes show any signs of cataracts, your doctor will recommend cataract surgery.
Your opaque lens can be replaced with advanced lens technology, eliminating the need to wear eyeglasses or contact lenses. Glaucoma and dry eyes are also conditions that often affect older eyes and may affect eligibility for LASIK surgery. Glaucoma occurs when fluid builds up in the eye and puts pressure on the optic nerve. This pressure can increase during a LASIK procedure, so if you have significant glaucoma, LASIK is not normally recommended, but if the condition is mild, you may still be a candidate.
LASIK surgery involves creating a corneal flap in the outer layer of the cornea, removing the inner tissue, and then replacing the flap. The American Council on Refractive Surgery reports that dry eyes are a common side effect of LASIK surgery. To avoid this, it's important to tell your doctor about any existing dry eye problems. Treating this condition first will lead to better LASIK results.
As we age, tear production decreases and dry eyes may worsen. This is more common in women, especially after menopause, so it's something to consider before undergoing LASIK surgery. Talk to your eye doctor to determine if you're eligible for LASIK surgery and when it might be the right time for you and your eyes. The information provided on this page should not be used in place of information provided by a doctor or specialist.
For more information, read our Privacy Policy and Editorial Policy pages. LASIK is safe and effective: 90 percent of people who have undergone surgery say that their vision has improved significantly and eight out of 10 people no longer need their corrective lenses. Find out what to consider when choosing an alternative procedure to LASIK for your eye surgery needs. In fact, we sometimes recommend that some patients wait until their mid-20s before considering LASIK surgery as a result of their eye exam during the free LASIK evaluation.
While you've received a lot of information about whether LASIK eye surgery (RLE) may be right for you, the only person who can make that decision is a doctor who specializes in eye surgery, such as the eye doctors at the Southwestern Eye Center. Before surgery, LASIK patients who wear contact lenses are told to stop wearing them for one to two weeks (if they are soft) or three to four weeks (for hard lenses) to prepare their corneas for surgery. So what's stopping you? Are you worried that you are no longer a candidate for LASIK because of your age? As you'll see, your age may not necessarily disqualify you from this life-changing vision correction surgery. Human eyes grow and change until approximately age 24, so it's rare for eye doctors to recommend LASIK surgery to patients younger than 25 years old.
Dry eyes can be worsened by refractive surgery, so it's important to seek treatment for this condition before undergoing LASIK surgery to optimize results. .
