Can you be too old to have laser eye surgery?
San Diego Laser Eye Surgery
As people get older, they may become less willing to tolerate small annoyances that have plagued them for years. For some people, wearing glasses or contacts is one of those annoyances. Many people in their middle aged or older years would like to finally be free of the hassle of using corrective lenses.
Laser eye surgery (such as LASIK or ASA) can offer a way to get rid of the need for corrective lenses. However, middle aged or older patients may not be sure whether they’re candidates for laser vision correction. Can you be too old to have LASIK? How do you know if you’re eligible to consider it?
There’s no upper age limit on LASIK
The FDA has set 18 as the youngest age when someone can consider having LASIK. In fact, many 18-year-olds are still not candidates, because their eyes are still changing. Many people can’t even consider LASIK until their early 20s, when their eyes are more stable.
However, even though there’s a lower age limit, there’s actually no upper age limit for LASIK. Anyone age 18 or older can potentially be a candidate for LASIK. You’re never too old to consider having the procedure.
Factors to consider for LASIK in older patients
Even though older patients can potentially consider a laser vision correction procedure, there are still a few factors to consider in this population. People in their 40s and older have generally developed some degree of presbyopia. This is the age-related vision condition in which the lenses of your eyes become stiffer, making you unable to focus up close. Laser vision correction procedures can’t address presbyopia. If you choose to have laser eye surgery in your 40s or later, you may still need reading glasses anyway, because the procedure can’t change the stiffness of your lenses.
In addition, people in their 60s and older may have started to develop cataracts. This is a condition where proteins in the eye’s lens change and cause the lens to become cloudy, interfering with vision. If you have significant cataracts, then it’s generally better to address this issue first. In fact, cataract surgery may make laser eye surgery unnecessary. This is because the treatment for cataracts is to replace the natural lens of the eye with an artificial one, and a prescription can be built into the new lens. This gives the possibility of restoring vision without glasses or contacts – and without needing LASIK.
San Diego Laser Eye Surgery
If you’re considering having a laser vision correction procedure such as LASIK or ASA, then we invite you to schedule a consultation with the experts here at North County Laser Eye Associates. After an exam and a discussion of your goals for your vision, one of our eye surgeons will be able to let you know which options would be safe for you, and would be most likely to help you meet your goals. To schedule your appointment, please contact our front desk staff.
