Are you considering LASIK eye surgery to reduce your dependence on corrective lenses, but are curious whether there are any age limits for surgery? Are you concerned that you are no longer a candidate for LASIK because of your age?
Dr. Ernest Kornmehl has some good news for you: As long as you are at least 18 years old, your age should not disqualify you as a LASIK candidate. Although your age may influence your candidacy, there are no hard and fast rules about being “too old” for surgery.
No Upper Age Limit for LASIK
Technically, there is no upper age limit for LASIK surgery. If your eyes are healthy, your vision prescription is stable and you meet other criteria related to the health of your eyes, you could theoretically have LASIK at the age of 18 or 80.
However, you will probably be advised not to have LASIK past a certain age. Your eyes can change due to the aging process in ways that cannot be remedied with LASIK eye surgery.
For example, around the age of 40, your eyes’ natural lenses, which are flexible at a younger age, may start to stiffen and become more rigid as presbyopia sets in; as a result, your reading vision can suffer. Later, around the age of 60, your lens may develop cataracts, or cloudy areas that make your vision blurry, hazy or distorted. At that point, LASIK is not advisable and other treatments, like refractive lens exchange or cataract surgery, become more appropriate.
If you are not a candidate for LASIK, there are other ways to improve your vision. Dr. Kornmehl would be happy to discuss these options with you during a consultation.
Factors that Influence Your LASIK Candidacy
The best way to determine whether you could benefit from LASIK surgery is to meet with Dr. Kornmehl for a consultation and LASIK screening.
In general, you may be a candidate if you:
- Are in good general health — i.e., free of any chronic medical conditions that could raise the risk of surgery or impair your healing
- Have a stable vision prescription that has not changed significantly in the past year
- Have sufficient corneal thickness
- Do not have chronic dry eye, active eye infections, corneal disease or other eye problems
- Are not pregnant or nursing
Contact Kornmehl Laser Eye Associates
If you would like Dr. Kornmehl to assess your candidacy for LASIK or discuss alternative vision correction options, please schedule an appointment at Kornmehl Laser Eye Associates. Call or email us today.