Can LASIK fix both near and farsightedness? Am I a candidate for LASIK? Does LASIK last forever? What is the success rate? As with any type of surgery, there are many different questions you may have about the potential of getting LASIK surgery. One we hear quite often is, at what age can someone get this surgery? We want to answer this question for you in more detail right now.
What is LASIK Surgery?
If you’re tired of wearing glasses or contact lenses, you may want to consider LASIK vision correction surgery. LASIK eye surgery is today’s most widely performed type of vision correction, by a large margin. LASIK can correct nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism for many people. It consists of creating a flap in the eye’s cornea, then using a special laser to precisely sculpt the cornea to the correct shape. While it is a brief procedure requiring only a few minutes, it can completely change your life!
Is There a “Right Age” to Get LASIK Surgery?
FDA regulations require patients to be at least 18 years of age. One of the most important factors when determining if LASIK surgery is the right procedure for you is whether or not your vision has been stable. Doctors like to see that your glasses and/or contact lens prescription has been stable for at least a year or two to ensure that the surgical results will serve you for the long term. For young children, the answer cannot be stated for sure because their vision is still changing and evolving.
What about upper limits? Can you be too old for LASIK surgery? Thankfully, no. As long as you’re in good health (both general and ocular) and you have not been ruled out as a candidate for other factors, there is no reason that an older individual can’t undergo refractive surgery.
That being said, it makes more sense to do this earlier in life. This way, you are able to enjoy the results for a longer period of time. This is why experts tell us that if you were trying to choose what age to get LASIK, then your mid twenties to thirties would probably be it. This is true for a number of reasons. Number one, your prescription should be stable by now. As well, you haven’t yet developed presbyopia. Presbyopia happens when your eyes start to have difficulty focusing on near objects. The condition usually occurs in someone’s mid to late forties, and it is why people who never needed glasses wear them at an older age.
Ask the Doctors at Eye Care Professionals of Reno All About LASIK Surgery
As we stated above, if there’s a “best age” to get LASIK, it would be in your mid-twenties to your upper thirties. By the age of 25, eyeglasses and contact lens prescriptions have most likely stabilized. A stable prescription is one of the hallmarks of a good LASIK candidate. However, being in your forties, fifties, and even older is still a fine age to get LASIK. Good overall health, family medical history, and a stable prescription are the most important factors in LASIK eye surgery candidacy.
We offer patients the next generation of personalized LASIK treatment, the iDESIGN® Refractive Studio from Johnson & Johnson Vision. Approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the iDESIGN® Refractive Studio is the only system to use topography integrated, wavefront-guided technology, which allows our doctors to take a precise measurement of the eye, inside and out, to deliver a LASIK procedure personalized to the individual patient. This technology is approved for people with myopia, hyperopia, mixed astigmatism, and for Monovision in presbyopic myopic patients.
For any additional questions about LASIK surgery, like whether or not you’re a candidate for the treatment, we encourage you to make an appointment with our doctors. Here at Eye Care Professionals of Reno, we have established a reputation for excellence in all aspects of patient care as well as surgical outcomes. We feel very fortunate and privileged to be able to participate in the all-important work of preserving, restoring, and improving vision for our patients. We look forward to seeing you soon!
