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What Is The Best Age To Get LASIK?

More than two - thirds of participants in a recent FDA study were happy with their eyesight after LASIK surgery around the world. It is more safety, efficacy, and cost-effectiveness procedure in particular. There are several resources available to assist you in determining if Lasik is right for you. To be clear, the choice to get LASIK is always based on the advice of your primary care physician and your LASIK surgeon.

Candidacy for LASIK is almost never determined entirely by a patient's age. The patient's particular medical history, unique vision and prescription, and a variety of other factors all play a role.

In today's world, the age requirements for LASIK are less stringent than they were previously. There are some broad recommendations that might help you figure out when is the best time to have LASIK. Although there are exceptions, most doctors suggest LASIK surgery for people between the ages of 25 and 40. With more patient safety data from across the world being gathered, they are gradually changing to include both extremes of age. Here's some more information on LASIK for people of all ages.

Recommendations for Laser Surgery by Age Group:

The procedure known as LASIK is a modern refractive surgery, accomplished by reshaping the cornea to realign the eye's optical system. However, as we grow older, the circumstances within our eyes continue to alter. It's critical to understand the optimal age for this operation to have the most powerful and long-lasting results.

Based on the usual age groups in which our eyes go through a variety of changes, let’s look at how LASIK surgery might affect a person of a certain age.

Under 18 years of age:

Because LASIK is an elective procedure, it is preferable if the patient has reached the age of consent. The cornea and prescription of our eyes change dramatically when we grow as adolescence. Despite the fact that the majority of youngsters want LASIK surgery to help them reach their life objectives, the FDA recommends that the operation be performed on those who are at least 18 years old. This is because the eye's inclination to change must be stabilized before laser eye surgery may be performed.

However, when traditional therapy with glasses or contact lenses has failed to yield ideal results, LASIK has been successfully utilized to address significant refractive defects in kids younger than eighteen, especially those suffering from amblyopia or lazy eye. But when a teenager has laser eye surgery while their eyes are still developing, the effects are only temporary, and they may require corrective surgery in the future.

Between 18 – 24 years of age:

Laser eye surgery eyesight requires a minimum age of 18 years. Your power isn't steady if you're still increasing. It's crucial that your eyes have matured and your power has remained consistent. Minimum age of 18 years is required for laser eye surgery, as well as a power that has been steady for at least 6 months.

If you are between the ages of 18 and 24, you should contact a refractive surgeon to evaluate if laser eye surgery is right for you. Most doctors prefer to operate after the glasses prescription has been stable for a year. It's because it allows you to go over two decades without needing to wear glasses. It's also the age group that has traditionally been the target of refractive surgery.

Between 25– 45 years of age:

If you are between the ages of 25 and 40, laser eye surgery is an excellent option. People in this age range are usually good candidates for LASIK surgery. This age group does not require reading glasses. As a result, you are a candidate for a number of laser eye procedures.
By the age of 30, changes to the eye and consequently visual acuity are largely rare. The eyes will be stable enough for a continuous lens prescription by this age. Prospects with myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism or a combination of these conditions are good candidates. It is essential that the patient have a thorough pre-operative assessment to determine his or her fitness for the procedure.

Between 46 – 55 years of age:

Presbyopia occurs in anyone at the beginning of their 40th year of life, which develops when the lenses in the eye lose their capacity to adjust focus and transition between near and far distances, affecting people in this age group. Presbyopia can develop even after LASIK surgery.

Eye tiredness makes it more difficult to see properly in immediate proximity, necessitating the use of reading glasses. LASIK surgery cannot fix presbyopia since it is a natural process. But, alternatively, implanting a multifocal or trifocal lens can permanently correct both ametropia and presbyopia, allowing you to live without glasses.

Above 55 years of age:

Although there is no absolute age restriction for LASIK, the earlier it is performed, the better the outcomes will be. In recent years, the number of patients aged 50 and up who have contemplated and had LASIK surgery has skyrocketed. Someone over 50 who has healthy eyes, is myopic or hyperopic, and has correctable astigmatism is a suitable candidate.

Around the age of 60, the likelihood of acquiring age-related visual vision disorders such as cataracts, glaucoma, or macular degeneration increases, making establishing the success of LASIK more difficult. While many ophthalmologists consider the age of 70 to be the top limit for LASIK, some people in their 80s may be candidates if their eye health is acceptable and their prescription has stayed constant.

Begin your journey to clearer vision right now:

There is no one-size-fits-all solution that will work for every patient. Indeed, as laser correction technology and safety improve, the criteria for surgical eligibility evolve. The grounds for determining eligibility and the effectiveness of laser vision correction are highly dependent on a full eye examination to identify eligibility, as well as your visual requirements.

Age is simply a number, just like anything else you aspire to achieve in life. Are you ready to ditch your contact lenses and glasses? RK Eye Care's Connect to Care Advisors are ready to assist you.