Are You Too Young or Too Old for LASIK?
We often get asked about the “right” or “best” age to have LASIK. The majority of LASIK patients are in their late 20s, 30s, and 40s, but this is due to a number of factors like their vision prescription, general health, financial situation, and more.
To be clear, the decision of whether or not LASIK is right for you is always based on the input of your regular physician and your LASIK surgeon. Again, candidacy for LASIK is never based strictly on a patient’s age. It is determined by the patient’s personal medical history, unique vision and prescription, and any number of other factors.
That being said, let’s address some common questions from interested LASIK patients.
“Can I get LASIK surgery if I am under 21?”
LASIK is FDA-approved for patients who are 18 years or older. While some patients in their early 20s are strong candidates for LASIK, we generally recommend patients wait until they are in their mid-20s. Until that time, their eyes may still be growing—and that means their prescription could still be changing. We recommend that any LASIK patient, regardless of their age, have a stable prescription for at least 2 years.
“Do you perform LASIK on patients over the age of 50?”
Yes, LVC does perform LASIK surgery for patients over 50. The primary concern for performing laser eye surgery for older patients is whether their vision is stable. Patients in their 50s are also more likely to develop cataracts, which cannot be treated by LASIK surgery. For that reason, we generally recommend that patients over 50 who are developing cataracts, or who have already had cataract surgery, do not get LASIK. However, there are many patients in their 50s and older who do not have cataracts and are strong LASIK candidates.
Determine Your Candidacy for LASIK
If you have been thinking about LASIK surgery, we urge you to speak to your physician and schedule a consultation with LASIK Vision Centers of Cleveland. As we’ve said, there is no magic age for LASIK. Together, with your doctor, we’ll determine whether the surgery is right for you.
