If you have been wearing corrective lenses for a while, you may be thinking about refractive eye surgery. When you think about the convenience of not having to wear glasses or contacts, it seems like an obvious option.

Many people who have vision problems have considered getting LASIK at one time or another. For some, it is something that they have been thinking about for years. Are you worried that you may be too old for laser vision correction?

Age Limits for Eye Surgery

Your age may not automatically disqualify you from getting laser eye surgery. The FDA has approved LASIK for anyone above the age of 18. This is the only actual rule when it comes to the age factor. Adult vision is typically at its most healthy between the ages of 19 and 40.

Anyone within this age bracket is a good candidate for refractive eye surgery. After the age of 40, the eyes may begin to change, and you may end up developing presbyopia or farsightedness. After the age of 60, you may develop age-related vision issues such as cataracts.

Determining Your Candidacy

When you visit the eye doctor to determine your candidacy for laser vision correction, the doctor will consider several factors. The doctor will consider the changes in your vision related to age when determining if you are a good candidate for surgery.

If you are not a candidate for LASIK, the doctor can recommend other surgical options. Developing presbyopia can affect your candidacy, as can developing cataracts.

When to Get Laser Vision Correction

Several factors have an impact on an older individual’s ability to get successful laser surgery. Laser vision correction helps reshape the cornea to ensure that light is properly reflected.

Vision conditions that eye doctors can correct using laser surgery include nearsightedness, farsightedness, presbyopia, and astigmatism. Ophthalmologists evaluate patients on an individual basis.

Evaluating Your Eye Health

The ophthalmologist will evaluate the health of the eyes to determine if surgery is viable. The evaluation will include overall eye health, pupil size, cornea smoothness and size, and prescription stability.

There are other options for aging eyes. If you are not a good candidate for LASIK, the eye doctor can recommend refractive lens exchange. The procedure can help improve your vision.

Are You Over 60 Years Old?

Most eye specialists consider 60 to be the general cut-off age for LASIK. This is when many people begin to develop cataracts. Getting LASIK at this point may mean you might not enjoy improved vision for very long.

Cataracts cause stiffening and clouding of the eye lens, harming the vision. The formation of cataracts can cause the vision to move towards a nearsighted state within a few years. When patients get to this stage, eye specialists may recommend cataract surgery.

It is important to know that there are people who have received LASIK in their senior years. These individuals have gone on to enjoy great vision for years. Cataracts do not affect everyone. Many people over 60 have not developed cataracts. At the end of the day, your eye health will determine whether you are a good candidate for laser vision correction.

To learn if you are too old for laser vision correction, schedule an appointment with Laser Vision Delaware at our office in Wilmington, Delaware by calling us at 302-656-2020 today.