Laser eye surgery is one of the refractive error correction surgeries. LASIK or Laser-Assisted in Situ Keratomileusis surgery is a refractive eye surgery, which is very popular globally. The surgery is allowed to be performed for a wide range of patients with refractive errors and it stands cost-effective, efficient and safe.
Age Limit For Laser Eye Surgery.
The age limit has been expanding for the laser surgery, because of the advancement of the technology according to the FDA in the US, the age approved to undergo any laser eye surgery is minimum 18 years. However, some of the eye surgeons expect you to wait for at least two more years after 18 years, since the vision has to become stable, through stable refraction. Most often, the refraction error prescription does not change post the age of 18 years, however, every human eye condition is not the same and it demands some waiting period for the surgeon. And for any laser eye surgery, the technical requirement is that the prescription has to be stable before one year of the surgery. In such conditions, after 18 years, this technical condition is only evaluated and decision is taken to undergo the surgery, provided other technical requirements are met.
40 to 60 Years
While the lower limit is 18 years, the upper limit is 40 years. Patients, who want to get rid of the eye glasses after 40s are not eligible for the surgery, usually because, the cause for the eye glasses at that age group usually is Presbyopia or cataract. This condition called Presbyopia cannot be corrected with the regular LASIK surgery, though modern surgeries have become potential to control and provide solution for this condition. Hence, the treatment for Presbyopia is sought out in other dimensions and procedures, rather than going for the regular laser eye surgery procedures. Technically Presbyopia condition is treated through monovision LASIK. With the modern technology, the upper age limit to undergo the laser eye surgery keeps is stretching and even going to 60s for the refractive error correction or Presbyopia eye condtiions.
Above 60 Years
Diseases related to eye keep increasing after 60 and are developed from various causes. Usual causes are cataract, AMD (Age-Related Degeneration), glaucoma and many others. Though all these cannot be corrected with the regular laser eye surgeries, pre-surgery evaluation is done more carefully, for these senior citizens to find the matching procedure to obtain optimum outcomes.
For other eye related problems, such as cataract, the laser eye surgery does not offer any treatment procedures. Hence, the patients, who have not been experiencing development of cataract stand eligible and good candidates for laser eye surgery. However, 18 to 40 stands as the ideal age limit to undergo regular LASIK surgery.