Thinking about LASIK? It’s designed to correct refractive errors. That means it’s made for nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism.
Within reason, of course. The younger you undergo the procedure, the more value you will get from LASIK throughout your life.
But to safely receive LASIK, you need to be at least 18 years old. Most LASIK surgeons will often have you wait until you are in your mid-twenties to receive the procedure.
This is to ensure that your eyesight won’t change once you receive LASIK. After all, your eyes need to be fully developed before you can get LASIK.
But LASIK can be and is often performed on older adults. As long as you meet the other qualifying criteria to be a good LASIK candidate, you can receive the procedure. Keep reading to learn if you’re too old for LASIK!
Other LASIK Requirements
Age is an important factor when determining if a patient is a good candidate for LASIK, but it is not the only one. Other things that go into candidacy include:
Overall Health
Certain diseases and health problems can make surgery unsafe to perform. This is especially true for chronic problems like diabetes, HIV/AIDS, or rheumatoid arthritis.
Anything that will make it harder for your body to heal after LASIK will be a problem when it comes to LASIK candidacy.
Eye Health
Your eye doctor will spend a lot of time thoroughly inspecting your eyes to make sure they are in good shape before you can even think about having LASIK. Excessive scarring, prescriptions that are too strong, and diseases like dry eye syndrome or keratoconus may mean you don’t qualify as a candidate for LASIK.
Corneal Thickness
Some people’s eyes are perfectly healthy, but if their corneas are too thin, LASIK becomes unsafe. This is because LASIK works by reshaping the cornea. You must have thick enough corneas so the surgeon can safely remove tissue from the cornea without damaging your vision.
Pregnancy
Hormones caused by pregnancy can cause temporary vision changes. You need to have stable vision that’s remained unchanged for at least a year before having LASIK.
Wait to have LASIK until you’re sure you’re done having children and you’re done nursing. This will give your eyes enough time to stabilize.
Stable Vision
Even if your eyes are developed and you are not pregnant, your eyesight can fluctuate. You need to have at least a consecutive year of stable vision on the record before you can be eligible to receive any kind of refractive surgery.
Schedule a Consultation at Eyecare Specialists
The only way to know whether you are a good candidate for LASIK or not is to attend a LASIK consultation. Consultations can last several hours.
They include comprehensive tests and exams. This is the only way to be as certain as possible that your vision will be permanently corrected after LASIK.
If you are not currently a good candidate for LASIK, you may be one in the future, or there may be alternatives that are a better fit. Schedule your LASIK consultation at Eyecare Specialists in Scranton, PA, today!
Wouldn’t you love to wake up with the vision you’ve only dreamed of?
