The Right Age for LASIK Surgery
When considering the life-changing procedure of LASIK surgery, age is a factor that needs to be taken into account. Not every age is eligible for the procedure, and the effect LASIK has on different ages can vary. Be well-educated on statistics for your age group before taking the leap and your Houston LASIK doctors can be a helpful resource for age factor considerations.
The FDA has only approved LASIK for those over the age of 18. However, the procedure has been performed on people younger than 18 by using off-market technology when a doctor feels it is warranted on younger patients. One of the reasons 18 is a benchmark age is because the eyes and vision change more rapidly at a young age and in order for LASIK to be performed, the eye has to have remained relatively stable for at least two years. That means, if your glasses prescription has been changing each year, then your Houston LASIK eye surgery doctor will tell you that you are not a candidate for the procedure no matter what your age is.
After 18, there is no age that is ineligible for Houston LASIK surgery. However, different age groups will need to know varying information. The most common age for LASIK surgery in Houston is between the ages of 21 and 40 years old. People who have the procedure then will be warned that other changes can take place in their eyes after the age of 40 and they may find at the time they will once again need glasses, if only for reading purposes. Houston LASIK surgery corrects the problems in the eyes that are present at the time of the procedure, but it cannot stop the natural maturation and aging process of human vision. There are also some conditions that occur after age 40 that can prohibit someone from having LASIK, including diabetes and hypertension. However, a healthy person past 40 can very well be an excellent LASIK candidate.
People in their 60s also consider LASIK surgery and if they do not suffer from cataracts, a common eye ailment in older people, they may be excellent candidates as well. However, they may also find that if they do have cataracts and have surgery performed to remove them, this can cause the need for LASIK to become obsolete.
Please call us today to find out if you are the perfect candidate for Houston LASIK surgery. It can be a life changing experience and open up a whole new world of visual splendor.
