Many patients over the age of 50 have LASIK surgery with excellent results! However, LASIK will not prevent presbyopia, and will create the need for reading glasses post operatively. Patients that are nearsighted (see well up close without glasses) tend to be most impacted by this.
You are never too old to have vision correction surgery
Many patients choose to have treatment to free them up for travel or outdoor exercise once they retire.
3% of patients have serious problems after LASIK, such as dry eyes or infection. 90% of LASIK patients experience 20/20 vision after surgery. Furthermore, 99% of patients achieve 20/40 vision. Only 3% of patients regret getting LASIK.
For patients older than 40 years and for those with severe refractive error or abnormal corneas, RLE may be a more viable option. Especially for patients with presbyopia or hyperopia, RLE with an advanced technology IOL may be the preferred approach to surgical refractive correction.
Patients with autoimmune diseases are not good candidates for laser eye surgery. Many autoimmune conditions cause dry eye syndrome. A dry eye may not heal well and has a higher risk of post-surgery infection. Other conditions such as diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, glaucoma or cataracts often affect results.
Certain health conditions can increase the risks associated with LASIK surgery or make the outcome less predictable. Doctors may not recommend laser refractive surgery for you if you have certain conditions, including: Autoimmune disorders, such as rheumatoid arthritis.
Side effects of laser eye surgery and lens surgery
light scatter side effects including glare, halos, floaters, starbursts and ghost images. blurred vision. sore eyes – the symptoms may be similar to dry eyes. red blotches on the white of your eye.
How Old is Too Old for LASIK? Surgeons at The Eye Institute of Utah have performed LASIK on patients in their 50's and beyond. While there is no cutoff age for LASIK candidacy, there are several reasons why the average age of LASIK patients tops out around 45: The risk of developing cataracts increases as we age.
LASIK for older people is not always the best option to correct vision problems. The eyes tend to be their healthiest from the time we are 19 to around 40. After 40, changes in the eye could no longer make you an ideal candidate for LASIK eye surgery. Fortunately, LASIK is not the only treatment for aging eyesight.
When it comes to non-invasive, topical treatments, retinoid products are your best line of defense when it comes to slowing the formation of under-eye wrinkles. By combating the thinning of the skin, retinoids help smooth fine lines and alleviate crepiness, Youn says.
Understand That Outcomes Vary. LASIK isn't a one-size-fits-all miracle cure. Everyone's eyes are unique, and factors like the thickness of your cornea, the degree of your refractive error and your body's healing response can influence the outcome. It's vital to temper expectations with these individual variances.
Patients considering Lasik surgery should be warned that they may be left with double vision, dry eyes, difficulty driving at night and, in rare cases, persistent eye pain, according to draft guidance by the Food and Drug Administration. After surgery, patients may still need eyeglasses, the document warns.
While it's true that LASIK is more expensive upfront than glasses or contact lenses would be, you'll also be saving money on the glasses or contacts you'd be buying otherwise. You're likely paying for a new pair of glasses or year's supply of contact lenses each and every year.
You have age-related eye changes that affect your ability to focus up close, called presbyopia. You actively participate in contact sports. If you regularly receive blows to the face and eyes, such as during martial arts or boxing, LASIK surgery may not be a good choice for you.
Most patients who choose Monovision are satisfied with both near and far vision without glasses. Alternatively, about 15% of Monovision patients notice certain tradeoffs, including difficulty with high performance sports or night driving, or with intricate close work.
Within a few hours, your vision will become a lot clearer and you can usually drive after just 24-hours. Of course, it takes a bit longer for the eye to fully heal following surgery, usually 6 months. And all during this time, you should expect your vision to continue to improve.
Refractive Lensectomy has grown increasingly popular for patients over the age of 50, and who are experiencing presbyopia or extreme farsightedness. Over time, the natural lens in our eye will start to become less clear.
On average, LASIK costs between $1999 and $4000 per eye. As you can see, this is quite a price range. Let's discuss each cost factor in detail.
In summary, it is your health, not your age, that is the best-determining factor of your suitability for Laser Eye Surgery.
If you're over 50, but have little to no signs of cataracts developing, you may be a candidate for LASIK. In fact, corneas strengthen with time, so in some ways, patients in their 50s are at less risk than patients in their teens and 20s!
You have a disease or are on medications that may affect wound healing. Certain conditions, such as autoimmune diseases (e.g., lupus, rheumatoid arthritis), immunodeficiency states (e.g., HIV) and diabetes, and some medications (e.g., retinoic acid and steroids) may prevent proper healing after a refractive procedure.
Typically, laser eye surgery itself does not hurt. You may feel pressure in your eye at certain points during the procedure, but you shouldn't feel pain. This is because we use anaesthetic eye drops to numb your eyes. If you are feeling particularly anxious about the procedure, we can also give you a sedative.
PRK. PRK is one of the earliest forms of laser eye surgery and remains a valuable alternative to LASIK. In this procedure, the outer layer of the cornea is completely removed, allowing direct reshaping of the underlying corneal tissue with a laser.
LASIK Statistics to Know
Various reported studies report the LASIK percent success rate is at least 96%. The American refractive surgery council reports an even higher 99% of successful Lasik eye surgery.
The answer is yes, during most laser eye surgeries, you will be awake but your eye will be numbed with anaesthetic drops. This means that you will be conscious and aware of what is happening around you, but you should be unable to feel any pain or discomfort during the procedure.