Robert T. Lin, MD

I am often approached by people who are so frustrated with the hassle of contacts and glasses that they hastily request to undergo the vision correction procedure. My professional recommendation is for patients to wait until they are at least 21 years old to have any type of laser vision correction. The biggest reason to wait is that vision typically changes considerable during the teen years and even into early adulthood. If you were to have surgery and then experience major changes in your vision, your eyesight may decline significantly and once again end up wearing glasses or contacts.

Another concern that many people have is that they may be too old to have a LASIK procedure. In reality, there is no "maximum age" for this surgery. However, we must first look at your overall well being and the health of your eyes before deciding if you are a good candidate for laser eye correction. Age-related corneal thinning, cataracts and glaucoma may make it difficult or impossible to perform LASIK eye surgery, so always receive a thorough assessment from a eye doctor before determining if this surgery is right for you.

While people from all ages can benefit from laser vision correction, the procedure is only FDA-approved for those over the age of 18. Most experts will recommend waiting until you are at least 21 years old before getting LASIK eye surgery in order to give your eyes time to stabilize. While waiting requires some patience on your part, the rewards will be well worth it.