Age Limit for Lasik?

There is no formal age limit for LASIK. If your vision is correctable with glasses or contact lenses to 20/15 or 20/20 levels AND you don't have even early signs of a cataract then LASIK is a reasonable option. If, however, you have an early cataract, even if the vision is still 20/20, I would encourage you to not have a laser vision procedure and instead wait for cataract surgery. If you have LASIK before having cataract surgery it is notorious for making our future cataract surgery calculations less precise and predictable. The other reason for choosing cataract surgery instead of LASIK is that with our new premium cataract surgery lenses (accommodating and multifocal lenses) we can restore your ability to focus in the distance, intermediate and at near without needing glasses ... with LASIK we can only give you one of those distances and you would need to wear glasses for the others (this only applies to older patients who have presbyopia).

If you have stable, healthy vision and are interested in reducing your dependence on glasses for distance vision then LASIK is an excellent option for you.  Many of my patients are in their 50s when they have LASIK and are very happy with their decision.  

Our eyes do change as we age, of course, and so laser vision treatments also change. Younger patients will find that laser vision surgery may eliminate the need for glasses all together. Patients in their 40s and older, however, will discover they still need readers after surgery unless they have monovision or near vision surgery. Monovision corrects one eye for distance and one eye for near.  The brain adapts and believes that it is seeing both distances with both eyes.  Before deciding if monovision is a good choice for you, speak with your surgeon about your options.

Whether laser vision correction is appropriate for you or not depends less on your age and more on what your desired outcome is.  Schedule a consult with a local surgeon to find our what choices are available for you.