Is LASIK Worth It if You’re Over 40?
Many people start considering LASIK vision correction to improve their quality of life as they approach middle age. However, you may have heard that the candidacy window for this procedure narrows as you get older. Though age could be a factor, there are other eligibility factors to weigh before getting laser eye surgery.
If you’re near or over 40 and thinking about getting LASIK, the first step to making an informed decision is to consult a reputable ophthalmologist to determine if LASIK is best for you. First, however, this post will examine vital issues shaping the debate.
Is LASIK a Good Option for People Over 40?
Typically, you can expect to start noticing changes in your near vision around age 43. The resulting blurriness leads to a frustrating reliance on bifocals or reading glasses for books, menus, phones, or computer screens. This change is the initial symptom of a progressive condition called dysfunctional lens syndrome.
DLS is a three-stage condition affecting the vision of people in their 40s and older. It occurs because your eyes’ lenses degrade with age. Younger people’s lenses can quickly change focus to allow light on the retina at all distances. In your 40s, your lenses will gradually lose flexibility, becoming more rigid and less adaptable. The effect is almost like your eyes get stuck seeing clearly at distances but can’t focus close up without the benefit of readers or progressives. If left untreated, DLS eventually develops into cataracts, which can cause significant vision impairments or loss.
Specific LASIK applications can benefit patients in their 40s. Dr. Brian Will may recommend one of our other advanced vision correction procedures that will give you clearer eyesight at all distances, reducing or eliminating your need for reading glasses or bifocals.
Can LASIK Correct Vision Problems in People Over 40?
Being 40 or older doesn’t disqualify you from getting LASIK and enjoying the benefits. The best LASIK eye surgery candidates are adults with a stable vision prescription for two years. In addition, LASIK patients should have healthy eyes and not have a disease or take medications that hinder the healing process. LASIK eye surgery is not ideal for everyone and is best for those with realistic expectations.
Presbyopia
Presbyopia, commonly known as age-related farsightedness, is another vision change you can expect to experience after reaching your 40s. This eye condition happens when the natural eye lens has difficulty seeing close objects or switching between near and far vision.
Patients with presbyopia may experience a gradual reduction in clear vision and have trouble focusing. Presbyopia continues to worsen with time, forcing you to move objects farther from your eyes to focus or read. Presbyopia also causes blurry close-up vision, drowsiness, and headaches.
While LASIK is excellent for treating farsightedness and nearsightedness related to corneal shape, traditional techniques fail to address vision problems caused by presbyopia.
Monovision LASIK
Some people are well-suited for monovision LASIK, which involves treating one eye for distance and the other for near vision.
To combat presbyopia, Dr. Will will reshape your corneas, adjusting your dominant eye to see distant objects and your non-dominant eye to see near and intermediate distances. Your brain will blend both images to see near and far.
If you are a good candidate for monovision LASIK, you may be able to achieve 20/20 vision for all distances without contact lenses or glasses. Still, you might want to keep using your reading glasses to avoid eye fatigue if you spend long periods doing activities that cause eye strain, such as working at a computer. Monovision LASIK can be an excellent option to reduce prescription eyewear dependency for most day-to-day tasks like reading text menus and checking emails. However, not everyone’s vision will adjust well to this procedure.
Are There Any Age Restrictions for LASIK Eye Surgery?
The only age-related requirement for LASIK vision correction is that patients must be over 18, though we may advise waiting until your mid-20s to get this procedure if we determine your eyes are still changing during a preliminary examination.
Fortunately, LASIK has no age limit for healthy eyes. Dr. Will has successfully treated patients in their 40s, 50s, and 60s. However, there are special considerations when planning laser vision correction for patients over 40 because their eyes will likely change again. For instance, people over 55 can develop cataracts.
Who Should Not Have LASIK Eye Surgery?
LASIK candidacy has three simple requirements:
- Have a stable vision prescription for at least one year
- Have no eye diseases
- Be in good overall health
If age doesn’t disqualify you from LASIK eye surgery, what factors do?
- Eye diseases like cataracts, corneal diseases, glaucoma, keratoconus, amblyopia, and severe dry eye syndrome
- Unstable vision that requires changing prescriptions each year
- Severe nearsightedness or farsightedness
- Very thin corneas
- Medical conditions affecting your vision, like diabetes and autoimmune disorders
- Needing to take wound-healing impairment medications
- Eye infection or injury
- Pregnancy or breastfeeding
Before surgery, LASIK patients who wear soft or hard contact lenses should stop wearing their lenses for one to four weeks to prepare their corneas for surgery.
No matter your age, if you are wondering whether LASIK vision correction might be appropriate to address your vision needs, you owe it to yourself to get accurate information from an eye health professional who can handle your situation and answer all your questions.
Is LASIK Worth the Investment for Those Over 40?
Many patients over 40 ask if LASIK is worth the cost. Of course, the primary factor is the frustration level you experience when wearing contacts or glasses. For many, the convenience and improved quality of life provide an excellent return on investment. Plus, technological advancements have made LASIK more affordable in the past decade.
What Are the Benefits of LASIK for People Over 40?
The ability to say goodbye to contacts, glasses, and the hassle of managing them is the primary reason patients choose LASIK. You’ll clearly see far and near without having to squint or clean smudges off your lenses. It’s a whole new world of flexibility, freedom, and independence.
It’s an option that works in several scenarios, whether you’re a 54-year-old with moderate nearsightedness and mild astigmatism who spends most of the day on a computer, a 47-year-old with excellent distance vision who wants to do day-to-day tasks without relying on reading glasses, a 45-year-old fitness enthusiast with mild nearsightedness who can’t wear contact and is sick of sweaty, fogged-up glasses, or a 56-year-old accountant with moderate nearsightedness who doesn’t want to lose their excellent near vision.
If you don’t like monovision, you can wear glasses or contact lenses to correct the effect or have your undercorrected eyes enhanced with an additional LASIK procedure to have excellent distance vision.
Is LASIK Safe for Patients Over 40?
All surgeries carry risks and potential complications, but LASIK is a safe procedure. Fewer than 1% of LASIK patients experience worse vision, and contact lenses cause three times as many eye inflammation cases each year as LASIK. In addition, LASIK is one of the most studied elective surgeries performed today.
How Effective Is LASIK for Correcting Vision in Older Adults?
LASIK is one of the most sought-after elective procedures in America. Millions of people have chosen to correct their vision with a success rate of over 90%. In addition, LASIK boasts one of the highest post-procedure satisfaction rates, with most people saying they are glad they had it done.
A review of 424 LASIK patients over 40 showed outcomes were mostly similar regardless of age. Still, older patients were slightly more likely to need a repeat treatment or enhancements.
What Should You Know Before Getting LASIK After Age 40?
LASIK can be a life-changing experience. But before having this procedure, you must understand what to expect during and afterward. For example, before choosing a surgeon to operate on your eyes, research their experience and skill level to discover how long they have performed LASIK and the technologies they use to deliver results.
Schedule Your LASIK Consultation Today
LASIK offers an innovative solution for patients over 40 who struggle to see near and far. It helps restore vision without readers, bifocals, or contact lenses. In addition, it can deliver a permanent solution to eyesight challenges and enhance upir quality of life.Call or visit Will Vision and Laser Centers to learn more about LASIK options over age 40. We look forward to helping you enjoy a better quality of life!