Am I Too Old for LASIK?

If you’re daydreaming of a life with reduced reliance on eyeglasses and contact lenses, laser vision correction offers a great solution. But are you too old for LASIK?

There is no age at which your LASIK doctor might say, “Sorry, you’re over the legal age limit to have LASIK,” or “You better hurry up and have LASIK before your next birthday!” However, if you’re considering LASIK, you’ll want to make sure you’re making the right decision about correcting your vision.

At 20/20 Institute, we hear questions about what is the ideal age for LASIK all the time. We’re here to help you explore your vision correction choices, consider the benefits and limitations of each option, and select the solution that will produce the most reliable results for you.

How Do You Know If You’re a LASIK Candidate?

You must be at least 18 to have LASIK eye surgery. There is no upper age limit for LASIK. However, while you can’t be too old for LASIK, some factors will still impact candidacy. These include:

• Prescription Stability. Has your prescription been steady for at least a year or two?
• Systemic Health: Are you generally healthy? Do you have any systemic health conditions like autoimmune diseases or diabetes? 
• Corneal Health. Is your cornea healthy, thick enough, and free of significant irregularities?
• Overall Eye Health. Do you have healthy eyes? Are you free of advancing cataracts or uncontrolled glaucoma?

If you check these boxes, your age might be nothing but a number. That said, if your eyes need a different approach, we’ll let you know which LASIK alternatives might be a better fit.

At 20/20 Institute, we go beyond basic LASIK candidacy screening, taking time to conduct comprehensive evaluations using techniques and technology that allow us to ensure LASIK is the best choice. Our primary interest is you achieving the best outcomes. This approach has resulted in 99.67% of our LASIK patients achieving 20/20 vision or better*. During your cost- and obligation-free consultation, we will be happy to answer any questions you might have about our LASIK candidacy screening process.

Schedule a FREE LASIK Evaluation in Denver or Colorado Springs

To schedule your FREE LASIK evaluation at our Westminster, LoDo, DTC, or Colorado Springs office, call 20/20 Institute at 303-202-0669 today. We use advanced diagnostic tools and techniques to determine LASIK candidacy, helping to ensure each of our patients receives the best treatment for their needs.

How Does Age Affect LASIK Candidacy?

There’s a lens inside the eye responsible for about one-third of its focusing power. That lens is There’s a natural lens inside the eye responsible for about one-third of its focusing power. That lens is responsible for what eye doctors call “accommodation”—the ability to focus at different distances. The eye’s lens undergoes aging changes for all people throughout life. While this change won’t make you too old for LASIK, it could impact your results. For some folks, this means another surgical vision correction option will produce better results.

Conceivably, a 64-year-old grandfather isn’t too old for LASIK if he’s in generally good health, is free of eye disease, and has a stable prescription. His 23-year-old granddaughter who has a corneal condition known as keratoconus, on the other hand, is not a good candidate and would need to pursue other treatment options.

When you come in for your complimentary consultation, the LASIK doctors at the 20/20 Institute evaluate your entire visual system. You need to have good eye and general health for the best results from your LASIK procedure.

Milestones of The Eye and Their Impact on LASIK

Late Teens to Early Twenties: Ocular Maturity 

Growing up, our eyes grow just like our body does. These changes to the eye can affect a person’s vision. Most people who wear glasses or contacts got their first pair in school. Their prescription probably changed as their eyes changed (sometimes more, sometimes less), until things settled down in their late teens or early twenties.

Impact on LASIK: Having a stable prescription before undergoing any form of custom LASIK at 20/20 Institute can help ensure longer-lasting results. If your eyes are still changing rapidly, it might be best to wait until they settle down so you can make the most of your procedure.

22-40 Years Old

Customarily, this is the age range where our eyes have fully matured, and they tend to be the most stable, and a person’s eyeglass prescription changes the least. 

Impact on LASIK: This is the most popular age bracket for patients to have LASIK. These days, thirty years old is the average age of a LASIK patient. 

40s and 50s: Presbyopia

One of the least enjoyable parts of being 40 or older is that our up-close vision changes no matter what our history has been. This happens because of changes inside the eye that reduce the lens’s flexibility and reduce our ability to see things clearly. This condition is known as presbyopia.

Impact on LASIK: If you opt for LASIK in your 40s or beyond, we’ll discuss options like monovision LASIK. With monovision, one eye is corrected more for distance and the other more for near vision. Our doctors will help you decide if that’s a good fit for your lifestyle so you know exactly what to expect.

Early 60s and Older: Clarity Changes in the Lens

By the time you reach your early 60s, you may notice advancing changes to the natural lens of the eye, which is the beginning of cataracts that may be starting to cloud your vision. These changes happen slower for some, faster for others, and not significantly at all for a lucky few. Factors such as diet, tobacco use, UV exposure, genetics, and other things play a role in the development and progression of cataracts.

Impact on LASIK: If cataracts have progressed enough to blur your vision, LASIK will not be the best solution. Instead, our doctors may suggest modern cataract surgery options or RLE, which can offer similar results to LASIK in some cases. Either way, we’ll talk with you about the rate of cataract progression, explain all of your options, and help you decide on the best path forward.

Remember, because there is no upper age limit, you’re never too old for LASIK. However, every eye, like every person, is unique. The best way to learn if you are a good candidate is through a one-on-one evaluation with an experienced LASIK doctor.

The Extraordinary Patient Experience at 20/20 Institute

At 20/20 Institute, we love what we do. Our doctors and LASIK care team focus on personal connections, transparency, and making sure you get the information you need without all the confusing (and unnecessary) medical jargon. Our extraordinary patient experience, which we call LASIKelevated, is distinguished by our:

Professionalism

We’re big on Ethics, Efficacy, Education, and Empathy at 20/20 Institute. It’s your vision. We are not driven by procedure volumes or sales quotas. We’ll never push you towards a procedure when you’re a borderline candidate or pressure you to move forward too quickly if the timing doesn’t feel right to you. Instead, our doctors’ conservative candidacy criteria mean that they determine your candidacy for these elective medical procedures with an unwavering commitment to their oath: “Do no harm”. We’ll take the time to transparently share your best medical options with you—even if that means not proceeding with any of the surgical vision corrections we offer.

We are the only LASIK provider in the Rocky Mountain region that chooses to publicly post its surgical outcome results right on its website, for the entire world to see. At 20/20 Institute, 99.67% of our LASIK patients have achieved 20/20 vision or better*.

Personalized Time and Attention 

You Can Feel From your first phone call to your no-wait office visits, we want you to feel relaxed and cared for. We encourage your questions throughout the process and take every care to make sure you have the complete information you need. 

Your LASIK care team—which includes a personally assigned patient counselor—is genuinely passionate about assisting you to see your world more clearly. Your personal patient counselor will be your advocate throughout your entire time with us. Whether we’re double checking your measurements or walking through your best scheduling and financing options. Your 20/20 Institute patient counselor’s number one priority is making you feel comfortable, confident, cared for, and heard.

On procedure day, you’ll be provided with direct access to our doctor’s cell phone, providing you with continued 24/7/365 access and support.

Upfront Pricing Backed by Our Best Price Guarantee

Have you ever felt blindsided by unexpected charges? Not here, you will receive your price for LASIK during your very first phone call with us.. We are upfront about the costs associated with each procedure, your financing choices, and what’s included in your plan, such as future refinements and follow-up care. If you are given a lower price for LASIK by another practice with similar technology, we will match their terms and pricing. That’s our Best Price Guarantee.

At 20/20 Institute,  each person who walks through our doors is a valuable individual with hopes and dreams we’d like to help fulfill. Our doctors and staff work collaboratively to ensure that, no matter which procedure is right for you, we deliver the most exceptional patient experience from start to finish, bar none.

Check out our numerous 5-star reviews.

Ready to Find Out If LASIK Is Right for You?

You deserve to know all of your choices before deciding on vision correction surgery. If you’re in Colorado Springs, Denver, or anywhere else in Colorado, let 20/20 Institute help. Contact us online or call us at 303-202-0669 to schedule a FREE LASIK evaluation at our Westminster, Downtown Denver, Englewood, or Colorado Springs office today.