Lasik Austin
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Age and LASIK: Are you Too Old?
LASIK eye surgery, the process of lifting a corneal flap to reshape the tissue beneath in order to improve eye sight is something that excites a large percentage of the population in this country and beyond. However, not all patients with poor eyesight will make ideal candidates for the procedure. Age can be a determining factor in whether or not an individual is considered for the surgery. Both the young and old can be turned away.
LASIK in Youth Eighteen is considered the minimum age for [href="www.hillcountryeyecenter.com Lasik Austin]. The reason for this is because of the changes the eyes go through early in life. The prescription that an individual requires in contact lenses or glasses will frequently change several times early in life, but then will settle out in the late teens or early twenties. Having the procedure done before the prescription has been deemed stable will likely result in a poor outcome or a great outcome that only lasts a short period of time. Most professionals will recommend that a patient wait until the prescription has been stable for at least two years before considering the surgical corrections. Also, in the earlier years, it might be preferential to consider one of the other similar corrective procedures such as PRK, LASEK, or Epi-Lasik. This is a topic that should be discussed with the ophthalmologist.
Middle Aged Patients Around the time a person turns forty years old, the natural lens of the eye has changed, making it more difficult for it to focus between distances. Called presbyopia, this is a result of the loss of flexibility in the lens. This causes difficulty for the eye, making it challenging for the person to look for something that is far away and then to something nearby without blurring. As a result, the corrective surgery to correct vision at one distance could make vision at another worse. Presbyopia has no cure at present time, but surgical procedures or contact lenses can make it possible to work around it. Though, to surgically correct the problem, after being made worse by an initial surgery comes with another set of risks.
Older Generations When more years have passed and a person nears the age of sixty, other changes can take place. A longer list of eye conditions and diseases will be consider more likely. Cataracts, for instance, are very common in people in their sixties. Even though they may not be immediately evident, the start of cataracts is a sign that one should seriously consider whether or not it is worth having Lasik surgery performed on his or her eyes. As the cataracts get worse, they will likely need to be removed surgically. It may be better to wait until that time to address vision issues. Much of the problem with myopia or hyperopia will generally be corrected during the cataract removal anyway. So, while a person might not be told he or she is ?too old? for LASIK, age is a factor in weighing the pros and cons of the corrective procedure.
Hill Country Eye Center 12171 W Parmer Lane, Ste 201, Cedar Park, TX 78613 (512) 528-1144 ?
