According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), individuals must be 18 or older to get LASIK surgery. “The age minimum exists because the eyes continue to change and develop until around 18 to 21 years old. Performing LASIK before the eyes have fully matured could lead to vision changes and the need for additional surgery later,” explains Eduardo Besser, M.D., a board-certified ophthalmologist at Angeles Eye Institute in Culver City, California, and a clinical instructor at UCLA Jules Stein Eye Institute.
Dr. Besser says that in addition to age, other important factors for LASIK eligibility include:
- A stable vision prescription for one to two years
- Healthy corneas with sufficient thickness for LASIK
- Refractive errors (nearsightedness, farsightedness or astigmatism) that are treatable with LASIK
- No active eye diseases or infections
- Good health overall
Is There an Age Limit for LASIK Surgery?
There is no maximum age limit for LASIK as long as vision is stable. However, the surgery may not be as effective in older adults due to eye changes that can occur with aging, says Dr. Vadada. For example, presbyopia, an age-related condition that makes it difficult to see things up close, occurs after age 40. LASIK cannot treat presbyopia, but it can correct one eye for distance and the other eye for near viewing (monovision).
Cataracts (clouding of the lens in the eye) that affect vision can disqualify an individual from LASIK. Dry eyes, which tend to be more common after 65, may also make someone a less ideal candidate for LASIK, since the procedure can exacerbate the condition.
