What is the Best Age to Get LASIK

What Is The Best Age To Get LASIK Eye Surgery?

Lasik Surgery: Is It Right for You?

Forgetting to carry your glasses or the hassles of wearing contact lenses can get inconvenient at times, if not exasperating. In some cases, you might lose out on trying new things and experiences only because you have vision problems. So, what do you do in such a scenario? Today, due to the advancements in technology and medical equipment, you will find a staggering number of people opting for vision correction surgeries like LASIK.

Whether it’s for changing your outward appearance or getting rid of your glasses or contact lenses altogether, LASIK surgery works wonders on your eyes. This corrective procedure can make your vision problems disappear, depending on the extension of correction needed. According to one particular study, over 90 percent of people that undergo LASIK eye surgery can see clearly without their glasses or contact lenses. Although true, other considerations need addressing before opting for this surgery.

To get considered for LASIK eye surgery, you need to meet all the requirements and qualifications of an ideal candidate. They include having good health, a stable eye prescription for at least a year, and the most important one – to not have any eye diseases or infections before the surgery. However, one factor that you cannot prepare for is your age. So, today, we will learn more about the age factor and how it plays a role in the LASIK eye surgery process.

What Is the Best Age to Get Lasik?

Is there such a thing as ‘how young is too young?’ when it comes to LASIK? Well, most eye surgeons do not perform LASIK on patients younger than 18 years of age. Similarly, you might also wonder if there’s an upper age limit to get refractive eye surgery done? As is the case with many other organs of the body, every individual’s eyesight differs. Therefore, the state of the eyes too.

Ideally, LASIK gets performed for those with vision problems. They include myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness), or astigmatism. However, the extent of the eyesight issue determines the ideal age for getting this refractive eye surgery. So, if you think of opting for LASIK in the future, the following details will give you a fair idea of when to go ahead with the surgery.

  • Before 18 Years:

FDA-approved age for LASIK eye surgery happens to be above 18 years. The reason behind eye doctors refraining from performing LASIK on children or teenagers below 18 is that eyesight changes well into adulthood. Moreover, they do not need this refractive eye surgery to perform daily tasks as the vision keeps changing.

  • Ages Between 18-24 Years:

As mentioned before, your eyesight continues to change for a few more years until the age of 24. Therefore, you should wait a few more years. Even your eye surgeon might ask you to wait until the age of 25 before performing the surgery. However, some exceptional cases (military, law enforcement, etc.) might get special consideration.

  • Ages Between 25-40 Years:

According to most eye surgeons, 25-40 years of age is considered an ideal age to get LASIK done. The primary reason behind it is that the prescriptions for your glasses or contact lenses have mostly stabilized. Therefore, making it easier for the doctor to consider your candidature.

  • Ages Between 40-55 Years:

Even if someone had perfect vision all their life, you might find them reaching out for a pair of reading glasses after 40. However, that does not mean that the consideration of your candidature for LASIK will come to a stop. If you’re in good shape and do not smoke, in addition to no history of medical problems, you will get the green light. However, you should know that a family history of corneal disorders, glaucoma, and diabetes are considered medical issues for this age group.

  • Ages 56 Years and Above:

While there isn’t an upper limit on age to get LASIK done, you might have to factor in other aspects that affect your candidacy in terms of this refractive surgery. Most seniors have to deal with cataracts, and that isn’t a good sign if you’re thinking of opting for LASIK. However, if you are 60 but have clear eyesight, you could still get considered for the surgery. Nonetheless, inform your eye surgeon about any medications you might be taking during your consultation.

Remember, only a personal evaluation will help assess your situation concerning vision problems and LASIK. So, speak with your ophthalmologist to determine the likelihood of your candidature for the surgery.

Read More: Benefits and Advantages of LASIK Eye Surgery


Is Lasik Eye Surgery Safe?

The safety and effectiveness of a procedure depend on several factors. You might have to discontinue your candidature for LASIK if the doctor finds any underlying health problems, eye diseases, etc., that could hamper the process. However, given the advanced equipment used for LASIK, the safety of this refractive eye surgery remains at a high. It is one of the safest surgical procedures to be performed on the eyes. It might interest you to know that,

  • The results of LASIK come quickly, and you will notice a difference within a few hours.
  • You can live without your glasses or contact lenses post-surgery.
  • This refractive eye surgery will exceedingly improve your vision.

You should know that the recovery process depends on how well you follow the instructions given by your ophthalmologist.

Read more: How to Choose the Right LASIK Hospital in India for Your Eye Surgery?


CONCLUSION

While age isn’t the only determining factor for your candidature for LASIK eye surgery, it can become a make or break situation depending on the health of your eyes. Other than your age, other aspects such as overall health, family medical history, and a stable prescription remain a few of the most vital factors in LASIK eye surgery candidacy. Therefore, a detailed consultation with your eye surgeon will help you determine whether this procedure is right for you.

Dada Laser Eye Institute’s expert ophthalmologists will guide you through the complete process and explain the risks involved. They will also share their knowledge and expertise and make sure you find it comfortable to go through with LASIK eye surgery. If you wish to know more, you can get in touch with the experts and get proper consultation by giving us a call at (+91) 992 299 5549 or visit our website to fill out a form.

Difference between Relex Smile and Lasik Laser Procedure

Difference Between ReLEx SMILE & LASIK Laser Procedure

ReLEx SMILE and LASIK are the two most commonly used surgeries in the world that are used to treat myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism. Both procedures are painless and bladeless and involve the utilization of lasers for gaining better accuracy and fewer complications.  A survey shows us that almost 92-98% of eye patients are happy with the post-surgery results of ReLEx SMILE. In extremely rare cases of LASIK, the patients have to still continue wearing glasses or contact lenses post-surgery because their eye condition is either over- or under-corrected.

What is LASIK laser surgery?

LASIK stands for Laser-Assisted in Situ Keratomileusis and is one of the most commonly performed eye surgeries in the world. The treatment is used to cure myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism. It is a laser refractive surgery that is used to reform the front part (cornea) of the eye which enables the light to enter and pass through it without the involvement of glasses or contact lenses. LASIK is also a painless method and demands only 15-20 minutes max. to treat both the eyes. A patient can feel the difference soon and vision improvement is imminent and the whole procedure needs only 24 hours to stabilize.

What is ReLEx SMILE?

ReLEx SMILE surgery is one of the most popular and widely used surgeries in the world which is used to cure myopia and astigmatism. SMILE stands for Small incision lenticule extraction and previously, it was known as Femtosecond lenticule extraction (FLEx). The method was pioneered by Carl Zeiss Meditec and the entire process is painless, bladeless, and stitchless. It is at par excellence with traditional eye surgery which utilizes hand-held tools like diamond blades. ReLEx SMILE uses advanced Femtosecond laser for 3D mapping and the process is more accurate and encompasses fewer precautions than the traditional one.

Difference between ReLEx SMILE and LASIK

LASIK requires Flap and ReLEx SMILE is Flapless: In LASIK, an eye surgeon makes a corneal flap with the help of an instrument called microkeratome or with Femtosecond laser. Why flap is required in LASIK? It is because to treat myopia or astigmatism, the eye specialist cannot treat the eyes in its first layer of the cornea because it is very sensitive to external factors. Even a single dust particle is dropped on the 1st layer of cornea, you will feel a burning sensation. They have to go deeper and operate in the internal layers.

With ReLEx SMILE, there is no cut or flap required for the treatment and this treatment method is chosen by those patients who have a fear of having a “cut” in their eyes. The Femtosecond laser makes a small “lenticule”, which is used to treat eye conditions.

Different types of laser used: ReLEx SMILE surgery utilizes a Femtosecond laser developed by Carl Zeiss Meditec and is super accurate for making 3D mapping of the affected eye. On the other hand, LASIK uses Femtosecond laser or different types of excimer lasers.

Different recovery time: The recovery time for ReLEx SMILE surgery is lesser than LASIK because no cut or flap is made during ReLEx SMILE. The total recovery time for ReLEx SMILE is 2-3 hours and the total recovery time for LASIK is 15-30 days. A patient treated with ReLEx can resume their work within a week but the same is not possible for LASIK.

Taking part in outdoor activities: A patient who has been treated with ReLEx SMILE can take part in activities such as cycling, swimming, and exercise just after 2 days post-surgery. But a patient, who has been treated with LASIK will require at least 30 days for taking part in exercises and outdoor activities.

The cost incurred: There is a difference between the cost of LASIK and ReLEx SMILE based on the technology and procedure used in the treatment. Also, it depends upon center to center and the type of laser and accessories used.

So, we came to know that ReLEx SMILE surgery is better than LASIK because ReLEx doesn’t involve any flaps to be made during the surgery and also, ReLEx SMILE procedure’s recovery time is lesser than that of LASIK. A LASIK-patient can take part in outdoor activities after a month, but a ReLEx-patient can resume their work within 2 days, max. The good thing about LASIK is that it is comparatively cheaper than the ReLEx SMILE procedure.

Dada Laser Eye Institute is one of the best eye clinics in India and here, we treat patients with LASIK and ReLEx SMILE according to their choice or preference. Dr, Jeevan Ladi has 25+ years of experience as an ophthalmologist and has been awarded a Gold Medal for his extensive work in laser eye surgery.

laser-treatment

Laser treatment

Need of Laser treatment – When the rays of light entering eye are not able to focus precisely on the retina , it will result in refractive error .

REFRACTIVE SURGERIES :
-they correct myopia , hyperopia or astigmatism .
-these procedures reshape the cornea with excimer laser .

TYPES OF REFRACTIVE SURGERIES :

PHOTO REFRACTIVE KERATECTOMY (PRK )
LASER IN SITU KERATOMILEUSIS(LASIK)
CUSTOMVUE LASIK
RELEX (REFRACTIVE LENTICULE EXTRACTION)

Read more here

Dada Laser Eye Institute