LASIK After 40

Many people dream of waking up without having to fumble around for glasses or hassle with contacts. Urgently searching for your glasses or putting on your contacts can feel frustrating. But older patients may wonder if they can still undergo LASIK after the age of 40.

LASIK eye surgery reshapes the cornea with a laser to improve blurred vision without the need for corrective lenses. LASIK eye surgery can solve many vision problems. It is used to sharpen vision and correct:

• Myopia: Nearsightedness
• Hyperopia: Farsightedness
• Astigmatism: Imperfect Corneal Curvature

At Wicker Park Eye Center in Chicago, IL, Dr. Tepper, Dr. Shah, and Dr. Krassin strive for perfection with the highest standards in eye care. The Wicker Park Eye Center staff is committed to practicing groundbreaking procedures in an environment that feels pleasant and safe.

Candidacy

Being 40 or older doesn’t disqualify you from getting LASIK and enjoying the benefits. The best LASIK eye surgery candidates are adults that have had a stable vision prescription for two years. LASIK eye surgery patients should have healthy eyes and not have a disease or take medications that hinder the healing process. LASIK eye surgery is not suited for everyone and is best suited for those with realistic expectations.

Presbyopia

At age 40, vision is likely to change due to the onset of presbyopia. Presbyopia is commonly referred to as age-related farsightedness. This eye condition happens when the natural lens of the eye 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. Presbyopia may lead to:

• Blurred, close-up vision
• Needing to move objects farther away from face to focus
• Frontal headaches
• Drowsiness

While LASIK can be used to treat nearsighted and farsightedness related to corneal shape, traditional techniques won’t address vision problems caused by presbyopia.

Monovision LASIK

To combat presbyopia, some patients over 40 choose monovision LASIK eye surgery. Dr. Tepper will reshape the cornea so that one eye is used to see near objects and the other eye is shaped to see distant objects.

• The dominant eye will be adjusted for distant vision.
• The non-dominant eye will be adjusted for near and intermediate distances.
• The brain blends these two images together to see both near and far.

Advantages of Monovision LASIK

• Get rid of regularly wearing glasses or contact lenses
• Possible 20/20 vision at all distances

Disadvantages of Monovision LASIK

• Patients should try treatment first with contacts to see if they like the results
• Some patients don’t adjust well to having one eye used for distant vision and the other for near vision

Contact Our LASIK Specialists in Chicago Today

Your ability to see clearly should never be compromised. Thanks to modern technology, it doesn’t have to be, even after your 40th birthday. Contact us or schedule an appointment online to ask a question.