When to have LASIK

[Anonymous]

Had it done at 26 (eight years ago), best money I've ever spent. Honestly, it won't bother me if/when I need reading glasses - I'm living my life now, and for years now, with no glasses. As someone who'd had glasses since the first grade, it's so worth it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:can you get cataract surgery after you've had lasik?

to the pp who says her 60 year old grandmother had it done 20 years ago... that doesn't disprove my point (I posted earlier that I would wait til the surgery has been more time-tested. Which I suppose really means I probably won't get it in my lifetime. But by the time my kids are 30, the answers should be more clear.) I don't think there are many people who are 60 now who had it done in their mid-20s! I am guessing they will have extra complications as their eyes age. Though of course I hope that is not the case.

I'm 21:02 (and not an eye doctor). This did come up in my discussion with my opth. about lasik and the age 60 cut-off. She did say that it makes treatment for cataracts more difficult so would be very reluctant to do it on me (I'm younger but with a history of glaucoma in the family). She said some doctors cut off doing lasik on patients at age 60; some at 55. It varies from practice group to practice group. This was all news to me so I thought I should post.

[Anonymous]

Regarding the age cutoff: if LASIK makes treating cataracts and/or glaucoma more difficult, wouldn't that be true regardless of whether the patient has the surgery at age 25 or 55?

Is it just a risk/benefit analysis? Benefit from surgery at 25 = 30+ years of good vision before worrying about treating the other issues, vs. little payoff before the glaucoma for an older person?

Do the same concerns apply to other corrective surgeries, like PRK?