Am I too old for Laser Eye Surgery?

One of the most common questions about getting Lasik treatment is - am I too old for Lasik?

In order to decide if you are an ideal candidate for Lasik / Laser Eye Surgery, it tends to be the conditions that exclude you that are first looked at. Most people are candidates for Lasik, and quite often, suitability tester web widgets are designed to get as much interest in the product as possible.

Conditions that may exclude you from having Laser Eye Surgery may include:

• Cataracts
• Glaucoma
• Whether your lens prescription has changed in the last couple of years

It is important to understand that the eyes are always deteriorating. Lasik can improve deteriorating eyesight momentarily, but the eyes will continue to deteriorate regardless over the years.

Presbyopia is a normal age related deterioration of vision, and Lasik is not used to specifically cure it. Lens replacements are now common in the form of IOL treatment, whereby the lens is completely replaced with an artificial one. This is now proving a very popular treatment in the elderly.

Whatever you might read, Lasik is open to most, clinics vary in their criteria for who is suitable. As we always recommend on this blog. Shop around, never commit to one Laser Eye Clinic, just because it is in your neighbourhood, or your best friend went there - see what is out there.

If you don't believe it is for everyone, William Shatner had the treatment done recently by Robert Maloney MD at the Maloney Vision Institute - at the bright age of 80!

William Shatner treated with Lasik at the Maloney Vision Institute

Lasik, The Final Frontier?

William Shatner requires little introduction. His iconic role as James T. Kirk in the Star Trek television series and the subsequent movies, compounded by his role as T.J. Hooker in the 80s cops series have made him a legend to all. As well as acting, he is also a musician, recording artist and active in charity work.

William [or Captain Kirk as you trekkies would like to call him], is now at the impressive age of 80 and looking very good for it too. Whilst being immortal on screen, he, like us all, has suffered from deteriorating eyesight over the years.

He has now been treated at by Robert K. Maloney MD at the Maloney Vision Institute in Los Angeles using the  Lasik procedure. He quotes Dr Maloney as being "One of the finest".

Dr. Maloney appeared frequently on television as the exclusive LASIK surgeon for the ABC hit series Extreme Makeover. He has also treated stars such as Dennis Quaid, Cindy Crawford, Kristin Cavallari, Henri Simmons, and the Fonz - Henry Winkler.

We would like to congratulate William on his new found eyesight, and hope he can still continue to go where no man has gone before. A fine testament to the capabilities of Lasik, even for patients at the age of 80.

I wonder if Dr Maloney said, "Set phasers to stun" before treating him. He must be a Star Trek fan himself - we would like to think so.