Is it true that LASIK surgeries cannot be done after 40 years of age?

No, not at all. LASIK can be performed at almost any age. [My oldest patient was 91!] What matters after age 40 is its ineffectiveness in treating a visual problem not present until the 40s: presbyopia. LASIK is a corneal procedure which is highly effective for myopia (nearsightedness) and most forms of astigmatism. Presbyopia is a problem of the aging natural lens of the eye that degrades near reading vision. You can have myopia/astigmatism with or without having presbyopia. If you are past your mid 40s or so LASIK will still do a good job improving distance vision but will not help with the presbyopia, i.e. the near vision problem.

_Written by J. Trevor Woodhams, M.D. - Chief of Surgery, Woodhams Eye Clinic