Can You Be Too Old for LASIK?

The short answer to the question, “Can you be too old for LASIK?” is: No. 

A person cannot be too old to have a LASIK procedure – there is no maximum age at which LASIK is no longer effective. However, the condition of your eyes may prohibit you from being a good LASIK candidate, regardless of your age.

The hard truth is that your eyes are continually changing as you grow older. There are a couple of eyesight conditions that begin to occur for most people that cannot be corrected by LASIK surgery:

• Presbyopia, when you lose the ability to see up-close without reading glasses. This typically starts in your 40s

• Cataracts, when the eye lenses become more opaque. This starts slowly and can gradually become quite difficult to live with in our 60s and beyond. Cataract surgery replaces the impaired lenses with artificial ones, and refractive errors can also be corrected at the same time.

There is a small segment of society that does not experience significant changes in their vision over time. In those cases, it is possible for a person of advanced age, who has good overall health and generally healthy eyes with stable vision, to have a LASIK procedure to correct a refractive error such as nearsightedness, farsightedness or astigmatism.

Why not find out if you can enjoy the rest of your life with 20/20 vision? You’ve got nothing to lose and clear sight to gain. 

The only way to truly determine if you are a candidate for LASIK is to schedule a LASIK Evaluation with a respected practice like Spivack Western Slope. Call 970-945-2020 to schedule your Evaluation today.

How Much Does LASIK Cost?

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a long list of lasers that are used for LASIK. While the FDA has the power to regulate the sale of medical devices in the United States, approving only those that are deemed reasonably safe and effective, the power stops there. The FDA does not have the power to regulate how doctors manage or market their LASIK practices, including how much doctors charge for LASIK eye surgery.

The average cost of LASIK surgery ranges from approximately $1,600 per eye for non-customized LASIK to $2,500 per eye for customized wavefront-guided procedures. These are just average costs; variables that can affect the bottom line may include:

•  Pre-operative testing
• Equipment for eye tracking, corneal measurement and topography, pupil size and tear film analysis
• Surgery equipment, such as traditional blade LASIK or laser
• Whether the office owns or leases the laser technology

You may have heard some LASIK centers offering incredibly low prices on LASIK, such as $499 per eye. While this sounds great, these low prices are usually a ploy to get you into the center where, upon further examination, you discover the fine print:

• You may not be a candidate for the super low pricing because your eye prescription is too strong (meaning you need a correction greater than 1.25 diopters).
• The center may also be using much older, and not as precise or effective, technology.
• You may be “nickel and dimed” for small costs that are typically included in the overall LASIK fee.

When you are researching LASIK centers, make sure you are comparing apples-to-apples. You want to ensure that the surgeon you choose has the proper training, plenty of experience, offers the latest state-of-the-art technologies and is up-front with all of the costs for your procedure. Quality surgeons will also openly discuss the advantages and potential risks of LASIK and will only approve patients for LASIK after a full evaluation.

Your eyesight is not something you want to gamble on; saving money is good, but don’t let price be the only determining factor in your LASIK surgeon choice.

Spivack Western Slope offers FREE LASIK Evaluations. Contact us today at 970-945-2020.

Got the “Luck ‘o the Irish” When it Comes to Your Eyesight?

If you look up the origin of the saying, “Luck of the Irish,” you’ll find that most people use it to mean you are actually lucky. Ironically, Irish history states that the Irish often had bad luck. 

Regardless of how you might use that popular Irish saying, let’s take a moment to think about luck when it comes to your vision. Let’s face it, some people are just born with great genes and perfectly shaped corneas, while others have refractive errors that lead to problems with how the eye focuses light. You may have:   

·         Corneas that are longer and steeper than normal, resulting in nearsightedness (or myopia) where close objects are seen clearly and far away objects are blurry

·         Corneas that are shorter and flatter than normal, resulting in farsightedness (or hyperopia) where far away objects are seen clearly and close objects are blurry

·         Corneas that are football-shaped instead of round-shaped, resulting in astigmatism where you may have some degree of blurred vision at all distances

·         Eye lenses that become stiffened over time, making it harder to focus properly, especially up-close, resulting in presbyopia

No, it’s not fair. But there is a way to combat what Mother Nature gave you: LASIK Surgery. Not everyone is a good candidate for LASIK; however, if you have the right eye health and corneal thickness, your corneal shape might be corrected through this procedure. LASIK can correct nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism. A LASIK process called Blended Vision is sometimes used to correct presbyopia, by correcting one eye for near vision and one eye for far vision to eliminate the need for reading glasses.

There is no need to be miserable with your eyesight – especially when LASIK financing exists to help you afford this amazing procedure. Even if LASIK isn’t right for your eyes, there may be other vision procedures that can be done to produce the results you desire.

So, Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Let Spivack Western Slope help you get the good “Luck of the Irish” in regard to your vision. Go ahead and enjoy yourself on March 17, then call us to schedule your free LASIK Consultation so we can discuss your unique situation. 

Daylight Savings is Coming Soon – Get Your Eyes Ready for Spring

Daylight Savings this year is Sunday, March 10, 2013. That means the start of longer days, more sunshine, warmer temperatures and spring just around the corner (in fact, only 10 days after we “spring forward!”). This also means the start of spending more time outdoors enjoying the activities you love.  

If your glasses or contacts hinder your outdoor fun, and you’ve been considering treating yourself to LASIK to improve your natural vision, now is the perfect time to explore your options.

By scheduling a LASIK consultation now, you can find out if your eye health and corneal thickness is right for this procedure – and if it might give you 20/20 vision. Picture yourself camping, bicycling, hiking, swimming or just enjoying a barbeque with friends – without those annoying plastic covers on your eyeballs or heavy frames sliding down your nose.

Once you are given the green light for LASIK, learn all about the risks and rewards and locate a surgeon with which you feel 100% confident, you’ll be amazed at how quick the LASIK process really is. In fact, most people see improvements in their vision immediately after the procedure (which only takes a few minutes per eye).

At Spivack Western Slope , we’re excited that Daylight Savings Time is coming and we’re ready to help you see your way through spring and summer (and beyond!) more clearly. Contact us today to schedule your free LASIK consultation. 

Daylight Savings is Coming Soon – Get Your Eyes Ready for Spring

Daylight Savings this year is Sunday, March 10, 2013. That means the start of longer days, more sunshine, warmer temperatures and spring just around the corner (in fact, only 10 days after we “spring forward!”). This also means the start of spending more time outdoors enjoying the activities you love.  

If your glasses or contacts hinder your outdoor fun, and you've been considering treating yourself to LASIK to improve your natural vision, now is the perfect time to explore your options.

By scheduling a LASIK consultation now, you can find out if your eye health and corneal thickness is right for this procedure – and if it might give you 20/20 vision. Picture yourself camping, bicycling, hiking, swimming or just enjoying a barbeque with friends – without those annoying plastic covers on your eyeballs or heavy frames sliding down your nose.

Once you are given the green light for LASIK, learn all about the risks and rewards and locate a surgeon with which you feel 100% confident, you’ll be amazed at how quick the LASIK process really is. In fact, most people see improvements in their vision immediately after the procedure (which only takes a few minutes per eye).

At Spivack Western Slope, we’re excited that Daylight Savings Time is coming and we’re ready to help you see your way through spring and summer (and beyond!) more clearly. Contact us today to schedule your free LASIK consultation. Call 970-945-2020.