Can a 16 year old get lasik eye surgery?

Question

I wanted to get lasik eye surgery when I turn 16 because I keep losing my contacts or am in to much of a rush to put them in.

I plan on paying for it myself.

But i'm unsure if I would be able to get it.

I am basically fully grown physically

If so would my mom need to sign a waiver?

Answer 1

I've never heard of there being an age limit, but I will make one suggestion.

Definitely talk to your doctor. The last time I saw mine, without even asking about it I was told that I am *not yet* a candidate for it because my vision has not stopped changing. Supposedly if you get it done before it does, it will just keep changing and you will have wasted that much money. Too many people are not told that.

Answer 2

i think you are supposed to wait  a little later becuase your prescription might still be changing

Answer 3

I think you have to be in your 20's just because up until that age range your eye sight is still changing.

Answer 4

They want you to wait until your atleast 18 and sometimes older. They want to make sure you stop growing before they make a permanant change in your eyes.

Answer 5

no that is way too young, your eyes will keep changing for a long time. You need too have a stable prescription for over five years before it makes sense to do lasik

Answer 6

No, you cannot. You're eyes arent developed enough to handle it.

Answer 7

I am 24 years old and I have had to change my prescription 4 time since I started wearing contacts.  Your eyesight can change up into your 40's, which means, if you have lasik surgery to correct your current vision, what happens when your vision changes yet again?  Another lasik procedure?  I can't imagine you would find a Opthamologist that would be willing to do the surgery on such a young patient.  Just cuz your body is full grown doesn't mean it stops changing.

Answer 8

im 15 and i asked to get that done to my eyes

and the eye doctor said its best to wate till your eyes quit growing [about age 20-25]

Answer 9

It is not that easy. As and adolescent/ teenager, the eyes are constantly changing, many times until you are about 18-20, and if you are to have the surgery done, your eyes will change and 6 months after the surgery (when you are still using the drops) you will have to have it reversed. That is no fun, and very expensive, as well as a risk to your visual health

Answer 10

Hello

You must be 18 or old.  They will not let you do it if your a minor even with parents permission.

Answer 11

This is what happened to me. When I was 24 I noticed I was seeing spots in my right eye. After a month or so, the spots turned into complete blackness. I couldn'tsee anything in the inner corner of my right eye. I went to a doctor and he told me that I had a detaching retina. I already lost 30% of my vision and would continue to lose it without immediate surgery. I asked him how this happened, and he said that b/c I am nearsighted, I ran a greater risk of it happening. When you have bad vision, something in your eye has to work harder- and sometimes forgets to do its job. The point of this is at that point, I asked him that if I had gotten lasik beforehand (which I had wanted to do), would I have prevented this problem? Because then I wouldn't have been nearsighted. This is what killed me- he said that it would have INCREASED my chances of that happening! Can you imagine plopping down $6k or so for that surgery only for that to happen and lose your vision?

Don't get it done. You are too young and even though lasik has been around for a while, you hold the advantage of seeing what developments and breakthroughs are still to come. I know it sucks- I had glasses at age 9 and contacts from 13 to present (26). No matter what, it's better than having no vision at all!