Why Eye Surgery Is Becoming More Common in Older Adults

As we age, our vision changes. From cataracts to presbyopia, older adults often struggle with day-to-day activities, like reading, driving, and staying active. Your ability to see clearly impacts everything, and it can cost you your independence.

Fortunately, modern eye surgeries are making it easier and safer to restore healthy vision later in life. With advanced technologies, faster healing, and less risk, laser eye surgeries are becoming a natural choice for adults in their 50s, 60s, and beyond. Clearview Vision Institute is proud to offer many of those groundbreaking technologies to our older patients.

Why Your Vision Changes With Age

We’re all familiar with many of the ways that our bodies change as we age. Grey hairs, achy joints, and laugh lines are just the tip of the iceberg! Our eyes (and vision) are not spared from the onslaught of time.

All older adults experience vision-related changes to some degree. These changes can be minor, like finding it difficult to read small print, taking longer to adjust from light to dark, and increased sensitivity to glare from sunlight.

However, your vision can also shift in severe ways, affecting your ability to live independently or threatening your vision altogether. Some older adults lose their depth perception, struggle to see contrast and colour, or develop serious eye health issues like glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration. Others can lose their vision completely.

One of the main reasons behind age-related vision changes is that the shape of your eyes changes. The lens of the eye becomes less flexible and thicker, so it doesn’t focus light as effectively. Your cornea also changes, becoming less curved, and bends light incorrectly. As a result, the eye has difficulty focusing on nearby objects. In older adults, this condition is called presbyopia. It’s why many people over the age of 40 need to use reading glasses.

Aging also introduces increased risk for age-related eye conditions and diseases, such as cataracts. These are cloudy areas that form in the lens of the eye, resulting in blurred, cloudy, or yellowed vision. Macular degeneration is another condition that can affect older adults. In this case, part of the retina becomes damaged, causing vision loss or blindness without treatment.

Symptoms of Age-Related Vision Changes

• Nearby objects start to appear blurry
• Difficulty reading small print
• Your eyes take longer to adjust from bright to dark
• More sensitivity to glare
• Loss of depth perception
• Vision becomes cloudy, blurry, or yellowed
• Seeing spots
• Dry or watery eyes

Eye Health Diseases and Conditions

• Presbyopia
• Cataracts
• Glaucoma
• Age-related macular degeneration
• Diabetic retinopathy

How Eye Surgery Supports Vision Health Later in Life

Eye surgery is playing a growing role in how adults maintain their independence, safety, and overall quality of life as they age. In the past, many seniors avoided surgery due to concerns about recovery time, side effects, or the technology itself. This is no longer the case.

Modern advancements in laser eye surgery have made these procedures safer and more effective than ever before. The use of femtosecond lasers has eradicated the need for hand-held blades, leading to a reduced risk of complications, greater comfort, and more precise results. Patients also enjoy faster, smoother recoveries.

As people live longer, maintaining clear, healthy vision later in life becomes a necessity. Laser eye surgery supports your independence, lets you stay active, and keeps you safe by reducing fall risks. It’s no wonder that, increasingly, more seniors are embracing laser eye surgery!

Popular Eye Surgeries for Older Adults

There are several options for older adults looking to restore clear, sharp, and healthy vision.

LASIK Vision Correction Surgery

LASIK is a safe and effective laser eye surgery for seniors. At the Clearview Vision Institute, we offer an advanced form of LASIK called Custom Bladeless. Unlike traditional LASIK, we use a femtosecond laser to create an incredibly thin corneal flap, which dramatically reduces the risk of flap-related complications. For instance, you’re less likely to develop dry eyes (and your eyes will heal faster). It’s safer and produces better, more reliable vision corrections.

We evaluate each patient on a case by case basis. Everyone’s eye health is unique, particularly as we age. Consequently, it’s crucial that we carefully evaluate your overall eye health, including specific conditions and associated risks. Seniors should be in good general health with stable vision before considering LASIK.

Custom Bladeless LASIK is used to treat myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness), and astigmatism.

PRESBYOND Laser Blended Treatment

PRESBYOND Laser Blended Vision Correction Treatment is a type of laser eye surgery tailored specifically for seniors. It treats presbyopia, which is age-related hyperopia or farsightedness. The surgery restores your visual depth of field so you can, once again, focus on nearby objects without requiring reading glasses.

Laser blended vision correction has extremely high success rates. It works by reshaping the eye in a unique way, allowing the patient to see an extended range of distances while maintaining depth perception.

Laser Cataract Surgery

Laser cataract surgery is a significant advancement in cataract treatment. It uses a laser instead of a hand-held blade and other manual instruments. Consequently, it offers enhanced precision, greater accuracy, and a gentler approach, making it the clear choice for older adults struggling with cataracts.

Since the surgery uses a laser and not a blade, the incision is more likely to be self-sealing at the end of the procedure. This reduces the risk of infection and other complications. You also experience less postoperative inflammation.

Dry Eye Treatment

Some adults develop dry eyes as they age. Meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD) is when the tiny glands in the eyelids are blocked, so they cannot produce one of the necessary components of tears. Your eyes become dry, irritated, and inflamed as a result.

LipiFlow® Thermal Pulsation Treatment from Clearview Vision Institute improves the function of meibomian glands without the use of drugs. You do not require additional medication or ongoing artificial tear use after. Instead, you can get back to living your normal life.

The surgery works by sending gentle, monitored heat into the glands inside your eyelids while applying a gentle-pressure massage. This liquefies any blockages.

Explore Your Options: Laser Eye Surgery at Clearview Vision Institute

Clearview Vision Institute is a top provider of vision correction and eye health procedures for older adults. Our patient-first approach and personalized treatment plans ensure that you receive the best care for your unique situation.

We tailor our services to restore your vision, while protecting your long-term eye health. From PRESBYOND to laser cataract surgery, Clearview Vision Institute is here to help you live independently later in life.

To request more information on laser eye surgery for seniors, call Clearview Vision Institute today at 647-493-6371 or contact us here.