Is laser vision correction possible at my age? I have never had any congenital or acquired vision defect, but my eyesight has deteriorated with age and now I need glasses for reading. I also have astigmatism.

The age itself is not a contraindication to a laser vision correction surgery. What is important is the general health condition of the body and the eyes. If you use glasses only for reading, due to age-related vision deterioration (after the age of 40-45), and you do not have a vision defect, laser vision correction is not possible. The need for using reading glasses is connected with so-called presbyopia. It is a natural, progressive physiological process, resulting from a decrease in the elasticity of the intraocular lens.

Laser vision correction is performed on the surface of the cornea and allows to correct refractive errors, such as short-sightedness, far-sightedness, and astigmatism. If the qualifying examination confirms that you need a laser vision correction procedure (e.g. to correct astigmatism you have mentioned), then it can be taken into consideration to counteract the effect of presbyopia with a laser, by using the so-called monovision. However, you should be aware that the procedure does not permanently eliminate the need to use reading glasses and that you will still need them in the future.