Patient age at the time of refractive lens exchange varies meaningfully by state, though the pattern is more consistent than it might first appear. RLE is driven overwhelmingly by presbyopia onset, so states with older median populations — and in particular, states with large retiree in-migration — tend to show higher average patient ages, while states with younger overall demographics skew slightly lower.
Nationally, the average RLE patient is in their early-to-mid sixties, which is consistent with presbyopia’s typical onset window and distinguishes RLE demographically from LASIK, whose patient base skews fifteen to twenty years younger. This age profile is also why RLE candidacy conversations often begin with patients who were initially considering reading glasses or monovision contact lenses rather than surgery.
For how this age distribution relates to where procedures are actually performed, see Procedure Density by Metro Area. For the broader procedure mix this age group is choosing between, see Procedure Mix: LASIK vs. RLE vs. EVO ICL.