Monovision LASIK offers patients the ability to retain near and distance vision after LASIK surgery with little or no reliance on glasses or contact lenses.
Patients who undergo conventional LASIK may still need glasses to correct presbyopia after surgery, because LASIK alone cannot treat presbyopia, as it reshapes the cornea, not the lens. With conventional LASIK, both eyes are corrected for distance vision, leaving some patients in need of glasses for reading and other activities that require close-up vision.
Unlike traditional LASIK, Monovision LASIK may reduce the need for reading glasses in some people over 40 and is most ideal for patients who are mildly hyperopic or are plano and have never needed glasses. The use of Monovision LASIK is an appropriate technique for addressing presybopia.
Monovision LASIK is used to treat people with presbyopia. It preserves good near and distance vision without the need for corrective eyewear. The procedure optimizes one eye for distance sight and the other eye for near sight. With a little practice, patients learn to adjust their vision to accommodate between different distances.
After six to eight weeks the brain makes the vision changes automatically, without any conscious effort or awareness. Monovision LASIK allows patients to change the range of focus without having to constantly remove or add corrective lenses.
Most patients adapt quickly and happily to this vision correction option. However, Monovision LASIK is not suitable for everyone. People entering midlife are usually the best candidates for Monovision LASIK. If you are interested in learning about the cost of LASIK, read our blog post by clicking here.