Monovision LASIK & Presbyopia
Are you starting to notice that you have to adjust your book a few times before you can read the sentences clearly? As we age, we develop a condition called Presbyopia that causes the eye to be unable to focus at all distances. Often times, things that are nearest to those with Presbyopia are the hardest to see.
Presbyopia often surfaces in patients during their 40’s or 50’s and worsens until they must wear reading glasses or bifocals. Monovision LASIK was developed as a way to combat presbyopia in patients who are receiving LASIK by leaving their non-dominant eye slightly near sighted. This allows the stronger eye to take over. This procedure is called mono vision and can be done in a variety of ways.
Monovision Can Be Challenging For Some Patients
Only 75% of the population can adjust to monovision because it can decrease depth perception, night vision and can also make driving difficult as well. If you are interested in Monovision LASIK, during your free consultation you will undergo a typical LASIK evaluation, where your doctor will see what risk factors you have and figure out what type of surgery would be best for you.
In addition to the regular tests, patients interested in Monovision LASIK, must keep in mind their occupation and lifestyle. For example, people with positions where they have to operate machinery night such as pilots or truck drivers or patients who are into sports and outdoor activities, might want to refrain from mono vision. Those who do decide to move forward with Monovision LASIK set up a surgery date and wait for the big day.
Monovision LASIK surgery is no different than any other LASIK surgery the day of the procedure. The patient is asked to have a friend or family member come to drive them home after, as they will still be affected by medications and will be unable to operate a vehicle by themselves. The patient will be medicated and shortly after taken into the surgery room where the LASIK will take place.
The only difference in the procedure is that the surgeon must pay close attention to the dominant eye. After surgery, patients must keep in close contact with their surgeon, especially if side effects do arise. A majority of patients who tested out mono vision with contact lenses and adhere to their doctors suggestions heal and adjust to their new vision perfectly.
