Monovision LASIK and Near Vision-Is It For You?

Thursday, October 6, 2011

LASIK Monovision and Near Vision

Although LASIK is typically used for the correction of nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism to help patients see at a distance, there are some patients who might benefit from a technique called monovision LASIK to help correct their near vision needs as well. Presbyopia is a normal condition of aging where the crystalline lens inside your eye that is typically soft and flexible begins to lose that flexibility and thus limit your ability to change focus from far to near and near to far. Patients with presbyopia typically report that their “arms are too short” and that near objects and reading material are becoming fuzzy or blurry.

Using monovision LASIK it is possible to “blend” the vision for near and far by correcting your dominant eye for far and your non dominant eye for near. Thus, the need for glasses with two different focal lengths is resolved by focusing each eye at a different focal length. Monovision LASIK can be effective for some patients with the need for mild near vision correction. Depending on the amount of close work you do at work and for how long each day, monovision LASIK may be a good alternative. One way to get a sense of how you will do with monovision LASIK is to mimic the effect with a temporary pair of contact lenses.

To find out if you might be a good candidate for monovision LASIK please feel free to schedule a consultation with Corneal Specialist & LASIK Surgeon Leslie Doctor, M.D. by calling Doctor & Associates at 203-227-4113.