Presbyopia and Monovision

Presbyopia Treatment with Monovision

During childhood, our eyes have the ability to focus on objects as close as our nose to objects very far away. The lens in our eyes acts similar to the focusing lens in a camera. As each year passes, the ability to “focus” decreases. Typically, sometime in our 40’s, we will need an aid, such as reading glasses or bifocals, to focus on objects near to us. This condition is called presbyopia.

When a nearsighted (myopic) person is wearing glasses or contact lenses to correct their vision, they too experience presbyopia. Because the nearsighted eye has a natural focal point “at near”, many nearsighted presbyopic patients can remove their glasses or contact lenses and read or do close work comfortably. Many myopes choose to wear bifocals to eliminate the need for removing and replacing their glasses. If you plan to have refractive surgery to eliminate or reduce your myopia, like everyone else, you will still experience presbyopia sometime in your forties. Likewise, farsighted patients will also experience presbyopia and need reading glasses whether or not they have had LASIK surgery.

Presbyopia Treatment – Monovision and Lens Replacement Surgery

Many presbyopic contact lens wearers choose to wear a contact lens on one eye that does not fully correct myopia, enabling that eye to focus on objects at near, while the other eye focuses well on distant objects. This type of correction is called monovision. Some patients who choose monovision correction are bothered by the difference in their eyes and choose to have their myopia only slightly undercorrected or fully corrected needing glasses only for reading or close work when they become presbyopic. If myopia is partially reduced in one eye (as in “monovision”) that myopia can be fully reduced later if the patient chooses.

At Tylock-George Eye Care & Laser Center, we also now offer the revolutionary “Advanced Technology Intraocular Lens Implants” Crystalens®, ReSTOR®, and TECNIS® Multifocal. These lens implants replace the natural crystalline lens of the eye allowing the individual to see at distance as well as near with each eye, with minimal need for reading glasses.
Many of our patients have chosen surgical correction and have eliminated the need for glasses even when they reach presbyopia.

As eye care professionals, our providers have undergone refractive surgery themselves with full knowledge and anticipation of presbyopia. We want our patients to make informed decisions too and hope this material has been helpful. After viewing our website, if you would like to have more information, please contact us for our free information packet. We also invite you to attend one of our free Tuesday night seminars.

Learn more about restoring vision in aging eyes.