Monovision LASIK surgery corrects one eye for distance and the other eye for near vision, eliminating or reducing the need for patients with presbyopia to rely on glasses or contacts. Patients retain both near and distance vision after LASIK surgery. For those patients, age 40 and older, who wear bifocals or reading glasses, monovision LASIK may be an option.
The ability to focus the eyes on objects at different distances, also known as accommodation, changes with the aging process. The lenses of the eyes lose their flexibility and begin to harden as a part of the process called presbyopia, making accommodation more difficult to achieve. People with symptoms of presbyopia often need bifocals or two different pairs of glasses; one for distance and the other for near vision. Because LASIK does not treat presbyopia, patients who undergo conventional LASIK may still need glasses after the procedure. LASIK reshapes the cornea which does not affect the lens.
Monovision LASIK preserves near and distance vision without the need for corrective eyewear. The LASIK procedure optimizes one eye for distance sight and the other eye for near sight. With practice, patients are able to adjust their vision to accommodate between distances.
