LASIK eye surgery serves to correct the vision problems associated with nearsightedness (myopia), farsightedness (hyperopia) and astigmatism. With that, one of the top reasons in favor of LASIK surgery is to get rid of prescription glasses and contact lenses once and for all. Is eliminating glasses and contacts all together realistic? Can LASIK get rid of my reading glasses?
LASIK, laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis, reshapes the cornea to correct vision. While LASIK permanently changes the cornea, the eyes are still susceptible to change due to natural aging. Patients over the age of 40 can develop some degree of presbyopia, a gradual, age-related loss of the eye’s ability to focus on nearby objects. While traditional LASIK will allow patients to get rid of their reading glasses because the refractions causing the need for glasses will be corrected, if patients begin to require reading glasses after traditional LASIK because of age, monovision LASIK or blended LASIK may be a suitable option to improve vision and once again allow a patient to ditch their reading glasses.
Monovision (blended LASIK) will correct one eye for distance and the other eye for near vision whereas traditional LASIK corrects both eyes to the same degree. Both treatment options are based on a similar principle of treating both eyes for different distances through laser surgery where both rely on the eyes and the brain to work together to create one image. For those patients who need reading glasses, specifically bifocals, these procedures replicate the effects of bifocals to keep you free from dependence on eyewear through LASIK surgery. Monovision and blended LASIK can also be applied to other vision correction procedures including PRK, IOL implants, refractive lens exchange and cataract surgery.
There are varying factors for determining one’s LASIK candidacy. After qualifying for traditional LASIK, namely based on corneal thickness, about 95% of patients are eligible for blended vision LASIK but only 50% of patients will meet the requirements for monovision LASIK. Before surgery, Lipstock LASIK & Cataract Center encourages our patients to try out monovision and blended vision contacts to get a feel for how vision will change with laser eye surgery. To learn more, call our office at 804-288-1543 or visit WEBSITE to schedule your consultation.