As we all get older, our eyes begin to lose the ability to focus on images up close. We find ourselves moving images, such as newspapers farther and farther from our eyes in order to bring it into focus. The term used to identify this refractive error is presbyopia.
Presbyopia is a condition that is common to everyone. Presbyopia is an aging process of the internal lens of the eyes, and typically begins around age 40 to 45.

For those individuals affected by presbyopia, monovision is an option to help correct both distance and near vision. The procedure corrects the focus of one eye for distance vision and the other eye for near vision. One eye will see things close up, while the other eye will see things farther away. The brain works to integrate the information from both eyes, and eliminate the blur. The brain will usually adjust within a few weeks to each eye focusing at different distances. Monovision has been used successfully with contact lenses and refractive surgery patients for several years.

Deciding to have monovision refractive surgery is dependent on your age, profession, hobbies and desires. Dr. Vale does not recommend monovision for people under age 38 since they will not experience its full benefit for several years.

Simulating monovision by using contact lenses or trial eyeglass frames is a good idea for someone not sure if it is right for them. Contact lenses and trial eyeglasses can be adjusted to reflect the different possible corrections, and give the patient a good idea of whether or not you would like monovision.

Monovision refractive surgery is not a cure for presbyopia. It may give you an additional 5 to 10 years without reading glasses for most tasks.

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