[PrettyPaisley]

Specifically "monovision" LASIK?

I've noticed over the past year or so that my vision has becoming increasingly worse and my glasses very annoying. In the past I wore contact lens but had an allergic reaction so I've been out of them for over 10 years. I went to see about LASIK and it was explained to me that my distance vision hasn't gotten worse it's my up close vision that is going. So the reason my glasses are annoying me is I am unknowingly having to take a second or two to adjust when I'm looking up close at something. This explains why I look under my glasses now to read or crochet - something I've not done in the past.

My left eye is my "good" eye for seeing up close but my right eye is shot both directions. So they have proposed only correcting my right eye for distance and leaving my left as is for reading with the understanding I will need readers at some point. To give my an idea of how I will see I'm wearing a corrective lens in my right eye hoping my brain will adjust to the information my eyes are giving it. So far it's not working. Granted it's only been three days but I'm going nuts. When I called back today to discuss all this with them I was told that my need for readers isn't great enough - so my brain isn't adjusting well.

I'm so confused with all this and so annoyed with the idea of this one eye surgery I am about to nix the idea and just get bifocals. I appreciate the fact they want to save me 50% on the surgery and I understand they don't want me to have the procedure then have an immediate need for readers - but I'd like a better idea of how long it will take my brain to adjust to this nonsense.

So if you're still reading this drivel, has anyone had a surgery like this and been able to adjust in a fairly short amount of time? I can find all kinds of information online from the surgeons themselves, just not from the real life folks who had just one eye corrected.

Apparently I should have just done this 15 years ago when I considered it and now I could throw on readers and be done with it. I've waited too long it seems.

 

[Batt]

Best $4,000 I ever spent. Had right eye adjusted for distance, the left for reading. Worked great, I could have driven home, but they wouldn't let me (pre-surgery Valium). This was over 10 years ago. I have had to have readers for a couple of years now for computer and reading books. But still I am overall well satisfied.

Check with several Lasik places. In my area, one had done less than 1000, the other had done over 24,000....Guess which one I went to?

 

[Sanza]

1st world problems! Get your eyes tested by a good opthamologist and get fitted with bifocals. You look through the top of the lens for distance. Through the bottom for closeup. Both eyes. No problem with eyes adjusting.
I was told that not everyone can adjust to monovision.

 

[haley1]

Yes had monovison done, was good except I have fuzziness at night with headlights. Now it does not stop your eyes from aging and now I have reading glasses. I could have it redone but they said your eyes still age. Maybe look into getting new lines then aging problems go away
Good luck

 

[Janis R]

I had Lasik over 10 years ago, it was the best thing I ever did.
I had really bad vision so I knew it would take two surgeries to correct my vision
I tried having one eye for close vision and one for distance, it was so terrible, I was so nauseated that I had to both eyes done for distance the next day or so.
I didn't need reader glasses for almost 5 years after surgery.

Good luck

 

[PrettyPaisley]

Can I ask how old you were when you had the monovision surgery? I know it's different for everyone - when the up close vision starts to fail - but I wanted to get an idea. From what I understand they would have corrected both eyes a few years ago and I would have expected readers years down the road.

My eyes have been so bad for so long - I never hear of anyone regretting it. Between keeping up with glasses, working in glasses, breaking them, misplacing them, I'd like to check at least one thing off my list of things to worry about - even if it is for just a few years.

 

[LauraD]

I had lasik done three years ago (age 43). I had really bad nearsightedness, and was corrected for distance in both eyes. After I went off the post-surgery eye drops, my right eye swelled slightly, making me near-sighted in that eye.

Basically I ended up with monovision; my left eye sees distances fine, while my right is good for reading. I have a pair of no-line bifocals that I use occasionally - primarily when I'm driving in low light/darkness. The only real change is that I now use my left eye for taking pictures so I don't have to put my glasses on.

I feel that I had an advantage when it came to adjusting to monovision, though. When I wore contacts, if I had problems with one of them, I would take it out and ignore the input from the other eye. Took time to learn, but I did. So looking at something with clear input from one eye and somewhat fuzzy input from the other is nothing compared to what I used to deal with.

I will say this: if the glasses are still driving you nuts after three days, then it probably won't work for you. My DH tried no-line bifocals for that long and couldn't tolerate them. He went back to the eye doctor, who told him that not everyone can handle them. He's now very happy with lined glasses instead.

 

[SteveD(TX)]

Beware - with any surgery there are risks. Personally I'd never do it. My wife was one of the rare people who suffered major complications from lasik a couple of years after surgery. She now has a divot in her cornea and will need a cornea transplant to fully solve her problem.

 

[PrettyPaisley]

Beware - with any surgery there are risks. Personally I'd never do it. My wife was one of the rare people who suffered major complications from lasik a couple of years after surgery. She now has a divot in her cornea and will need a cornea transplant to fully solve her problem.

That's awful. I am so sorry.

 

[Nevada]

I had it done about 10 years ago. That was when they could only do far vision, but they can also do close vision today.

My first impression was that my vision wasn't quite as good as could be corrected with glasses, although I had no difficulty passing the DMV eye test. The LASIK doctor told me that was what I should expect. I had to get used to not seeing quite as well as I could with glasses.

I also traded perfect close vision for distance vision, but that might not be an issue today. I have to wear readers all the time when I'm working on the computer, reading, etc. I'm not sure it was worth it.

Today my vision is slipping back a little, which is also to be expected.

If I had it to do over again I wouldn't do it. I'm not at all tempted to get reworked.

 

[haley1]

I was 41 but by 46 I needed reading glasses. If I was to do it again I would have surgery to replace my lens just like cateract surgery. Cost about double but then you are good