LASIK uses laser technology to treat a variety of vision problems. It has become increasingly popular for correcting near-sightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism, but can it work for presbyopia? Presbyopia is a common vision problem that frustrates millions of people and is caused by the aging of the lens of the eye, resulting in difficulty focusing on nearby objects. The good news is that, yes, LASIK can be an effective treatment for presbyopia.
LASIK for presbyopia is often referred to as “monovision” or blended vision. There are different types of laser blended vision which have subtle technical differences. For example, Presbyond induces spherical aberration of the cornea and Presbymax creates a central island and surrounding concentric corneal circles to extend the depth of vision of each eye. Irrespective of these technical details, all presbyopic LASIK procedures depend on one eye being corrected for near vision and the other for distance vision. This allows the eyes to focus on both near and far objects. Many people are dubious about this approach, and it may take time to adjust to the new vision. Most people find that the adjustment period is relatively brief.
The procedure itself is very similar to other types of LASIK, the procedure takes less than 15 minutes per eye, with minimal discomfort and downtime. It’s not for everyone so suitability tests will determine if you’ll be pleased with LASIK for presbyopia. Most people reduce or even eliminate their need for reading glasses.
Thanks to this advancement in laser technology, LASIK for presbyopia is now a safe and effective way to help millions of people with presbyopia reclaim their vision. And lens replacement can be an even better way to get rid of reading glasses.
