 Q&A Near vision LASIK |
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 What is the difference between Monovision and NV LASIK? |
There are two types of correction that can help in your case. If you do not need glasses for distance, and only require reading glasses, then you may be a candidate for NV LASIK. This entails correcting your nondominant eye for reading and leaving your dominant eye for distance (no correction needed). If you do have prescription for distance, then you may be a candidate for monovision. With monovision, one eye will be corrected for near and your dominant eye will be corrected for distance. In summary, for NV LASIK, only one eye is treated where as in monovision, both eyes are corrected. Monovision and NV LASIK have similar end results, which is to help patients see well for distance as well as for near. |
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| How will I know whether to choose between Monovision or NV LASIK? |
| If you do not need glasses for distance, and only require reading glasses, then you may be a candidate for NV (Near Vision) LASIK. This entails correcting your nondominant eye for reading and leaving your dominant eye for distance (no correction needed). If you do have prescription for distance, then you may be a candidate for Monovision. With monovision, one eye will be corrected for near and your dominant eye will be corrected for distance. Monovision takes some adjustment and can vary depending on each person's lifestyle. When you come in for you exam, we can give trials for different lens power to accommodate to intermediate and near vision. Then you can judge for yourself whether your vision is adequate. |
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| I heard that there is an adjustment period for people who choose Monovision or NV LASIK after the surgery. Is this true, and how long does it take? |
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Yes, it is true that it takes some adjustment time in using both eyes together when one eye is corrected for near while the other eye is for distance. For most people, the vision part of our brain will learn to suppress the image from the eye that is not clear in focus. Eventually, you will not be bothered by the eye that is not in focus. The brain adjusts to each eye being focused at a different distances. The average time it takes to adapt is three months. However, this depends on each individual as some are able to adapt after the first week, while a few make take longer than three months because everyone has different adaptability. |
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| How long must one wait to be able to determine that further adjustment to Monovision is no longer possible? |
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If the problems from the two eyes being different do not disappear within 3 months after surgery, an enhancement procedure may be conducted on the eye with the remaining nearsightedness. At TRSC, less than 10% of the Monovision patients need an enhancement procedure. If the patient chooses to revert back to full correction to see distance clearly with both eyes, he or she will have to wear spectacles for reading, just like a person with normal sight who is affected with age-related farsightedness. |
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| How long must one wait to be able to determine that further adjustment to Monovision is no longer possible? |
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If the problems from the two eyes being different do not disappear within 3 months after surgery, an enhancement procedure may be conducted on the eye with the remaining nearsightedness. At TRSC, less than 10% of the Monovision patients need an enhancement procedure. If the patient chooses to revert back to full correction to see distance clearly with both eyes, he or she will have to wear spectacles for reading, just like a person with normal sight who is affected with age-related farsightedness. |
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| What if I never wore contact lenses before? |
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TRSC has a qualified team of counselors that will train you on how to insert and remove the contact lenses. These contact lenses are for trial only, so they are one day lenses, meaning they are thrown away after each use. If you have trouble with the contact lenses or have any additional questions about your vision, you may call your personal 24 hour counselor. |
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The Eyes and Refractive Errors 
