Can Laser Eye Surgery Fix the Need for Reading Glasses?

The fact is that as you get older, it’s almost inevitable that your eyes will deteriorate to some extent. It’s a simply unavoidable part of the transition to the elderly age cohort, and while it can be annoying and frustrating, it doesn’t have to be a huge life-changing deal.

Reading glasses and other ocular technologies exist to make sure that your eyes can perform to the levels you need to maintain your lifestyle. Still, while reading glasses are typically the most hassle-free initial option, they end up taking time and space, and can become an inconvenience over the years.

You also may not want to wear reading glasses. If that’s the case, it can make sense to consider whether laser eye surgery or blended vision procedures can help you without needing to rely on a physical aid. Read on to find out more.

What are the LASIK approaches available?

Before deciding on whether or not you want to undergo the procedure, you likely should figure out the advantages and disadvantages of each option, whether one or the other works better, or is more suitable to your needs and desires.

Most people tend to have a dominant eye; that is, one that does better than the other. Monovision LASIK takes advantage of this by correcting your dominant eye for distance vision, while actually seeking to leave your other eye mildly nearsighted. This variation means that one eye can detect far-away objects, while the other gives you close vision of objects. Essentially, they compensate for each other, and add up to more than the sum of their parts. If you’re interested in this, you can try monovision with contact lenses first to see how it works for you.

The other more modern approach is blended vision, which the Clearview Vision Institute was the first to adopt in Canada. Basically, this technique corrects your eyes for different distances. Rather than go for the long and short distances that monovision does, it instead sets both eyes to an intermediate vision, meaning both of your eyes will share similar capabilities and prescriptions.

There’s also a whole host of other options and complications that can be thrown in, like PRK, phakic IOLs, refractive lens exchange, and cataract surgeries, which fall a bit beyond the purview of this article. Ask your eye surgeon for information on these procedures if they interest you.

Why bother?

Now you know what the procedures are, but you also know they are surgeries that will cost a decent sum of money. So, you may be asking why you should bother going ahead with it.

The big advantage is that both procedures will help you achieve clearer eyesight, though blended vision tends to be more effective and easier to adapt to than monovision LASIK.

It’s likely that if you are struggling with issues requiring reading glasses in day-to-day life, then you may find that blended vision fits you well. In fact, it’s suitable for nearly 100% of people with these vision problems. Essentially then, by choosing blended LASIK, you will be able to read newsprint following the procedure, with a significant proportion (90%) able to read fine print even smaller than that.

Monovision LASIK can work, too, though it’s only about as effective for half the people who have these problems.

Ultimately, undergoing one of these procedures as described above will confer many benefits, including top-tier results, relatively good affordability, and an overall process that is quick and with minimal pain.

Am I right for it?

If by this point you’re more convinced of the benefits of undergoing these procedures, then you’re likely going to wonder whether you’re actually a candidate for these life-enhancing surgeries.

Basically, if you’re myopic or nearsighted when you remove your distance glasses, you may find that it’s possible to read a book or newspaper without any eyewear. If this is the umbrella you fall under, then you are likely a good candidate for monovision or blended vision because these procedures will boost the innate focusing ability of your sight to make one eye the optimal one for filling in these reading functions.

To be entirely safe and confirm that the treat could be of usul, you can test our monovision or blended vision with contact lenses that adjust your eyes to act like how they would after LASIK. If this test run works, then you can rest easy knowing that the LASIK version of these approaches will work.

However, there are other requirements you need to meet. One of the most important is that you must be at least 21 years of age so your vision doesn’t change dramatically afterwards.

You should also be realistic about the results. One downside of these procedures is that they can decrease your depth perception, so if this is important to you, then make sure not to choose LASIK.

Also, be aware of some risks and complications that could occur. For example, you may still need reading glasses for certain tasks.

The Final Word

At this point, your biggest concerns should be answered. It should be clear what monovision and blended vision are, and how they can completely fix the vision problems that require you to use reading glasses. Of course, they aren’t perfect procedures, but they will correct the most pressing issue in exchange for money and your time.

Ultimately, though, the choice is up to you. Laser eye surgery and blended vision procedures can definitely alter your need for reading glasses to a significant degree, and even to the point where you can see almost entirely unaided. Once you’ve resolved what you want, why not try seeking out blended vision procedures in Toronto? The Clearview Vision Institute is the first firm in Canada to offer these types of procedures. Call us at 647-493-6371 or contact us via our convenient web portal right here to learn more.