Cataract Lens Implant for Reading

Question: I have a question about a Lens Implant for reading after Cataract Surgery. Two weeks ago my 65 year old husband had Cataract Surgery in which a Lens Implant was put in so he could see distance. He is scheduled to have the second eye corrected in a week. He asked the Cataract Surgeon if it was possible to put a reading lens in the other eye . The Cataract Surgeon said yes but left it up to him to decide. What are the pros and the cons for doing this? I have never heard of this. I have the same lens Implant in both eyes and just have reading glasses for computer and close up reading.

Answer: You are describing a technique called Monovision. Monovision correction is a technique of vision correction that has been used for many years to correct distance, near and intermediate vision with contact lenses and Laser Vision Correction such as LASIK. It has also been used by Cataract Surgeons to help patients achieve simultaneous correction of distance, intermediate and close vision in selected situations. Typically in Monovision correction, your dominant eye is corrected for clear distance vision and your non-dominant eye is corrected is corrected for intermediate and/or close vision. With proper patient selection through careful testing and evaluation the patient satisfaction rate is in the 80% range and so it is growling in popularity among there best Cataract Surgeons.

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