Can refractive procedures get rid of reading glasses?
Yes and no. The need for reading glasses usually begins at age 40 to 45, and is caused by a hardening of the natural lens of the eye. This hardening process results in an inability to focus at near, and reading glasses or bifocals become necessary. This condition is called presbyopia, or “old vision”. Refractive surgery cannot, as of yet, restore youthful softness to the natural lens of the eye. However, just as many people do with contact lenses, refractive surgery can set the focus of one eye permanently for near vision, so it can read. This is called monovision, because the individual then reads with one eye, and sees at distance with the other. With monovision, the non-dominant eye is usually set for near vision, and the dominant eye (usually the right eye) is set for distance. Monovision works very well in most individuals, but it is not for everyone. Monovision patients often need glasses for driving at night. Middle-distance activities like looking at a computer screen, or a mus
