Medical Treatment and Autism: Tips For Success

Why Monovision Is Often The Best Choice For Cataract Patients

Having a cataract removed and having one's cloudy vision restored is beneficial enough, but an additional benefit of cataract surgery is that patients can have their vision improved to a greater degree than where their vision was at prior to developing cataracts. By having a near lens implanted on one eye and a far lens on the other eye, it is possible for patients to improve their vision and reduce the frequency in which they must wear glasses.

Exploring Monovision

Monovision cataract surgery is a procedure that many eye surgeons are returning to due to unique benefits. The use of monovision cataract lenses does not require a contact lens trial, which makes the procedure much more convenient. Also, many patients do not like the experience of wearing contact lenses because they find them to be strange and unfamiliar. 

The Benefits Of Monovision

While the improvement of one's vision can vary from patient to patient, the majority of patients who have a monovision cataract surgery experience an improvement in their vision great enough to allow them to drive without glasses. Patients do not experience a significant change in contrast sensitivity, except when performing distant tasks. During these activities, the brain shifts its focus to the dominant eye, which has perfect contrast sensitivity. However, with multifocal lenses, the patient will not experience the same contrast sensitivity. Monovision also does not reduce stereopsis, which is beneficial for patients who engage in activities such as table tennis and badminton. 

Downsides Of Monovision Vs. Multifocal Lenses

One of the downsides of monovision is that some patients have a difficult time seeing up close. Some patients have reported that they even need reading glasses in order to see food at the dinner table. Therefore, some patients prefer multifocal lenses. However, it may be impossible to use multifocal lenses depending on whether you suffer from certain health conditions, such as astigmatism. There are not yet any multifocal lenses approved by the FDA that can also treat astigmatism. 

Why You Will Still Be Happy

Patients who receive either multifocal or monovision cataract surgery both report being happy with the results. It remains to be seen whether patients were significantly more happy with the monovision surgery than were happy with the multifocal surgery. So, while the decision of which option to choose can be difficult, you will likely be happy with the results even if you do not pick the perfect lens for you.


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