Q: My husband and I are both 65 years old and have age-related need for reading glasses. Is there a safe, tested method like LASIK to remedy this?

A: There are presently several methods to deal with your problem, which is called presbyopia. One is to use a contact lens to focus one eye at reading distance and leave the other eye focused for long range. This is called monovision and is used commonly in the 40 to 50 plus age range. In higher powers it has the disadvantage of reduced depth perception and, in some people, a feeling that the eyes are fighting each other. Bifocal contact lenses, both soft and gas permeable, are often used to give more natural distance and near vision. Surgically, the most promising techniques are basically cataract surgery. Known as refractive lensectomy, the patient’s internal lens is replaced with an implanted artificial lens. In this case the implanted lens is able to focus, to a greater or lesser degree, and gives the patient clearer near vision. It is sometimes necessary to use reading glasses for tiny print, but for most tasks near vision is adequate. These lenses are still new and the technology is still evolving, but more and more surgeons are utilizing them. They are not covered by Medicare, so the patient must pay an additional fee.

Dr. Ayres provides a FREE e-mail newsletter covering new developments in public health and eye care. To receive this free newsletter, call our office at 317-9747.

Back to Publications