Corrective Eye Surgery for Patients Over 40

Are you over the age of 40? Have you noticed you have trouble seeing your mobile phone? Are you stretching out your arms trying to read, or worse, using the flashlight on your phone to look at the menu? These can be very frustrating experiences but be assured this is normal and it means you have been lucky enough to live this long!

As we age, it’s natural to experience changes throughout our bodies and aging eyes are no exception. While these changes are an inevitable part of life, the good news is there are solutions available. For adults over 40, corrective eye surgery offers a potential solution to presbyopia with or without nearsightedness, farsightedness and/or astigmatism.

Over the past decade, advancements in technology for corrective eye surgery have evolved and now enable surgeons to decrease, or even eliminate, the need for reading glasses, progressives or bifocals. If you’re experiencing challenges with your vision due to presbyopia, aka aging eyes, rest assured Providence Eye is here to help with different corrective eye surgery options, including monovision with LASIK or PRK and Refractive Lens Exchange.

Corrective Eye Surgery for Patients with Presbyopia

MONOVISION with LASIK or PRK

For patients who are over 40 years old and have developed presbyopia, with or without nearsightedness, farsightedness and/or astigmatism, monovision can be extremely liberating. Monovision can be accomplished with either contact lenses or laser vision correction surgery. When a person has monovision the dominant eye is corrected for distance vision and the non-dominate eye for near vision, providing great vision at all distances without being dependent on any type of glasses or contacts.

Monovision can be accomplished surgically with:

1. All-Laser LASIK
2. PRK
3. Contoura Vision Topography Guided LASIK or PRK

Patients at Providence Eye who are not currently wearing monovision contact lenses will be required to do so for 7-14 days prior to having monovision LASIK or PRK. We call this a “test drive,” just like test driving a car. Wearing monovision contacts will enable the patient to experience the results of their procedure prior to having it. This is extremely effective and reassuring that you will be satisfied with the results of the procedure. Providence Eye provides this monovision “test drive” service under the direction of Dr. Mills, our contact lens expert.

Due to the convenience of no longer having to wear multiple pairs of glasses for different scenarios, monovision has become a commonly requested outcome with LASIK or PRK.

REFRACTIVE LENS EXCHANGE

Refractive Lens Exchange, or RLE, is another corrective eye surgery for patients who suffer from presbyopia and severe nearsightedness or farsightedness. Replacing your natural lens (located behind your iris) with an artificial intraocular lens, this procedure can help you to reduce or potentially eliminate the need for progressive or bifocal glasses.

Although Refractive Lens Exchange is a more invasive corrective eye surgery option, it may be more suitable for patients who are:

1. Not ideal candidates for LASIK or PRK due to being severely farsighted.
2. Over the age of 50 and have moderate to severe nearsightedness and presbyopia with the early stages of cataracts.

For those facing age-related eye problems, specifically presbyopia, these corrective eye surgery options provide an exciting opportunity to take better control of their vision and life. As with all corrective eye surgeries, taking the time to get a second opinion can make all the difference. No matter if you're considering laser eye surgery or lens replacement, make sure to invest time into researching possible procedures and validating potential surgeons. Protecting your vision is essential, so arm yourself with knowledge about corrective eye surgeries before jumping in with both feet!