Presbyopia is a normal result of the aging process. The crystalline lens within your eyes is composed of proteins. These proteins are soft and flexible when you are younger. As you approach middle age, presbyopia occurs as the protein composition of the crystalline lens changes, making it harder and less flexible. When the crystalline lens loses its ability to flex, it is no longer able to change its shape and effectively bend light rays as sharply, and the ability to focus on near objects is diminished. Symptoms of presbyopia typically begin between age forty and fifty and progressively worsen through age sixty-five. When presbyopia begins, people who already wear glasses may need bifocals or trifocals, and those who have never worn glasses may require reading glasses.

If you are around age 40 and considering LASIK, presbyopia is an important concept to understand. LASIK has absolutely no effect on your eye’s focusing muscles or on the crystalline lens, so it does not correct ordinary presbyopia. So, if you only need eyeglasses for reading, LASIK is not a good vision correction option for you. However, if you need to have your distance vision corrected and need some help with close vision because you are beginning to experience presbyopia, LASIK may be an option if performed as a specialized monovision LASIK.

Currently, monovision LASIK is the most popular vision correction surgery for presbyopia treatment. During monovision LASIK surgery in Billings, your LASIK surgeon corrects one eye for distance vision and leaves the other eye for near vision. After monovision LASIK, a person relies on one eye for driving and other distance vision tasks, and uses the other eye for computer work and reading. Though this may sound a little strange, after a short period of adjustment and adaptation, monovision typically feels natural and most monovision LASIK patients are pleased with their vision and are significantly less dependent on reading glasses.

Depending on your individual lifestyle and vision requirements, LASIK treatment for presbyopia may be an option you’d like to discuss with one our surgeons. Contact The Eye Clinic Surgicenter at 406-252-6608 or theeyeclinicsurgicenter.com to schedule your LASIK consultation today.