Understanding Monovision/  Blended Vision

Imagine seeing both far away and up close WITHOUT reaching for your glasses. For many people over 40, this isn’t just wishful thinking it’s a reality made possible through monovision or blended vision correction.

Whether you're exploring LASIK or PRK, monovision and blended vision are advanced techniques that help eliminate the dependence for reading glasses while maintaining clear distance vision. To understand how they work, it’s important to start with the reason many people need them in the first place: presbyopia.

What is presbyopia? 

Presbyopia is the need for reading glasses. Somewhere between your 40s to 50s a natural aging process occurs. This process is know as presbyopia. During this natural aging process the eye's internal lens becomes less flexible, losing its ability to shift focus from far to near objects. 

As a result, tasks like reading a book, checking your phone, or looking at a menu become harder without reading glasses. Presbyopia happens to everyone, and while it's normal, it can be frustrating especially for people who’ve previously enjoyed glasses free vision.

How Monovision/ Blended vision can help

Monovision and Blended vision are methods that allow you to see at multiple distances by correcting each eye for a different visual task:

• One eye is corrected for distance vision (typically the dominant eye)
• The other eye is corrected for near or reading vision

Rather than switching between glasses, your brain learns to naturally favor the appropriate eye for the task whether you're driving, reading, or working on a computer. Over time, most people adapt to this division of labor between their eyes and enjoy functional vision at multiple distances.

Monovision vs. Blended Vision

While both techniques involve a similar concept, there is a subtle difference:

• Monovision
  
  • Uses a more distinct separation between distance and near vision.
  • A more noticeable division between distance and near
  • Commonly used and straightforward

• Blended vision 
  
  • Creates a smoother “overlap zone” between near and distance
  • Offers better intermediate vision (such as computer work)
  • Feels more natural for many patients

Cons: 

• Slight decrease in image sharpness at both near and far
• Depth perception can be decreased. 
  
• Night vision may be compromised, particularly in low-light settings

Who is a candidate for Mono/Blended vision?

• Are interested in reducing or eliminating reading glasses.
• People 40 or older who are noticing difficulty with near 
• People who have previously used monovision contact lenses and tolerated them well are often great candidates for surgical monovision.

How to know if you what one will work for you?

The good news is: you can try it first.

Both monovision and blended vision can be simulated in-office or through a contact lens trial. This allows you to “test drive” the visual experience before undergoing LASIK or PRK. If your brain adapts well and you’re happy with the results, then permanent correction may be a great next step.

Monovision and blended vision provide an excellent, proven way for people over 40 to enjoy more visual freedom—without juggling multiple pairs of glasses. While adaptation may take time (up to 12 weeks or more), many people find the long term benefits well worth it. 

At Keil LASIK Vision Center, — If you're ready to explore a new level of visual freedom, contact us today for a free consultation.

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