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Blended Vision Laser Eye Surgery - anyone had it?

I’m asking this question in a large forum for a friend (as opposed to on my FB page etc) to get some feedback and a bit more of a 'cyclists' take on it (and hopefully find riders who've had it done). I have previously had my eyes lasered so find this quite an interesting subject I'm likely to need to revisit/understand in future too. But back to my friends questions:

Blended vision laser eye surgery:  10 years ago, I had very successful laser eye surgery that  transformed me from a heavily myopic -6 to enjoying near 20:20 vision. Now, being older, my sight is erring again on the myopic side. The solution? Wear glasses or contact lenses for far-away stuff/driving… OR, I can get blended laser eye surgery that effectively means one of my eyes is adjusted for farsightedness and the other for close work. Your brain compensates for the discrepancy and in the end, your vision is improved/corrected.

Have you had blended laser eye surgery or do you know anyone who’s had it done? Was it successful? I’m not at all afraid of having more laser eye surgery (in fact it was less painful and less stressful than having a filling). It’s just that if it didn’t work very well, then I may have to resort to wearing contacts or glasses but I prefer not to have to wear them. Thank you.

If you're new please join in and if you have questions pop them below and the forum regulars will answer as best we can.

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11 comments

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Roady | 2 years ago
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Many thanks all for the really great replies, very appreciated by myself and my friend.

I myself got lasered in 2003 and had fantastic vision (previously short sighted) for ~13 years. Now I'm 41 my eyes have started the natural degrading progress, although not hampering me yet - the natural repair of my eyes has brought some short-sightedness back. I've taken to wear glasses for distance/TV/driving stuff and it doesn't bother me. So although would consider laser again, as it's not the 'perfect' solution like it was previously I likely won't.

I actually have a bit of a lazy eye issue which seems to have gotten worse since laser and as I've got older. I wasn't intending to go into it here but with some good feedback already I will as some insight from those already here might be useful (hennie - fantastic you replied, thanks!). Driving any time my eyes are 'tired' (late in the day or at night) leads to double vision. I've largely stopped driving at those because of it, but probably need more than a usual 'check up' visit to focus on it - they seem unconcerned other than saying laser is not the way. Most say I've had it all the way through life and it's just more pronounced now I'm older, rather than laser causing it.

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rogertr7 | 2 years ago
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I had laser blended eys surgery over 10 years ago because I was riding motorcycles and my glasses keep getting steamed up. But as I use a computer for 7 hours a day and didnt want to use reading glasses it was suggested that I have one eye done only. It took a few months until I was happy with the results and everything settled down. I am 59 now and still don't wear glasses but may have to think about reading glasses soon now. My friend at the time had both his eyes done and had to use reading glasses straight away he wished he had gone down the same route as me. I think as some point most people will end up using reading glasses as your eyes get weaker.

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ChasP | 2 years ago
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I encountered a similar problem with cataract surgery. I'd always worn glasses for distance vision until a cataract operation on one eye a few years ago. It was suggested they correct my distance vision in that eye so I'd have one near, one far to manage without glasses and if I wasn't happy I could always use varifocal glasses to fully correct my vision. As it turned out I wasn't happy driving with one eye and also couldn't get on with varifocals, with my eyes so different in prescription any movement of my head made everything look very strange. I now wear one contact lens to give me good distance vision in both eyes. For seeing my garmin I first used Bolle bifocal safety glasses which look just like cycling glasses and are available clear and tinted. To save having different pairs for day and night I now use photochromic cycling glasses (cat 0-3) with a stick on bifocal lens to see my garmin. My advice would be sort your distance vision in both eyes with either laser or lenses, it's easy to fix the near stuff with cheap readers/bifocals.

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hennie | 2 years ago
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Hopefully I can be of some help here as I am a contact lens optician and a cyclist as well as an ex myope (-6.50 each eye) who had LASIK aged 29. I am now 54  so well used top the reading issue (or more importantly, seeing your Garmin!)

The issue with "blended vision" (or "monovision" as it it is known in the optics world) is that your reading prescription is then fixed at the age at which you have the surgery. As it changes with time-usually every 2-3 years, it will change by another +0.25 or so- your reading will become worse again. 

So, it can be a good option, as long as you are aware of that. 

If you've never tried Monovision before, it would be a sensible approach to try it in contact lenses first. This is, of course, reversible if you don't like it. 

Another option may be to have your distance vision fully corrected with refractive surgery, then simply wear a reading contact lens in your non dominant eye whilst cycling. I do this sometimes.. Again, as you get older and your reading prescription gets stronger, you simply change the power of your reading lens.

Another issue with monovision is that you can lose some of the eyes' natural binocularity. This is your ability to judge distances and see in 3D. This is impaired to an extent with Monovision, even though you'd technically still be legal to drive. Just another thing to consider before taking the plunge.

I'm a big fan of multifocal contact lenses which enable you to see Distance and Garmin all at the same time, whilst maintaining binocularity.

Whatever you friend chooses, best of luck

 

 

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Sriracha | 2 years ago
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Is it not possible to have some specs made up to yield the same result? See if you get on with it. A sort of try before you fry?

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hennie replied to Sriracha | 2 years ago
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Unfortunately Sriracha, it doesn't work very well. You get a magnification effect from the stronger spectacle lens and the brain finds it difficult to fuse the two images into one. You don't get that with contact lenses, which is why you're best trying it in contact lenses first. 

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Sriracha replied to hennie | 2 years ago
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Thanks, I had not appreciated that technicality. TBH I'd be shocked if an optician did not strongly suggest trying the effect first in contact lenses before wielding the laser. Surely they need to show informed consent for surgery?

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Steve K replied to hennie | 2 years ago
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hennie wrote:

Unfortunately Sriracha, it doesn't work very well. You get a magnification effect from the stronger spectacle lens and the brain finds it difficult to fuse the two images into one. You don't get that with contact lenses, which is why you're best trying it in contact lenses first. 

That's interesting - I posted earlier that my wife had been trying the blended effect with glasses and lenses, but now you mention it, I think it might just be lenses (and trying varifocals with the glasses)

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Rod Marton | 2 years ago
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I've never had laser eye surgery, but I was effectively born with blended vision as one eye is mildly hyperopic and the other significantly myopic (-4D). Now I can function without glasses, but I've worn them since I was a kid as my vision is simply better with them. So in my experience blended vision works but it's not brilliant - the brain can only compensate to a certain extent.

Now that I am older and presbyopia has kicked in, I find that I use glasses for long-distance work and leave them off for mid and short range - which works very well. Unfortunately presbyopia means that the lens can no longer compensate for the entire visual range, and there is no way to get this back. The only problem for me is that I can't read the bike computer without taking my glasses off.

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Stratman | 2 years ago
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I had laser eye surgery (LASIK) something like 18 years ago.  By chance, one eye has gone long sighted and one short, which has given the same effect. I'm still not wearing glasses (I'm 57 now), and can get by easily.  Last eye test I could tell that corrected vision was better, but his opinion was while I was managing without any difficulty then there was no need for glasses.  It can work, but it may be that mine evolved over several years has made it easier.

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Steve K | 2 years ago
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No experience of your direct questions but a couple of comments.

I had laser eye surgery five years ago. It was very successful and sorted my short-sightedness. I was told that that should be it for life as far as my short sightedness was concerned, so I'm surprised that your long distance vision is diminishing.

I was told, however, that as a man of a certain age (I was 46 at the time) it would not prevent my close vision deteriorating and me needing reading glasses. And that's proved to be the case and I now use (pretty weak) reading glasses. To be honest, it's not a great hardship, and I just use really cheap pairs which I leave all round the house. The only time it bothers me cycling is I can't read some of the numbers on the climb pro screen on my Garmin in low light!

Finally, my wife has been trying the blended approach with her glasses and contact lenses. She's found it really difficult to get a balance that she's happy with, so personally I'd be concerned about the surgery approach because you can't try different combinations as you can with glasses/lenses.

Not sure if any of that is any help.

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