undercorrection concerns

[Marcella]

Hello Glenn
I’ve never been motivated to join a Q&A BB, but the expert and unbiased advice I’ve seen here actually moved me to register. Thank you for your dedication and careful responses.

I’ve read Sudden Presyopia. This week I’m having Wavefront on my dominant left eye and traditional LASIK on my right eye by a highly reputable surgeon at a nearby teaching hospital.

scripts:
O.D. -475 -325 21 +225
O.S. -275 -100…7 +225

My question concerns how well I’ll be able to read with my undercorrected right eye.
I’m 58, but still have pretty good close vision in my left eye. I’m an editor and often take my glasses off for working/reading. I’m a bit concerned about having my close vision eliminated in that eye, but not if it can be compensated by my right eye. My surgeon says that I will be able to see close but might want reading glasses for long work sessions.
She was talking about correcting my right eye to 1.75 or 2.00…maybe 2.25.

Questions:
Would these last numbers refer to correction for presyopia (the 2.25 figure on my eyelass prescription)? Since I’m going for monovision I wasn’t sure how that fit in.

Does it seem feasible that I will have close vision in my right eye comparable to what I now have in my left?

You’ve mentioned that astigmatism correction carries with it some monovision correction. How might this affect my right-eye undercorrection?

BTW, you sure do [i]sound[/i] like a doctor .

Thanks very very much.

[LasikExpert]

Thank you for your kind words. I hope my response lives up to your expectations.

O.D. -475 -325 21 +225
O.S. -275 -100…7 +225

Questions:
Would these last numbers refer to correction for presyopia (the 2.25 figure on my eyelass prescription).

The last number (+2.25) is the add for the bifocal portion of your glasses. It appears that your doctor is targeting undercorrection in your non-dominant eye to the same amount. Near vision in this eye should be close to what you see with bifocals if the target correction is attained.

You’ve mentioned that astigmatism correction carries with it some monovision correction..

I may not have been quite clear. High astigmatism is more challenging to correct. Astigmatism that is greater than half the sphere (in your case, myopia) is more challenging. You have both high astigmatism and astigmatism more than half the
sphere. It would be reasonable to expect enhancement surgery.

Monovision is not at all the same as vision through glasses with bifocals. The effect is very different. You would probably be well served to have a monovision trial in contacts before having your eyes lasered.

BTW, you sure do sound like a doctor.

Thanks. That is why I state that I am not a doctor in each post to the forum.

[Marcella]

What [i]are[/i] you?
:)

[Marcella]

Actually I did have a trial with monivision contacts.
the script was
Rt eye 14.4 -4.00 -2.75 x020
Lt eye 8.6 -1.50 -0.75 x010

They were ok except I couldn't read very fine print with them (e.g. ingredient labels in the store) which made me a bit nuts.

My surgeon has concerns about the amount of tissue she can remove from my right eye. I'm not sure how the 1.75, 2.00, 2.25 fits into all of this.

Thank you for this exceptional resource. I've already recommended your site to my brother and a coworker.

[LasikExpert]

What are you?
:)

Nothing of consequence.

I founded this nonprofit organization ten years ago to help patients find the better refractive surgeons by providing objective information and certifying doctors who submit to our voluntary patient outcomes evaluation. See About USAEyes.

Thanks for spreading the word.