Monovision effective for myopia in patients with presbyopia, study finds

Monovision via wavefront-guided LASIK ablation to treat myopia in patients with presbyopia produces excellent clinical results and high patient satisfaction, and it has a high safety profile, according to results of a multi-site prospective study presented by Colman R. Kraff, MD, of Chicago.

"If you pay close attention to these patients and their needs, and screen them properly preoperatively, we could achieve the same results [as those of the study]," he said. "This group of patients offers a unique opportunity to grow the refractive population."

In the study, LASIK ablation was performed with a proprietary excimer laser (VISX STAR S4, Advanced Medical Optics). Patients were prescreened by undergoing a contact lens trial to determine their tolerance for monovision, and they also completed a questionnaire to discern their level of understanding of monovision and how realistic their visual goals were.

The study included 296 eyes of 160 patients; 24 fellow eyes did not require laser treatment. Mean patient age was 50 ± 5 years.

At 12 months, 98% of the patients said that they would undergo the procedure again.

"This pre-presbyopic and presbyopic patient population is not the same patient as the Generation X or 30-something group. You need to spend extra time screening," Dr. Kraff said. "And just as important, as the surgeon, you have to believe in monovision, that this really works, in order to make the patients understand what it really is."