What Is Monovision, How Does It Work, And Won't It Be Uncomfortable To Wear Two Different Types Of Contact Lenses?

Aug. 24, 2009— -- Question: What is monovision, how does it work, and won't it be uncomfortable to wear two different types of contact lenses?

Answer: In monovision, one eye is corrected for near and one eye is corrected for the distance, and it's not the contact lens material that's different usually, but just the strength of the contact lens. This is a very helpful technique for patients who are over 40 who need reading glasses, and rather than having to wear contact lenses with reading glasses on top, you can correct one eye for the distance and one eye for near.

This usually takes some getting used to, and there are certain situations where it wouldn't be appropriate. For example, if you're a microsurgeon and require fine stereovision, you wouldn't want to have one of your eyes set for near and one set for distance. But just walking around, that's actually a very convenient way to get around the problem of needing reading glasses.