Monovision or not?

[luke48]

I'm 62 and have used glasses for myopia since I was 15. It started with about -.75 left and -.25 right and progressed to -2.0 left to -1.75 right last year plus astigmatism -.50 (right only) and a +2.50 presbiopia ( both eyes ).
I was also diagnosed with a very mild cataract on the left eye about 3 years ago, which progressed to a "mild+" four months ago on the left and very mild on the right. I've been experiencing difficulties for driving at night ( blurred "starred" lights, refractions ) for at least one year now. After a thorough series of exams, I've decided with my oftalmologist surgeon to have IOL's implanted.
I had my "dominant" eye ( right) surgery done wednesday last week ( Feb/02 ) with an AMO Tecnis Foldable Acrylic Aspheric IOL implanted, adjusted for far-sight ( beyond ~ 5 feet ).
The surgeon is suggesting me to go for the "monovision" correction with a near-sight lOL ( up to 3.5 feet ) on the left eye in about 4 weeks.
I'm in doubt now if I should go that way or just have the left eye IOL also adjusted for far-sight like the right eye and wear glasses for near sight - reading, computer, etc. I'm really worried about not getting used in using one eye for near and the other for far focusing, it seems quite weird - I know the brain is supposed to adapt to that "automatically" - but what if....?!?!
I'd lappreciate to hear comments from MD's as well as other patients who have gone through that or knows more about it.
Thankyou.

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

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[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

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[luke48]

As I said before, after the IOL implant in my right eye, it has now a "residual" .25D myopia. Is that common? I'm asking this because I thought that with the implant of a far sight lens the eye would be free of any myopia. I guess that's a very low number, but before the surgery I had a perfect far vision acuity ( on daylight ) with glasses and now the slight "double vision" bothers a bit, mainly when driving ( am I asking too much? ).

[luke48]

Thanks for your comment! I haven't thought of that and you're right, my near vision was perfect until maybe 12 years ago. Today I can still read small prints with my left eye uncorrected at about 10 inches away. I'll really look ( no pun... )into that.

[JodieJ]

You have probably enjoyed good uncorrected near vision for most of your adult life.  If you go with a distance correction in your second eye, you will lose your good uncorrected near/intermediate vision.  Many formerly nearsighted people have difficulty adjusting to this loss.  Mini-monovision (intermediate vision in your second eye) might be a good compromise for you.  It would allow you to perform tasks such as shaving without glasses.

[luke48]

I forgot to say that the right eye surgery went well and I was able to identify details very far. It was a bit "foggy" and dark on the first two days, but that disappeared. On the last three days that eye's vision has become a bit blurry beyond maybe 35 feet, more like a double vision, I went to the Oftalmologist yesterday and he detected a residual -.25 myopia. He said it could go away within the next two weeks.....or not!