Bottom line: After roughly age 45, the eye's natural lens loses flexibility and reading close-up becomes progressively harder — a condition called presbyopia. Standard LASIK corrects distance vision but does not solve presbyopia. Monovision LASIK is a deliberate strategy where one eye is corrected for distance and the other is left slightly nearsighted for reading. It works well for many patients but is not for everyone.

How Monovision Works

Your brain naturally processes visual information from both eyes and combines them into a single image. In monovision, your dominant eye handles distance vision (corrected to 20/20 or near it) and your non-dominant eye handles near vision (deliberately left at approximately -1.25 to -1.75 diopters of myopia). Your brain learns to prioritize the appropriate eye depending on what you are looking at.

This is not a new concept — ophthalmologists have been prescribing monovision contact lenses for decades. Approximately 60–70% of patients adapt comfortably to monovision. About 10–15% find it uncomfortable or disorienting. The remaining 20–25% tolerate it but prefer other solutions.

Test Drive It First

Before committing to monovision LASIK, your surgeon should fit you with monovision contact lenses so you can experience the effect for one to two weeks. If you adapt well — if you can read your phone, drive at night, and work at your computer without significant discomfort — monovision LASIK will likely work well for you. If you struggle with the trial, you can choose full distance correction and use reading glasses instead.

Alternatives to Monovision

If monovision does not suit you, other options include standard LASIK for distance plus reading glasses (the simplest and most predictable approach), refractive lens exchange with multifocal IOLs (premium intraocular lenses that provide distance, intermediate, and near vision without monovision), and corneal inlays, though these are less commonly offered and have had mixed long-term results.

Monovision LASIK in Colombia

Monovision LASIK costs the same as standard LASIK in Colombia — $1,049–$1,500 for both eyes. If refractive lens exchange with premium IOLs is more appropriate, that procedure costs $3,000–$5,000 for both eyes in Colombia versus $6,000–$10,000+ in the US.

Reading Glasses Getting Old?

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Read more: ICL Surgery | Consultation Guide