Monovision vs. Multifocal

[OnlineVisitor]

I have latent hyperopia (+1.00) and am trying multifocal contact lenses (ranging from 0 to +1.00) to deal with it.  The optometrist that I saw said that I would do better in multifocal contact lenses than in monovision.  Every time an optometrist or a doctor tells me I should do one thing rather than another I get very skeptical of late.  I am looking for a specific answer to the following query - not simply a "you need to see an optometrist or an opthamologist" which I already have and will do again, with all due respect.  My query is whether there is consensus in the medical community regarding whether monovision contact lenses are superior to multifocal contact lenses or visa versa.  I understand that one may work better than another for a specific client - that is the case with any remedy.  But I am specifically trying to understand the pros and cons concerning the two and whether there is in fact a general sense that one is better than the other.  

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS]

No there is no consensus.

JCH III MD

[JodieJ]

There are two types of bifocal/multifocal contacts.  The first type works like bifocal glasses, with near vision on the bottom of the lens and distance above.  The second (simultaneous vision) type works like a multifocal IOL.  I have tried both types of contacts as well as monovision.  I strongly preferred monovision, which gave me the sense of having continuously good vision at all distances.  But monovision doesn't work for everyone.  My worst vision was the simultaneous type of multifocal contacts, which seemed to provide noticeably compromised (blurry) vision at all distances.  (I tried soft multifocal contacts; the hard multifocals are supposed to work better.)

Others probably have different preferences than me.  I don't think there's a consensus.

[OnlineVisitor]

Dr. Hagan, JodieJ,

Thanks very much.  I appreciate it.  

[AnnaE]

I am not a doctor. I am a community leader here. I have a lot of experience helping eye patients, especially me.

Welcome to our community. Write back if your need to.

I used monovision contacts for a long time. No problems. Recently, the doctor encouraged me to get bifocals. I declined, because I lose a contact very often--has to do with not being able to see well. Bifocals are very expensive.

Besides that, I have always been very happy with monovision.



Anna

[seemaverma]

mono vision therepy is not effective in all patients ,but if it works very good .
coz u have latents hyperopia ,you do not need eyeglasses aal the time ,only while u see anything constantly for sometime then u need eyeglasses.
monovision is a right choice for you .

[JodieJ]

BTW, monovision is used for presbyopia.  If you're not presbyopic, it wouldn't be option for you.  Multifocal contacts might work well for latent hyperopia--you'd have to try them out.