I am experiencing double vision after many years of monovision correction using contact lenses. We are trying a pair of glasses with prism correction over the contact lenses but I have difficulty because although this aligns the images, they are of different sizes. The double vision also "floats" an image with a different slant so that text collides and is very distraction. Thoughts? Should I continue with these contacts, go to glasses with bifocals, etc.? My correction is very high and I have had monovision correction for more than 20 years.
Hi Again,
I did send you a message...not sure why that didn't reach you but I appreciate this info and will get right on it.
:-)
I haven't received your PM, but I'll post the names of a couple of entire articles (not just abstracts) by Burton J. Kushner, which can be downloaded free (try googling). They are:
"Diplopia after Refractive Surgery"
"Recently Acquired Diplopia in Adults with Long-Standing Strabismus" (see case 3)
I know that you have no history of childhood strabisums; neither did I. Apparently it's possible to have "micro-strabismus" as a child with a deviation in alighnment so subtle that it's not detectable without testing. In any case, it seems that both you and I have a vulnerability to binocular decompensation with monovision.
There's a newer (2008) article by Dr. Kushner available (free) in abstact only. It is "Causes and Prevention of Diplopia after Refractive Surgery." You can get a copy of the complete article by emailing Dr. Kushner, who was extremely helpful to me.
If I had stopped doing monovision when I initially developed double vision, I would not have needed eye muscle surgery. I was poorly advised by eye care professionals who did not understand my condition. I am posting this information so that you and others can avoid the problems I had.
Thank you so much! It appears that there isn't a sureness over what to do. I will send you my email address. thanks again!
Very Hopeful
I also experienced double vision secondary to monovision contact lens wear. Yes, get a contact lens for your near eye as soon as possible. Your double vision may be reversible. Dr. Bertram Kushner at the University of Wisconsin has published a number papers about monovision producing diplopia (i.e., double vision) in vulnerable people. You can find a few papers online, or I can send them to you if you give me your email address in a personal message.
If you attempt to do monovision again, expect to re-experience double vision. If you continue with monovision (like I did on the advise of several eye care professionals), your double vision will require surgery to correct.
Thank you for your advice. So you are saying to go the contact lens route to correct this near eye. Eyeglasses will not do this? I did not have double vision prior to the lasik surgery. I will show my opthamologist your advice and the postings here. Once I get (hopefully) my eye back to the full monovision I would like to have the near eye corrected to full power and see with 'normal' vision. I do not have any faith in this procedure now; I don't think I am a good candidate for it.
B/t/w I am fairly patient. I only double posted because I wasn't sure how this site works and that I may have posted in the wrong place. :-) Thank you for your prompt reply; I didn't expect someone to respond as quickly as you did.
You need to get a contact lens for your near eye to improve you fusion. If this helps, use reader and slowly decrease to the contact lens power to return to your full monovision.
I assume you did not have double vision prior to your LASIK.
Dr. O.