Experience with additional vision correction surgery/surgery for presbyopia?

[ten6mom]

20+ years ago I had RK done to correct my vision. It worked really well for me for about 20 years and now I have developed presbyopia, which the surgeon did say would happen when I hit about 40. I am wondering if anyone has had experience with having a second surgery (not sure what the options are these days) many years after having had one before, and/or if you have had surgery to correct presbyopia. My optometrist said that laser vision correction for presbyopia really isn't helpful, but I am reading on websites that it is an option. Anyone have experience with either (or both) of these scenarios and care to share your experience?

 

[GaryDis]

It doesn't help. When young, the eye focuses the way turning the focus ring on a DSLR camera lens focuses. As we get older, our lens gets stiffer, so it's like the focus ring getting too hard to turn. Changing the front lens of the camera (or our cornea) doesn't help the focus ring (our lens) move.

What can work for some people is monovision, where one eye is set for distance and the other set for computer monitor/most reading. It works for me, once when first needed it and was wearing contacts, and was easier and cheaper than bifocal contacts. And it works now, mostly, with one eye having had cataract surgery, and a regular contact in the other eye for computer and reading work. But I have to swap out for a disposable distance contact for movies, and should (but don't always) for extended nighttime driving.

When I get my second cataract surgery, it will be for monovision, but I would never advise that to anyone who hasn't first succeeded with it using contacts. It won't work for too many people.