Blended Vision Laser Eye Surgery - anyone had it?

I had laser blended eys surgery over 10 years ago because I was riding motorcycles and my glasses keep getting steamed up. But as I use a computer for 7 hours a day and didnt want to use reading glasses it was suggested that I have one eye done only. It took a few months until I was happy with the results and everything settled down. I am 59 now and still don't wear glasses but may have to think about reading glasses soon now. My friend at the time had both his eyes done and had to use reading glasses straight away he wished he had gone down the same route as me. I think as some point most people will end up using reading glasses as your eyes get weaker.

I encountered a similar problem with cataract surgery. I'd always worn glasses for distance vision until a cataract operation on one eye a few years ago. It was suggested they correct my distance vision in that eye so I'd have one near, one far to manage without glasses and if I wasn't happy I could always use varifocal glasses to fully correct my vision. As it turned out I wasn't happy driving with one eye and also couldn't get on with varifocals, with my eyes so different in prescription any movement of my head made everything look very strange. I now wear one contact lens to give me good distance vision in both eyes. For seeing my garmin I first used Bolle bifocal safety glasses which look just like cycling glasses and are available clear and tinted. To save having different pairs for day and night I now use photochromic cycling glasses (cat 0-3) with a stick on bifocal lens to see my garmin. My advice would be sort your distance vision in both eyes with either laser or lenses, it's easy to fix the near stuff with cheap readers/bifocals.

Hopefully I can be of some help here as I am a contact lens optician and a cyclist as well as an ex myope (-6.50 each eye) who had LASIK aged 29. I am now 54  so well used top the reading issue (or more importantly, seeing your Garmin!)

The issue with "blended vision" (or "monovision" as it it is known in the optics world) is that your reading prescription is then fixed at the age at which you have the surgery. As it changes with time-usually every 2-3 years, it will change by another +0.25 or so- your reading will become worse again. 

So, it can be a good option, as long as you are aware of that. 

If you've never tried Monovision before, it would be a sensible approach to try it in contact lenses first. This is, of course, reversible if you don't like it. 

Another option may be to have your distance vision fully corrected with refractive surgery, then simply wear a reading contact lens in your non dominant eye whilst cycling. I do this sometimes.. Again, as you get older and your reading prescription gets stronger, you simply change the power of your reading lens.

Another issue with monovision is that you can lose some of the eyes' natural binocularity. This is your ability to judge distances and see in 3D. This is impaired to an extent with Monovision, even though you'd technically still be legal to drive. Just another thing to consider before taking the plunge.

I'm a big fan of multifocal contact lenses which enable you to see Distance and Garmin all at the same time, whilst maintaining binocularity.

Whatever you friend chooses, best of luck

Is it not possible to have some specs made up to yield the same result? See if you get on with it. A sort of try before you fry?

I've never had laser eye surgery, but I was effectively born with blended vision as one eye is mildly hyperopic and the other significantly myopic (-4D). Now I can function without glasses, but I've worn them since I was a kid as my vision is simply better with them. So in my experience blended vision works but it's not brilliant - the brain can only compensate to a certain extent.

Now that I am older and presbyopia has kicked in, I find that I use glasses for long-distance work and leave them off for mid and short range - which works very well. Unfortunately presbyopia means that the lens can no longer compensate for the entire visual range, and there is no way to get this back. The only problem for me is that I can't read the bike computer without taking my glasses off.

I had laser eye surgery (LASIK) something like 18 years ago.  By chance, one eye has gone long sighted and one short, which has given the same effect. I'm still not wearing glasses (I'm 57 now), and can get by easily.  Last eye test I could tell that corrected vision was better, but his opinion was while I was managing without any difficulty then there was no need for glasses.  It can work, but it may be that mine evolved over several years has made it easier.

No experience of your direct questions but a couple of comments.

I had laser eye surgery five years ago. It was very successful and sorted my short-sightedness. I was told that that should be it for life as far as my short sightedness was concerned, so I'm surprised that your long distance vision is diminishing.

I was told, however, that as a man of a certain age (I was 46 at the time) it would not prevent my close vision deteriorating and me needing reading glasses. And that's proved to be the case and I now use (pretty weak) reading glasses. To be honest, it's not a great hardship, and I just use really cheap pairs which I leave all round the house. The only time it bothers me cycling is I can't read some of the numbers on the climb pro screen on my Garmin in low light!

Finally, my wife has been trying the blended approach with her glasses and contact lenses. She's found it really difficult to get a balance that she's happy with, so personally I'd be concerned about the surgery approach because you can't try different combinations as you can with glasses/lenses.

Not sure if any of that is any help.