I'm curious about something. I have RPGs that do a good job of shrinking starbursts. I have two sets. In each pair, one lens is for distance and one for close-up. The close-up lens does not shrink the starbursts. The distance lens from each pair does shrink the starbursts.

I understand that the RGPs create a smooth surface to mask corneal irregularities. But why do the distance lenses to this while the close-up lenses don't?. By wearing the distance lenses in both eyes I can drive a car after sunset. However with these lenses in, I can barely see the speedometer and can't read at all. So if the lenses are in and I need to look at a map I put reading glasses on also.

So by inducing farsightedness with the RGPs my starbursts are better. Why can't I get glasses that do the same thing?

If the distance lenses are a little too strong, you are effectively farsighted when wearing them. This stimulates accommodation, shrinking your pupils a bit. The "near" lenses do not stimulate accommodation since they replace your accommodative effort.

You CAN get glasses made that are a bit over-powered that stimulate accommodation and reduce the starbursts but you lose the benefit of the RGPs in treating some of the higher order aberrations. Also, if you were nearsighted before surgery, your spherical aberrations are "myopic" so, theoretically, the over-correction benefit (stimulus to accommodate) is reduced in low light.