Eye surgery, possible cataracts, and hunting/shooting

[HighUintas]

I've got some eye issues. Long story short, my dominant eye had a huge hemorrhage and it's essentially useless. I can't drive on the interstate to work during rush hour since I have limited peripheral in my left eye and currently have an accommodation to work from home except 1 day a week. I have two options:

- wait for it to clear. It could me a few months or it could be years. No telling
- have a vitrectomy plus a couple other things. This surgery causes a high risk of cataracts.

So if I have the surgery i may have cataracts and have to have cataract surgery, but only in my dominant eye.

I want to be able to shoot iron sights, my bow, and not have issues with using binoculars etc.

How many of you guys have had cataract surgery, or cataract surgery in one eye? How has it affected your iron sight shooting, archery, binocular usage (particularly if only surgery in one eye)?

Should I just wait it out and buy a lefty rifle and lefty bow? That certainly wouldn't be convenient for my family with me not being able to drive for a couple years.

 

[buffybr]

My next birthday will be the big 80. I've worn glasses or contacs most of my life since high school. 10-15 years ago I had Lasik surgery on both eyes which corrected them to 20-20 and I was then good until a couple of years ago when I developed Cateracts in both eyes.

My right eye is dominant so my eye surgeon did surgery on my left eye first, then did my right eye, then had to remove and replace the left lense. I now have 20-15 in my left eye and 20-20 in my right eye. For most reading I wear cheap reading glasses, but in good light I can read the fine print on bottles or food packages with out any glasses.

I shoot pistols, riflels, and shotguns almost every week throughout the year, and I now have no problem seeing the open sights on my pistols and rifles, and can clearly see the Skeet clay pigeons, and I can spot game animals as quick or quicker than any guide that I have hunted with.

 

[TaperPin]

In my late 40’s the optometrist said she could start to see the first signs of cataracts, which she said was in the normal range for most people and they will slowly thicken becoming most noticable sometime in my 60’s. I don’t know that any of us will avoid cataract surgery at some point. My friends that put it off as long as possible all wish they had it done sooner.

 

[Davyalabama]

cataract surgery was the easiest eye surgery I have gone through, I've been through, roughly, 7 surgeries on that one eye.

 

[Poltax]

I had cataracts removed about 3 years ago in both eyes. 2 weeks apart, they will not do both eyes at one time. Then they implanted permanent lenses in both eyes. I went with distance vision and not the mono. I am very satisfied and could not believe the amount of color that I had been missing over the years. My shooting has gotten way better.

My best advice is to find the best eye facility in your area. Don't cheap out. By your handle OP I will guess your from the UT area. I went to Hoopes Vision. They are the best around.

 

[HighUintas]

I had cataracts removed about 3 years ago in both eyes. 2 weeks apart, they will not do both eyes at one time. Then they implanted permanent lenses in both eyes. I went with distance vision and not the mono. I am very satisfied and could not believe the amount of color that I had been missing over the years. My shooting has gotten way better.

My best advice is to find the best eye facility in your area. Don't cheap out. By your handle OP I will guess your from the UT area. I went to Hoopes Vision. They are the best around.

Yes sir that's where I am. I went to Hoopes at the start and was then transferred to the uveitis and retina specialists at the Moran at the U

 

[yfarm]

Choose wisely
1.Friend early sixties has incredible distance vision, could see doves before my dog could. Had to use reading glasses, decided to have refractive implants, had no cataracts. End result poor distance vision, good near vision is now undergoing the new version of lasix.
2. Old friend with cataracts was in his 70s, medicare pays for basic iol not the premium, had the premiums put in at additional cost had vision issues afterwards related to the multifocal implants. Felt he had been sold a bill of goods. Was a lawyer, said it was the only time in his career he thought about suing the doctor.
3. Know of many others that went to experienced cataract surgeons who had excellent results.