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.

 

[Chris in TN]

Bumped for more opinions.

50, have always needed contacts, three years ago a medical procedure pushed my right eye to the very edge of correctability. It’s gotten worse in the last 6 months. Crosshairs kinda float around on a blobby background now - not a huge problem shooting steel but it makes any sort of precision aiming difficult. Doc confirmed Monday that I have cataracts in both eyes - said at 50 everyone does - and the right has grown notably in the last 6 months and I’m well past the point of being correctable without surgery.

I have a consultation with the surgeon my doc recommends in 3 weeks. If he approves I will likely schedule the right eye surgery ASAP to remove the cataract and replace the lens. Doc (who I trust) says restoring 20/20 in my right eye is highly possible, though I’ll still need readers up close.

Anything I need to know beforehand?

 

[HighUintas]

I don't know much about cataracts surgery lenses, but when researching it seems there's lots of different opinions on how well the premium multi focal IOLs work. However, when I get cataracts that is what I plan on doing.


Update: had the vitrectomy done January 15th. My right eye is healing quickly and I am probably back to about 20/30 in that eye. Dr says it should come back to 20/15 or 20/10 within a couple months. No floaters. Crystal clear except the lower acuity. I can drive again . Great decision even if I get cataracts early from it.

 

[RockAndSage]

Dr says it should come back to 20/15 or 20/10 within a couple months.

That's pretty phenomenal. Keep us posted on the progress.

I'm looking at some form of Lasik to correct 20/30 back to the 20/15 I had before college, and just getting started on figuring out what's best, what to watch out for in a doctor, etc. Would love to not have to wear glasses anymore, but would prefer reading glasses over distance glasses.

 

[go4thegusto]

My wife just had cataract surgery with lens replacement in both eyes. Her final follow up with adjustment (explanation below) was yesterday. Cataract surgery means lens replacement under the cornea. All of us, if we live long enough, will need this. The upside is it should be a 1 and done so no harm in doing at any age if required, as in your case. There are 3 options:
1. Standard monovision lens, like a glass window. Will still require glasses in most cases to read or long distance or whatever is your issue. Lasik is sometimes possible along with this lens to fix some issues. This is about $1500 in our area and generally covered by insurance if medically necessary
2. Tri-focal lense. Has three concentric circles built in to the lens to your prescription for close, medium, far. just like tri-focal glasses. My hunting buddy just had this option and is pretty satisfied. The caveat is that if you have previously had Lasik you may not qualify for this one as the cornea can be thinner and weakened and cannot support this lens.
3, Light adjusted lens, which is what my wife had (she did not qualify for #2). Wild technology where they can hit the lens with a light signal and adjust the prescription. 3 times after surgery she has gone in (2 weeks between). They do an eye test, then adjust the lens. wait two weeks then repeat. After the final setting they "lock in" with more light tech, Crazy science but she is very happy with them.

Bad news for you is #2 and #3 are elective so no insurance (except maybe $1500 depending on insurance). We ponied up $8800.00 here in our town at a respected clinic for both eyes.

Good news for you is that #2 may work well when using optics. For light adjusted they can tune them to your desires. If I were doing light adjusted I would bring a scope to the adjustments and see how it all plays in to the corrections.

Obviously everything will need to be discussed with your medical team for your situation, but at least you can go in educated. It's conceivable that old school doctors or clinics may say "we are not doing those procedures" . In that case find an Exit sign!

 

[betelgeuse]

I'm 56, my vision has went to shit. I hate that you seem to have to choose between close or far.

I am waiting for the Colonel Steve Austin eye. It needs to make that cool sound as well

 

[Chris in TN]

Thanks guys!

 

[HighUintas]

Thanks guys!

Best of luck to you! Eye health issues and surgeries are downright terrifying to me. It's been a few times I've been convinced my life is changed forever. I'm ecstatic I'm lucky enough to have the doctors I do