Update on corrective eye surgery, it's been a while since we spoke on this

[george burns]

I am scheduled to get Laser Cataract surgery, next month. My wife had hers done 6 months ago, and no longer needs glasses for reading, Farsighted, and a slight correction for distance.Mine are similar, Farsighted, Halo's at night, and a slight correction for distance. I am trying to decide if I want to get the Astigmatism fixed also. I can see 20/20 with corrective lenses during the day, my night vision is bad enough to make driving difficult but possible due to halos and judging distances and eye strain if I sit all day reading and watchig screens..
This is done with the implantation of a lens, after cleaning out the cataracts with the laser, the astigmatism is also done with the laser by re-shaping the eye to a round shape rather than a football shape which is what causes this. "for those who may not know"
My shooting is ok at 25-35 feet but after that the sight picture gets too hard to dial in to the point where I would like to, and used to be able to.
I am trying to figure out if the extra 3 thousand for the astigmatism is something I should get, being that once they put the lenses in, you can't get it done later, i am in my 60's.
Logic is telling me to get both done at the same time, as it would be foolish to just do the Cataracts and find little to no improvement with the night vision problem. But 3 grand is 3 grand, and if it doesn't make a difference then why bother, the doctor is going to probably tell me to get it done, but I haven't had that last visit where they take all the measurements, although have all appointmets booked for both eyes.
Of course shooting is the second main reason to do this. Hopefully after both surgeries, I can shoot close to the way I did 20 years ago. I should get vision close to 20/20 without glasses. My Doctor is well known and has done over 10 thousand of these, at New Vision in Vero Beach.
The optometrist, who I know very well told me my eyes were more than likely 20/15 when I was younger, making any slight vision problem more amplified due to the excellent vision I once had.
Have any of you guys had corrective surgery and willing to share your experiences as far as your shooting and any other plusses or minuses?
If you got it, were you happy with the result, did it do what they told you etc?

 

[MifflinKid]

I had inter ocular lens transplant surgery on my eyes in November 2013 (left eye) and February 2014 (right eye). This was to eliminate very bad cataract vision in my left eye and moderately bad cataract vision in the right eye. I too had halo vision at night.

My left eye is now 20/20 at distance; my right eye is 20/25 at distance. I do have a spot of astigmatism in my right eye; that is probably why my right eye is not 20/20. (The area of astigmatism is located in an area that could not be corrected by the implanted right lens.) I was formerly near sighted, now I'm far sighted. So I now have to use glasses to read but I can see distant objects just fine. There is no more halo vision, driving at night is no problem for me now.

The results of the surgery on my shooting has been very beneficial. I am a cowboy action shooter. My scores improved significantly. Sort of logical as I can now see the front sight of my rifle and the front bead of my shotgun clearly. My handgun front sights (5 1/2 inch barrels) are just slightly clearer. I went from usually finishing in the middle of the pack of 20 to 30 shooter to now finishing in the upper third most of the time. For being 65 years of age, that is OK by me.

I am right eye dominant and shoot right handed. I notice when shooting a rifle for precision I can actually get slightly better groups using my left eye than when using my right eye. I attribute this to the uncorrected astigmatism in my right eye. When plinking with handguns or testing handgun loads I can see the fronts sights better than before my surgery. I think my handgun bench rest shooting has improved since the surgery but I have no firm evidence of that.

I can't make a recommendation about your astigmatism correction. It would have been nice to have my astigmatism fixed but honestly I wouldn't pay $3000 to do it. But my astigmatism is fairly mild and the astigmatic area is not in the center of my dominant right eye.

That is all I can contribute. I hope your surgeries go well. Just follow your doctor's orders before and after the operations. I'm sure you will be as pleased with the results as I am.

 

[unspellable]

I have had a total of six eye surgeries. The first two were for cataracts. I don't know the particulars of your astigmatism, but if it's not too severe you will find that most of the difference between day and night vision is due to the cataracts, particularly the halo and star effect. There is a certain amount of guess work in picking the implant lenses so your near/distance vision may come out a bit different than expected. Also, plan ahead. My wife's lens implants came out at near perfect distance vision. She didn't like this as she was used to being near sighted and now doesn't like having to use glasses for close up. On his point you want to plan ahead and discuss it with your doctor. Following cataract surgery I had cornea transplants which added another variable and I ended up far sighted, but well corrected with glasses.
What goes around comes around. Years ago my kid brother died in an auto accident and we donated his corneas. Now I'm using somebody else's.

 

[george burns]

I had inter ocular lens transplant surgery on my eyes in November 2013 (left eye) and February 2014 (right eye). This was to eliminate very bad cataract vision in my left eye and moderately bad cataract vision in the right eye. I too had halo vision at night.

My left eye is now 20/20 at distance; my right eye is 20/25 at distance. I do have a spot of astigmatism in my right eye; that is probably why my right eye is not 20/20. (The area of astigmatism is located in an area that could not be corrected by the implanted right lens.) I was formerly near sighted, now I'm far sighted. So I now have to use glasses to read but I can see distant objects just fine. There is no more halo vision, driving at night is no problem for me now.

The results of the surgery on my shooting has been very beneficial. I am a cowboy action shooter. My scores improved significantly. Sort of logical as I can now see the front sight of my rifle and the front bead of my shotgun clearly. My handgun front sights (5 1/2 inch barrels) are just slightly clearer. I went from usually finishing in the middle of the pack of 20 to 30 shooter to now finishing in the upper third most of the time. For being 65 years of age, that is OK by me.

I am right eye dominant and shoot right handed. I notice when shooting a rifle for precision I can actually get slightly better groups using my left eye than when using my right eye. I attribute this to the uncorrected astigmatism in my right eye. When plinking with handguns or testing handgun loads I can see the fronts sights better than before my surgery. I think my handgun bench rest shooting has improved since the surgery but I have no firm evidence of that.

I can't make a recommendation about your astigmatism correction. It would have been nice to have my astigmatism fixed but honestly I wouldn't pay $3000 to do it. But my astigmatism is fairly mild and the astigmatic area is not in the center of my dominant right eye.

That is all I can contribute. I hope your surgeries go well. Just follow your doctor's orders before and after the operations. I'm sure you will be as pleased with the results as I am.

Thank you for the valuable info

 

[AlexanderA]

I had cataract surgery in 2010 / 2011 (as soon as I became eligible for Medicare). The important thing to remember about the implanted lenses is that the eye can no longer adjust itself for focus. The new lenses have a fixed focus. My eye doctor recommended a compromise lens prescription, so that, without glasses, I can see reasonably well at all distances, but not the sharpest possible at any distance. These lenses also don't correct for astigmatism. Therefore, I still need glasses (bifocals), although not with as strong a prescription as before. This is OK, because I've been wearing glasses practically my whole life and I'm used to them. Also, glasses help protect the eyes from irritation and injury.

The first thing I noticed, after the surgery, is that colors became brighter and more vivid. Previously, with the cataracts, everything had a yellow cast but I wasn't aware of the difference. Get implant lenses with UV protection (most of them have it).

I wouldn't mess with the Lasik surgery for astigmatism (it reshapes the cornea). Just stick with the cataract replacement. And it goes without saying that you should have one eye done at a time, in case something goes wrong. Cataract surgery is generally very safe and routine. You'll be awake throughout the procedure, which is normally done on an outpatient basis.

 

[Hanshi]

I had my right (dominant) eye fixed about three and a half weeks ago and the left one done last Monday. The cataracts were removed and I opted for the simple lenses for distance vision which didn't cost extra. My vision is quite good, now, and my bifocal glasses are now useless. Until my vision stabilizes, I've been using a pair of my wife's reading glasses. I'll have to have reading glasses to read, type and see up close and shoot. The front sight on my rifles and pistols is finally sharp and no longer fuzzy if I'm wearing shooting glasses. I'll probably get a pair of proper shooting glasses.

I had the option of various lens types but IMHO they were not worth the extra $$$.

 

[C.F. Plinker]

I had my right eye done about 2 years ago. When I asked the doctor about the implant for astigmatism he said that the numbers just weren't there so I got the simple correction. The surgery got rid of all of the spherical correction for distance and about half of the astigmatism correction. There is enough astigmatism that I still need glasses. Uncorrected, the operated eye is much better than the non-operated eye and with correction the operated eye is better than the non-operated eye with its correction

I got the implant for distance so that hopefully (at that time) I could drive without glasses. Didn't work out that way. I've worn glasses since high school so I'm used to them. In a previous life my employer would by prescription safety glasses every other year. I still get them for myself even though I've been retired for well over 10 years. Between shooting, woodworking, metalworking etc. I want that protection without having to try to remember where I put the safety glasses the last time I used them.

I use my operated eye for shooting. With scopes and red dots I just use my regular (remember they are safety) glasses. With iron sights I use plain safety glasses with a 5/64 diopter. These glasses are physically big enough to fit over my prescription glasses if I want the astigmatism correction.

The ophthalmologist said that the option of having both eyes done at the same time was open. I was talking to my optician before I saw the surgeon and they said that one of the people in the office had had that done. She said do NOT even consider that. She was right. I would have been difficult, sometimes impossible, to get around and get things done for 2-3 weeks if I had both eyes operated on.

See your optician before the surgery so you can have an uncorrected lens put in your frames right after surgery. That way you will be able to use the operated eye as soon as they take the bandage off. Otherwise you will be using your new eye which probably doesn't need much correction with the prescription that was used before surgery.

 

[Leanwolf]

I'm having the IOL surgery next week and my cataract will be removed. I went for the distance lens as I am very used to using glasses to read, write, etc., so reading glasses don't bother me. I'll let you boys know how it went when complete.

L.W.

 

[hdwhit]

I was nearsighted as a child. About the time I reached 45, the farsightedness that develops as most people age cancelled it out. By age 50, I had 20/20 vision (but with astigmatism so I still have to have glasses). I've been told the astignatism can be corrected, but I have been wondering if it worth the cost and potential (albeit tiny) risks.

 

[george burns]

I had my right eye done about 2 years ago. When I asked the doctor about the implant for astigmatism he said that the numbers just weren't there so I got the simple correction. The surgery got rid of all of the spherical correction for distance and about half of the astigmatism correction. There is enough astigmatism that I still need glasses. Uncorrected, the operated eye is much better than the non-operated eye and with correction the operated eye is better than the non-operated eye with its correction

I got the implant for distance so that hopefully (at that time) I could drive without glasses. Didn't work out that way. I've worn glasses since high school so I'm used to them. In a previous life my employer would by prescription safety glasses every other year. I still get them for myself even though I've been retired for well over 10 years. Between shooting, woodworking, metalworking etc. I want that protection without having to try to remember where I put the safety glasses the last time I used them.

I use my operated eye for shooting. With scopes and red dots I just use my regular (remember they are safety) glasses. With iron sights I use plain safety glasses with a 5/64 diopter. These glasses are physically big enough to fit over my prescription glasses if I want the astigmatism correction.

The ophthalmologist said that the option of having both eyes done at the same time was open. I was talking to my optician before I saw the surgeon and they said that one of the people in the office had had that done. She said do NOT even consider that. She was right. I would have been difficult, sometimes impossible, to get around and get things done for 2-3 weeks if I had both eyes operated on.

See your optician before the surgery so you can have an uncorrected lens put in your frames right after surgery. That way you will be able to use the operated eye as soon as they take the bandage off. Otherwise you will be using your new eye which probably doesn't need much correction with the prescription that was used before surgery.

Good idea

 

[Sav .250]

Had cataract surgery on my eyes (one at a time) a couple of years back. No problems.
Things are more sharper and brighter now. I`m a happy camper.

 

[DJW]

Thanks so much for this useful info. My eye dr. just told me that my cataracts are bad enough that medicare will pay for their removal and I am gathering all the info I can so I can make an informed choice. Needless to say, I am kinda apprehensive about any surgery on any part of myself.

 

[larry7293]

Thanks so much for this useful info. My eye dr. just told me that my cataracts are bad enough that medicare will pay for their removal and I am gathering all the info I can so I can make an informed choice. Needless to say, I am kinda apprehensive about any surgery on any part of myself.

I had cataract surgery two years ago and made the decision to have the Astigmatism corrected per my doctors advise. I am glad I spent the extra money, in my case it was $1200 extra not $3000.

 

[DJW]

Since the eye dr. told me they were ready to come out I have noticed that it is difficult to distinguish between red and green stop and go lights............my wife is kinda worried about the safety issue but I know by position on the pole(or overhead) which color is showing. In any case, thanks for all the info.

 

[entropy]

Not all astigmatism is caused by the corneas. Irregular astigmatism is internal, and cannot be corrected during IOL surgery. Be sure which yours is first. A good wait time between doing the eyes is 1-2 months, depending on progress with the first one. I haven't had IOL surgery-I am an optician, and work with pre and post cat patients.
BTW, for those with really good insurance or lotsa $$$, there are IOL lenses available that accomodate (focus) like your natural ones did before presbyopia set in. They are not cheap.

 

[scaatylobo]

HELL YES, had it done for my cataracts about 4 years ago and I shoot and ride my Harley and drive at night with NO PROBLEMS.

I had the lenses put in [ about a few thousand ] and I read without glasses [ on the puter without too ] and my hunting is SOOOOOO MUCH BETTER with no glasses to fog up.

YES, only a fool shoots without "eyes" ,so that is why I shoot with either sun glasses [ non scripted = very cool ] and I ride the bike with eye's too.

Best of luck to you,hope you get as lucky as me !!!!!.