Cataract Surgery and Cowboy Shooting

[Turkey Bob]

 My question is for those of you who have Cataract surgery what distance lenses did you chose and has it helped or hurt your shooting? 
Turkey Bob 

[Chili Pepper Kid, SASS #60463]

I just did the standard lens that my insurance would pay for which is the distance correction. Just means I need reading glasses. I shoot with plain safety glasses. It’s a lot better than shooting with the bifocal glasses I had before. 

[Cowtown Scout, SASS #53540 L]

I wore glasses for distance vision starting my junior year of high school. Then as an adult at some point I had to get bifocals to be able to read the plans I was working on at the Architect where I worked. Sometime after 60 I started not being able to read road signs until I was upon them. Eye doc said I was getting cateracts and after the new prescription did not work after 3 months she said it was time for cateract surgery. 

 

I went with plan lenses that insurance would pay for. After surgery I no longer needed glasses for distance vision but still needed glasses for reading and working on the computer. 

[Yusta B.]

3 hours ago, Chili Pepper Kid, SASS #60463 said:

I just did the standard lens that my insurance would pay for which is the distance correction. Just means I need reading glasses. I shoot with plain safety glasses. It’s a lot better than shooting with the bifocal glasses I had before. 

What he said ^^^^^

[Major Bill]

Both eyes standard for 20/20. Do use reading glasses for reading books and computer. Had Doc do correction lens for shooting glasses on dominate eye. Puts revolver and rifle front sight clear

[Modoc]

I’m a really odd one in that my cataract was trauma induced and only in one eye.  I went with the basic lense for distance because my astigmatism is REALLY abnormal.  The only thing that it changed for me is that I can’t use my weak eye for shooting weak hand.  My Shooting glasses are prescription and are set for distance, but I use them for a lot more than shooting. 
 

A side note, I had my cataract surgery at 35 years old so I’ve been dealing with it for 15 years. 

[Choctaw Jack]

I had one eye regulated for distance ,and one eye for mid distance.

My surgeon knew that I am a shooter ,so he adjusted my dominant eye so that it focuses at open sight distance.For me that's about 39 inches from my face.

My left,non dominant eye compensates at distance for my right eye,and I wear reading glasses to compensate for my distance eye.

I shoot with both eyes open,and have no problem shooting iron sights on my rifle

 

Not a perfect system, but it works for me.

Of course, YMMV. 

Choctaw

[Smokin Gator SASS #29736]

My doctor told me several years ago that cataracts were beginning and eventually he wouldn't be able to correct my vision with glasses. Just had my recent check and no change in prescription this year. I guess that's good. But eventually it will happen.

I wear prescription shooting glasses with them set for my front sight in dominant eye and distance in the other.

[Bison Bud]

As most of the others have stated, my implants were for distance vision and I still need to use reading glasses.  I was extremely nearsighted previously and had been most of my life, with my first glasses in 2nd grade.  Frankly, it was a big adjustment to a complete reversal from nearsighted to farsighted, but my distance vision is now better than ever before!  I did have to go back about 3 years later, due to the development of "Secondary Cataracts,"  but the treatment is simply using a lazer to breakup the inner lens membrane that was left in place during the initial surgery and it only took about 10 minutes for each eye and it was back to normal again, with the exception of a few "Floaters" that eventually disappeared.   All in all, the surgery has been very beneficial for me in shooting as well as everyday life.  However, I got tired of always looking for my reading glasses and since I am so used to wearing glasses full time anyway, I went back to wearing bi-focals full time with basically no correction in the upper part of the lenses.  Not a perfect solution, but it works for me.   

[Billy Boots, # 20282 LTG-Regulator]

 

I use these from Amazon: Elvex RX-500C 2.0 Diopter Full Lens Magnifier Safety Glasses, Black Frame /Clear Lens

My suggestion is to stay away from bifocals and be sure your choice of ant brand is "full lens".  Even Full lens is not the complete lens but enough of lens for use.  These Elvex are inexpensive and sure serve the purpose for me after Cat surgery in shooting.

You will probably still need more professional glasses, maybe even bifocals,  for daily use, especially reading. 

 

BTW, the above suggestion was for shooting.  I, as many, had to get a pair of daily wear correction glasses after surgery. Unfortunately they were bifocals which I dislike, but fact of life in the aging process.  I also got progressive lens rather than "upper/lower" bifocals.  Although I have had them for couple of years, I am not convinced that I like the progressive style.  Perhaps it is just the fact to having to go back to wearing glasses full time that upsets me.  I started wearing glasses probably by 10 needing correction badly (think, bottom of coke bottles) then in seventies I started wearing contacts.  I progressed thru different types of contacts as years went by until the wonderful world of Lasik surgery.  Cataracts a few years ago ended that, now back to glasses, however,  I "ease the pain" by telling myself I would be shooting in glasses anyway.

[Turkey Bob]

I want thank all of you for your feed back ! The information has been a great help to me. 
Turkey Bob

SASS Life 6392. 

[Texas Jack Black]

 I went for the MULTI FOCAL LENS . I do not need glasses and can see both near and far. Very Satisfied.

[Mister Badly]

10 minutes ago, john brown said:

 I went for the MULTI FOCAL LENS . I do not need glasses and can see both near and far. Very Satisfied.

Me too. No more reading glasses. You can try to set focal point to your front sights.

[Roscoe Regulator]

Single focal plane in both eyes. Read with glasses. Prescription shooting glasses. It changed my dominant somehow, so I had to practice the transition and still have to concentrate on how to aim. I was askew anyway as righthanded and left eye dominant. I shoot better now without having to judge cocking my head. I did consider the cost but am not regretting taking the cheaper option.

[Marauder SASS #13056]

It also depends on your eyes, especially regarding any astigmatism.

 

I had my first done with the insurance covered plain lens but the Doc found that I had worse astig than had been measured.  So it came out pretty well, but is only about 20-30 or 35.

On the left eye, I paid the extra to address astigmatism and it is 20-20 almost 20-15.

 

One option is to go with "monovision" as some have done with eye glasses.  This is where one eye (dominant) is set for reading or front sight and the other for distance.  Most can adjust, but not all.  So experiment with glasses first to see how you respond.

 

As others have said, some had good luck with multi-focal but again, not everyone. 

 

So talk to you Doc about this concerning cost and effectiveness.   The increased cost is worth it, IF you need more expensive lenses.

[Cowtown Scout, SASS #53540 L]

11 hours ago, Billy Boots, # 20282 LTG-Regulator said:

 

I use these from Amazon: Elvex RX-500C 2.0 Diopter Full Lens Magnifier Safety Glasses, Black Frame /Clear Lens

My suggestion is to stay away from bifocals and be sure your choice of ant brand is "full lens".  Even Full lens is not the complete lens but enough of lens for use.  These Elvex are inexpensive and sure serve the purpose for me after Cat surgery in shooting.

You will probably still need more professional glasses, maybe even bifocals,  for daily use, especially reading. 

 

BTW, the above suggestion was for shooting.  I, as many, had to get a pair of daily wear correction glasses after surgery. Unfortunately they were bifocals which I dislike, but fact of life in the aging process.  I also got progressive lens rather than "upper/lower" bifocals.  Although I have had them for couple of years, I am not convinced that I like the progressive style.  Perhaps it is just the fact to having to go back to wearing glasses full time that upsets me.  I started wearing glasses probably by 10 needing correction badly (think, bottom of coke bottles) then in seventies I started wearing contacts.  I progressed thru different types of contacts as years went by until the wonderful world of Lasik surgery.  Cataracts a few years ago ended that, now back to glasses, however,  I "ease the pain" by telling myself I would be shooting in glasses anyway.

 

When I first got bifocals I went with progressives because I did not what the lines. However I discovered the distance correction was in the center of the lense and then progressed out all around from the center. SO I had lost my periforal vision which I could not deal with and changed them to line bifocals and got my periforal vision back.

 

After cateract surgery I now wear plain shooting glasses with bifocal reading lense low which helps at the loading table and also using a pad using a scoring program.

[Pee Wee #15785]

I went with distance and glasses for reading.  Over the 25 years they have started putting a little correction in the distance glass.  At 76 I still passed the BMV eye test without glasses.  Now the new car lights hurt my eyes so. I have to wear yellow tent glasses at night.  In buildings using a white light I also use yellow tent.