Cataract surgery: does it affect shooting?

[Tell Sackett SASS 18436]

And other things?

I’m looking at getting my eye’s fixed next month and I’m wondering how it’s going to affect shooting, driving, & tv watching.

What concerns me is that I have to choose 1 eye for distance and 1 for close up. I’ve had a bad right eye all my life and had to make adjustments to shoot. I started by learning to shoot my rifle left handed. I did ok, but it never felt right. I learned how to shoot my pistols with my left eye. 
Can anyone tell me if they had to make similar choices and how it affected their shooting & driving & tv watching? Am I going to have to keep 1 eye closed to make things doable? The prospect is concerning, to say the least!

[Eyesa Horg]

I had both eyes done a couple months apart. The biggest issue for me was needing different readers depending on the tasks. IE working at a bench, reading, the computer etc. Had the dollar glasses everywhere!! Dealt with slightly blurry sights for years. Now have to wear glasses again!!! My shooting glasses, I had to go with a fixed right lens for front sight focus. Works OK, but distant targets are blurry for me and the rear sight sucks. They're good for CAS, but a pain at hundred yards with my muzzleloaders!

[Blackwater 53393]

When Schoolmarm had her cataract surgeries, she opted for distance lenses in both eyes.  She wears reading glasses for up close stuff and she’s really happy with it!

[The Rainmaker, SASS #11631]

Having not had cataract surgery, but working in an optometry clinic in a prior life, if you have a distance prescription, they can correct that when the surgery is performed; I would think the near correction as well. If you're unfamiliar with the surgery (or condition), your biological lens inside your eye gets clouded from proteins and they remove it completely and replace it with a synthetic lens(s) and these lenses can contain a prescription correcting your distance vision. I say distance, as your age-related "short-arm-syndrome" can not be corrected through this surgery. A lot of people who wear glasses for distance report not having to wear them any more and only need readers, if necessary. You will definitely have a healing period where I would rest them eyes from shootin' for a (short) bit. Like Blackwater says, you can opt for distance lenses in both eyes, or (especially if you had glasses that way) get one distance lens and one near lens. My mom did that since wearing contacts that way and loves it. Good luck.

Edited June 23 by The Rainmaker, SASS #11631

[Garrison Joe, SASS #60708]

Depends a bunch on just how bad the right eye is.   If you currently can get it "20-20" (or close) with a good lens in your glasses, then you probably can get the right eye surgery to do just as good a job.   Ask your Doc who is going to do the lens replacement for sure.  If you have astigmatism in one or both eyes, realize that could be corrected with the new implants, but it's about twice as expensive and insurance is reluctant to cover that extra cost.  

 

I had cataract surgery, one eye then the other, about 20 years ago.  I had both eyes set for close distance because I had been myopic all my life.  Now, I wish I had just had distance correction lenses put in.  Might have been able to drive and shoot and watch tv without correction, and just use glasses as readers and for computer work.   I would not recommend the split distances on the lens settings, it will cut your peripheral vision down.   But, I have strong astigmatism in one eye, would not have paid extra for the implants because my history is the astigmatism SHIFTS angle every couple of years, and I still would have needed glasses to shoot and drive even with distance implants put in.  Sigh.

 

After surgery, I surely saw better than with the cataracts.  Saw COLORS again, too.   Unless the surgery goes badly, you will have little problem with any of those activities.  Rest up after surgery as prescribed by your surgeon.    It IS worth it to find a GOOD cataract surgeon.   Not just a small town eye doctor.      

 

good luck, GJ

Edited June 23 by Garrison Joe, SASS #60708

[J.D. Daily]

Beside using readers for close work I use SSP sports eyewear with shooting bifocal lens in left side and std lens in the right side.  The magnification is located on the top part of the lens.  Prior to cataract surgery I used 3X readers and after 1.25X.  My SSP shooting eyewear had 3X lens in the left side.  The $5k for the surgery was well spent.

[Eyesa Horg]

4 minutes ago, J.D. Daily said:

Beside using readers for close work I use SSP sports eyewear with shooting bifocal lens in left side and std lens in the right side.  The magnification is located on the top part of the lens.  Prior to cataract surgery I used 3X readers and after 1.25X.  My SSP shooting eyewear had 3X lens in the left side.  The $5k for the surgery was well spent.

Good price! The surgeon charged me 5K per eye at a 50% discount for paying up front. The hospital another 5-6K per eye. Was still worth it. Just wish I wasn't back into glasses again in less than ten years. But still clear vision without the cloudiness.

[Cowtown Scout, SASS #53540 L]

I  had caterac surgery many years ago and it made everthing clear and colors pop.  I started wearng glasses in high school for distance vision when I started driving.  Later in life I needed bifocals to read things close, noticed when reading plans at the Architect's office where I worked. 

 

I got plain lenses when I had them replaced in the caterac surgery because that is what insurance would cover without additional charges.  After surgery I needed NO distance correction and now have prescription glasses for computer work and reading up close.  My shooting glasses are now just plain lenses with a small bifocal down low to allow reading things close and loading/unloading my firearms before and after each stage. 

 

Not sure how anyone deals with the one eye distance and one eye close!  I know people who do, but still don't understand why.

Edited June 23 by Cowtown Scout, SASS #53540 L

[J.D. Daily]

52 minutes ago, Eyesa Horg said:

Good price! The surgeon charged me 5K per eye at a 50% discount for paying up front. The hospital another 5-6K per eye. Was still worth it. Just wish I wasn't back into glasses again in less than ten years. But still clear vision without the cloudiness.

All the services required were done by a corporation that specializes in eye surgery in Reno.  I wish I had known I would receive a VA 70% disability rating a year after I had it done so I'd have $5,000 in 2021 dollars more in my 401k.

[Cheyenne Ranger, 48747L]

both of mine are set for distance.  No trouble with sights on rifle or pistol.  

do have dioptor +1.00 for reading glasses.  Need them when I'm doing stuff about 1 foot away.

Two feet to the computer screen and no need for glasses.

 

 

 

[Tell Sackett SASS 18436]

Hmmm…..some interesting replies!

My bad eye is an odd problem: it’s like there’s a blind spot right in the middle of my vision. No one was able to diagnose it or correct it! Till now-maybe.

I think we need to ask more questions when we go for pre surgery tests!

But my wife’s good at THAT! Me-not so much.

Thanks everyone!

[John Kloehr]

Ask me in a few months. I get one eye in the next two weeks, the other a month later. Severely near-sighted all my life. I'm going for distance vision in both eyes with lenses to correct for astigmatism. Will run about $4K. Would just be copays/deductible if I went with the basic lenses. Not worried about deductibles as I hit those every year anyway.

 

I keep reading comments about brighter colors. I'm tired of the blurry spots and light "blooms" from headlights at night. Been delaying as long as I could but my natural lenses no longer adjust focus for distance at all anymore.

 

Not sure how long the "no shooting" restriction will be in place but the doc told me there will be restrictions.

[Choctaw Jack]

I had  Lasic surgery before having cataracts removed, so it was a little different f or me , but both procedures went great.

I had one eye adjusted to focus at just a little over arms length ( front site distance) , and one for driving and other " farther out" activities.

Its' worked really well for me.

Had the cataract surgery about six years ago, and so far ,every thing is good.

I can function quite well without corrective lenses, but for really small, close up work, keep a couple of pairs of dollar store reading reading glasses laying around. I can drive without glasses with no problem. ( I Don drive much at night, but that has more to do with the Lasic treatment.

A good Pard just had his cataracts removed, and he chose to have the distance lenses in both eyes, and has to use glasses for up close work.

I tell him his readers are just like his American Express card :

" Don't Leave Leave Home without It!"

Choctaw Jack

[Mister Badly]

I got bifocal lenses when I had mlne done. No readers needed 

[Doug E Turtle]

6 minutes ago, John Kloehr said:

Ask me in a few months. I get one eye in the next two weeks, the other a month later. Severely near-sighted all my life. I'm going for distance vision in both eyes with lenses to correct for astigmatism. Will run about $4K. Would just be copays/deductible if I went with the basic lenses. Not worried about deductibles as I hit those every year anyway.

 

I keep reading comments about brighter colors. I'm tired of the blurry spots and light "blooms" from headlights at night. Been delaying as long as I could but my natural lenses no longer adjust focus for distance at all anymore.

 

Not sure how long the "no shooting" restriction will be in place but the doc told me there will be restrictions.

 

I had one eye done last year and doing the next one in a month...first time my doc told me to take it easy for a couple weeks, but that was it.

 

Yes, it's really bright at first, but then your brain adjusts to it within a week or so and everything then looks as it should...I was seeing a lot of the ultraviolet colors of the spectrum at first.

[Billy Boots, # 20282 LTG-Regulator]

I have had both done in last 5 years

 I had Lasic long years ago to correct very bad vision . Loved it because it did away with my thick eyewear. Cataract surgery took me back to pre lasic so need of eyewear once again. Not suck a big deal as i wear glasses to shoot anyway.

Now my true correction is near +2 so I just got cheap shooting glasses from Amazon in +2 correction. Then I discovered the awesome  HD GOLD shooting glasses. I just get them in +2 cotrection. 

A 2.5 to 3 is better for reading but to much for my shooting.

You should be very pleased with surgery and back to shooting in few weeks

.

[Waimea]

My left eye had a big glop of floater right in the middle of my vision.

Right eye had random floaters, annoying enough to get both done.

The left was not a good experience. It hurt and I was blind in that eye for a week. It was like looking through the bottom of a coke bottle. Now 3 years later I still have a film over that eye. I'm hoping to find someone here in AZ that can fix it.

The right eye went great. No pain. I was sedated but could hear everything that was going on. My wife took me home. Sad it was the happiest she's ever seen me. She wants more of that drug. 

The right eye I can see 20/15 now. Thank the good Lord it's my dominant eye.

 

My advise is ask as many questions as it takes to make you feel comfortable.

Good luck!

[Krazy Kajun]

I had cataract surgery on both my eyes about 12 years ago, both lenses replaced.  I'm right eye dominant and have an astigmatism. I had the right eye lens set for short distances and left eye set for longer distances.  I do not need to wear glasses to drive...just use drug store readers for reading.  I have Wiley X shooting glasses with a prescription insert.  The right eye has the astigmatism correction and is set for best focus on front sight distance....the eye doctor let me bring my rifle into the office to measure exact distance from eye to front sight.  My left lens insert in my shooting glasses is just clear glass, no prescription.

 

While it may be more expensive to have corrective lenses put in it is SO worth it in the long run.  I paid a good bit over what the insurance coverage was but my sight is worth it.

 

Kajun

[Smokin Gator SASS #29736]

Had cataract surgery a few months ago. Got distance lenses in both eyes. Can use non prescription sunglasses.  I got bifocal glasses with a very small distance correction and set up at bottom for readers. I wear them nearly all the time instead of constantly putting readers on to read or use my phone.

 

As far as shooting goes. I have new Hunters Gold with distance in left eye and front sight focus in dominant eye for iron sights. They work great. I had a pair made years ago but as my cataracts and vision worsened they were eventually of no use. For shooting with a red dot optic I use non prescription shooting glasses. 

[Billy Boots, # 20282 LTG-Regulator]

1 hour ago, Smokin Gator SASS #29736 said:

Had cataract surgery a few months ago. Got distance lenses in both eyes. Can use non prescription sunglasses.  I got bifocal glasses with a very small distance correction and set up at bottom for readers. I wear them nearly all the time instead of constantly putting readers on to read or use my phone.

 

As far as shooting goes. I have new Hunters Gold with distance in left eye and front sight focus in dominant eye for iron sights. They work great. I had a pair made years ago but as my cataracts and vision worsened they were eventually of no use. For shooting with a red dot optic I use non prescription shooting glasses. 

I did progressive for daily wear. Not sure great advantage over bifocal. Fortunately  the +2 is close enough  that shooting glasses do not require prescription.  Been a financial plus for Hunters company. Sassy and I enjoy blues and golds.

[River Roll]

I've had both of mine done.  The left was first and was able to read street signs in time to react for the first time in my life so was happy.  A year later I had the right eye done and had the option of a split lens to be able to read and see distance.  It hasn't affected my shooting much but have to use cheaters at my computer and binoculars are now useless.  I see two images when I try to use them so have to close the right eye.  Weird!

[Smokin Gator SASS #29736]

1 hour ago, Billy Boots, # 20282 LTG-Regulator said:

I did progressive for daily wear. Not sure great advantage over bifocal. Fortunately  the +2 is close enough  that shooting glasses do not require prescription.  Been a financial plus for Hunters company. Sassy and I enjoy blues and golds.

 

My daily glasses are actually progressives. 

[The Blarney Kid]

Had surgery done last August. Both eyes corrected for distance, use readers for close work. No problems with my cowboy shooting. Just shot the Quigley match last week and it was great, I could see the targets much clearer. 

[Cpt Dan Blodgett, SASS #75655]

Got my eyes done a few years back, would say the surgery had a very positive effect on seeing the front sight.

[Texas Jack Ried]

On 6/23/2025 at 3:33 PM, Tell Sackett SASS 18436 said:

Hmmm…..some interesting replies!

My bad eye is an odd problem: it’s like there’s a blind spot right in the middle of my vision. No one was able to diagnose it or correct it! Till now-maybe.

I think we need to ask more questions when we go for pre surgery tests!

But my wife’s good at THAT! Me-not so much.

Thanks everyone!

Sir, what you are describing can be a sign of macular ddegeneration. I had both eyes done, and regained 20/20 uncorrected vision. I am also a nurse of many years. Please get a second opinion. 

[Bison Bud]

I've worn glasses since I was in 2nd grade and was extremely near sighted until I had advancing cataracts in both eyes done about 8 years ago.  My distance vision is now better than it ever was, as even with the pop bottle thick lenses I needed back then, I never really had 20/20 vision and I do now!  Anyway, I'm not sure that I would go with the one eye corrected for distance and the other for closer work.  I have heard of doing this, but it sounds awkward to me, especially for shooting!  I guess it's really all in what you get used to, but I chose to just correct the distance vision.  Anyway, my wife looked into this recently and apparently they now have implant lenses that can correct for both distance and close work, just like the bi-focals you wear on your face.  However, I think I would still consider just getting the distance vision corrected in both eyes and just wear readers for the close work.  If your goal is to get away from wearing glasses altogether, this might not be your best option, but it works for me.  In fact, I've worn glasses for so long they just feel like part of me and after using the readers for awhile, I went back to wearing bi-focals with no distance correction in them full time.  This way they are always ready to go and I don't have to keep looking for my readers all the time.  All in all, it's your choice and it is amazing just how well they can correct your vision with these implants.  Best thing I ever did, at least by elective surgery!  Good luck and good shooting to all! 

 

 

[SouthwestShooter]

On 6/23/2025 at 9:51 AM, Eyesa Horg said:

I had both eyes done a couple months apart. The biggest issue for me was needing different readers depending on the tasks. IE working at a bench, reading, the computer etc. Had the dollar glasses everywhere!! Dealt with slightly blurry sights for years. Now have to wear glasses again!!! My shooting glasses, I had to go with a fixed right lens for front sight focus. Works OK, but distant targets are blurry for me and the rear sight sucks. They're good for CAS, but a pain at hundred yards with my muzzleloaders!

Ditto 

[SouthwestShooter]

I had shooting glasses made at Zeni

Glasses. 

 Right eye prescription lens 4-6 inches past arms length n left len's clear  so I don't fall while walking between  stages.

Got 2 prescriptions from my eye doctor.  1 for shooting as described above,,,,,,and 1 fir real life.

Windy

[Reverend Leadslinga]

Here's my experience. I have just very recently had both eyes done. They were done 2 weeks apart. It has been maybe 6 weeks. Since my late teens I was as blind as a bat and had lasik surgery maybe 20 years ago, which was one of the best things I have had done. Over the 10 years or so I have been shooting cowboy I have had pretty mild prescriptions in my shooting glasses. Decots for a while, from my old skeet shooting days and now Hunters Gold. I now have 20 20 after the cataract surgery. Now!! Here is what I have noticed in the 3 matches I have shot since the surgery. Let me prefix by stating I actually look at the targets and not the front sight when I shoot, a carry over from skeet shooting. The target  is sharp and the sight, rifle or pistol, is the blurry  part of the equation. The targets are still sharp with my shooting glasses that now of course have NO prescription at all. The only thing I have noticed is that what ever my "short" vision was, for want of a better term, before the surgery, the front sight is not quite as prominent, albeit blurry, as it was prior surgery. Hope that makes sense. I have been taking that split second to look at that sight and getting on the target and then revert back to the steel. I believe even with 20 20 you can have a prescription for your master eye so that sight is clear and no prescription in the left eye.  I am in the early stages of looking into this. Bottom line I am delighted with having my cataract surgery done.

I had noticed over the last year or so things were not as crisp as they used to be and at my yearly check up 2 or 3 months back I was told about the cataracts   

Edited July 9 by Reverend Leadslinga

[John Kloehr]

I'm now one week past my first cataract surgery. This is my non-dominant eye and has glaucoma damage (bottom half is not good). Also severe nearsightedness in both eyes throughout my life.

 

I decided to go for vision correction with the cataract surgery, and this is a life change.

 

And there was a hiccup. I had a simple plan to get a "zero" lens for the "serviced" eye... Ended up not being able to see squat. Best solution was to put a post-it over the fixed eye. Not a problem with what the doc did, the problem is what us severely myopic folks call the "fishbowl" effect. The other eye is still severely nearsighted, so the eyeglass lens makes everything in this eye both curve in and look smaller. But the corrected eye which can sort of see now without correction is clear, focused, not curved in, is a bit brighter, and has better color perception... Basically double vision at every point in the field with varying overlays.

 

Today, I had a contact fitted to the dominant eye. Kind of an emergency appointment. AND I CAN SEE AGAIN!!! Have also purchased my second pair of drug store reading glasses, had the first loss of a screw from one of them today (what can you expect for $12?), and am learning to adjust for losing my built-in microscope. Used to just take my glasses off to see incredible detail at four inches.

 

Will get the other eye done in about three weeks. Then figure out what vision will be like after that. Hoping going for vision correction is the best choice, could have stayed nearsighted or maybe picked some middle ground (very cooperative docs). One thing I am now sure of is to not choose severe near vision in one eye and far vision in the other, and plan on glasses to make them work together. They won't. Fortunately, I did wear contacts for a long time way back and despite the typical drawbacks they come with (wind, dust, instability), they are a good stopgap solution for correction of one eye at a time when the correction is severe. Just get fitted a few weeks before the surgery, I should have foreseen this.

 

As a tl;dr, spent about $100 for a contact prescription and lenses to last me until the other eye gets done.

[John Kloehr]

Took longer for the second eye, done today. This one shows some glare/halos, that will hopefully go away in the next few days and weeks.

 

Doc prefers to wait at least 30 days before measuring for a prescription for any remaining correction or for reading (or shooting) glasses.

 

I now have three pairs of drug-store readers, various brands in a couple strengths. They are all crap! I have frames, would just be the cost of a prescription and lenses. Would you do a fitting sooner (and another a bit later) or just wait. I will wait until the eyes are table and I know what works before getting a pair of HD Gold shooting glasses. I am willing to get going just to test and learn what will work after going from severe near-sightedness to near 20/20 vision.

Edited September 9 by John Kloehr

[Texas Jack Black]

 Had both eyes done with Multi-Focal lenses ss paid the cost of fixed ones if i chose  them I picked up the difference cost me just two thousand .I cansee near and far no glasses. But, I just detached my retina and I am dealing with recovery.

[Vail Vigilante]

On 6/23/2025 at 2:29 PM, Waimea said:

My left eye had a big glop of floater right in the middle of my vision.

Right eye had random floaters, annoying enough to get both done.

The left was not a good experience. It hurt and I was blind in that eye for a week. It was like looking through the bottom of a coke bottle. Now 3 years later I still have a film over that eye. I'm hoping to find someone here in AZ that can fix it.

The right eye went great. No pain. I was sedated but could hear everything that was going on. My wife took me home. Sad it was the happiest she's ever seen me. She wants more of that drug. 

The right eye I can see 20/15 now. Thank the good Lord it's my dominant eye.

 

My advise is ask as many questions as it takes to make you feel comfortable.

Good luck!

I would recomend Dr. Kilgore in Tucson at Arizona Eye Consultants. My wife had both her eyes done, distance lenses in  both. She has had GREAT results.

Her vision was so bad she voluntarily quit driving for some time. Now she drives all over the place. She need readers, from the dollar store. And you know what else? Her eyes look more beautiful now. 

[Tn Tombstone]

I had my first eye done one week ago and the second one done this morning. The restrictions are not bad, mostly common sense. I plan to shoot in two weeks.

[John Kloehr]

I'm sure doing a lot better this evening. Still some discomfort (minor pain) in the socket, but I am using the computer without any reading glasses at all. Had bad halos and such yesterday, doc said don't sweat over it. Did some googling (trust but verify). Setting aside the sense I was on the verge of death with some horrible and rare disease, guidance was still to not sweat it.

 

Tomorrow will be a new day, might do laundry and run the dishwasher. Also gas the truck and get groceries. By Friday, may wash my fun car. Doc says most activities are possible in a week but my limit right now is the weight of a gallon of water and no bending over,. Maybe consider two weeks for shooting. Especially if indoors or if shotgun. He had no issue at all with .22 outdoors in a week.

 

I'll go get a pair of frames fitted with "zero" lenses next week since it will be a month before I can get a true RX with any needed astigmatism correction (or any focus or close-up correction). They can at least serve as safety glasses. One of my bench-ready projects is a front sight change on an AK. Got a cross-hair; the default post completely covers a typical competition steel target at 100 yards. First experiment to see if I need further correction.