Cataract Surgery and Hunting

Sjakon · Jan 26, 2020

Can anyone share their experience on hunting with a telescopic sight after cataract surgery in your shooting eye?

How does it compare with before you had a cataract?

Thank you

Newboomer · Jan 27, 2020

I had cataract surgery on both eyes and they did lens implants. It cleared up the cloudiness of cataracts but I still have trouble with lights at night. They are not sharp, more of a glow which compromises distance perception. I have no problem shooting with a scope. I can adjust the ocular lens for clarity same as before. I have Leupolds with illuminated reticles on my hunting rifles and it helps even in good daylight. I've found Vortex to be not as clear as Leupold and some others.

sierraone · Jan 27, 2020

I had cataract surgery two years ago and it made my vision almost like new again regardless of scope, no scope, day, night, whatever. BUT nothing is at good as being young with 20/20!

Sjakon · Jan 27, 2020

Newboomer said:
I had cataract surgery on both eyes and they did lens implants. It cleared up the cloudiness of cataracts but I still have trouble with lights at night. They are not sharp, more of a glow which compromises distance perception. I have no problem shooting with a scope. I can adjust the ocular lens for clarity same as before. I have Leupolds with illuminated reticles on my hunting rifles and it helps even in good daylight. I've found Vortex to be not as clear as Leupold and some others.

Thank you Newboomer. That was most useful. I will have to accept the inevitable and get it done sooner or later. I think I will do my safari first though.

Sjakon · Jan 27, 2020

sierraone said:
I had cataract surgery two years ago and it made my vision almost like new again regardless of scope, no scope, day, night, whatever. BUT nothing is at good as being young with 20/20!

Thank you Sierraone. That is very encouraging. Nice to know others who had it and still can hunt with minimal problems.

crs · Jan 27, 2020

Me too. Keep on trekking!

Speaking of 20/20 - one of my hunting buddies had 20/10 and always saw game before others. Made him a good PH. Age has made him 20/20 - Bummer!

USMA84DAB · Jan 27, 2020

My left eye was so dominant that I was seeing through it 90% and only about 10% in my right eye. They pounded the cataract in my right eye to break it up and put a lens in.

I was in the middle of teaching a pistol session on the range yesterday, and I got the starry/blurry eye stuff one experiences in a migraine. My left eye was unable to see the sights of my pistol. I switched to my right side and hit all plates in my demo for the student.

With the lens I am 20/40 in my right eye. Lots better than blind. Scopes are mandatory now though, due to NOT having young eyes at 20/20 and always needing cheaters to read. Get it done!

Oh for the days of 20/10! And all the other age-related little badges of experience my body has! LOL!!!!!

Sjakon · Jan 27, 2020

USMA84DAB said:
My left eye was so dominant that I was seeing through it 90% and only about 10% in my right eye. They pounded the cataract in my right eye to break it up and put a lens in.

I was in the middle of teaching a pistol session on the range yesterday, and I got the starry/blurry eye stuff one experiences in a migraine. My left eye was unable to see the sights of my pistol. I switched to my right side and hit all plates in my demo for the student.

With the lens I am 20/40 in my right eye. Lots better than blind. Scopes are mandatory now though, due to NOT having young eyes at 20/20 and always needing cheaters to read. Get it done!

Oh for the days of 20/10! And all the other age-related little badges of experience my body has! LOL!!!!!

Thank you USMA84DAB. Yes I reckon I may in a few months. The thing that bothers me is my shooting eye (right eye) is slightly blurred compared with the left eye. Using a scope is still OK but not like it used to be. Should be fine for shooting buffalo next month though. It is my first safari

JimP · Jan 27, 2020

I first had it done on my right eye which is my dominant eye and had zero problems with it. I was actually out elk hunting 2 weeks after the surgery was done. Since then I have also had it done on my left eye, and am not 20/20 as far as distance vision is concerned.

The only downfall is that I need readers to read a book or paper. They now have a type of bifocal lens that they can implant to eliminate the need for glasses but I have heard mixed reviews on that replacement lens.

sierraone · Jan 27, 2020

JimP said:
I first had it done on my right eye which is my dominant eye and had zero problems with it. I was actually out elk hunting 2 weeks after the surgery was done. Since then I have also had it done on my left eye, and am not 20/20 as far as distance vision is concerned.

The only downfall is that I need readers to read a book or paper. They now have a type of bifocal lens that they can implant to eliminate the need for glasses but I have heard mixed reviews on that replacement lens.

I had 2020 until I was about 48 and then started using reading glasses. When I had the surgery at 65, the Doc told me I would still need reading glasses unless I opted for the more expensive bi-focal lenses. Since I had already been using readers for many years, the idea of continuing to use them was not a concern. Have been totally happy with the surgery I had thus far.

Sjakon · Jan 27, 2020

JimP said:
I first had it done on my right eye which is my dominant eye and had zero problems with it. I was actually out elk hunting 2 weeks after the surgery was done. Since then I have also had it done on my left eye, and am not 20/20 as far as distance vision is concerned.

The only downfall is that I need readers to read a book or paper. They now have a type of bifocal lens that they can implant to eliminate the need for glasses but I have heard mixed reviews on that replacement lens.

Thank you JimP
That sounds good. Thank you for sharing. I have been using progressive reading glasses for many years so it should not bother me being 20/20 for distance and needing reading glasses. I don’t want multifocal implants.

Rob404 · Jan 27, 2020

I had Lasik done this winter I have not been to the range yet (winter in Minnesota) but so far I have 20-20 Vision still need cheaters for computer work I have also noticed that colors are more Vivid and even older scopes are brighter

Newboomer · Jan 27, 2020

Even after my surgeries I still wear bifocals and don't pick up irons very well. Kinda the old eye syndrome. Illuminated scopes from now on.

Sjakon · Jan 27, 2020

Rob404 said:
I had Lasik done this winter I have not been to the range yet (winter in Minnesota) but so far I have 20-20 Vision still need cheaters for computer work I have also noticed that colors are more Vivid and even older scopes are brighter

Hi Rob404 was it Lasik or Laser (Femtosecond Laser) assisted cataract surgery?

Sjakon · Jan 27, 2020

Newboomer said:
Even after my surgeries I still wear bifocals and don't pick up irons very well. Kinda the old eye syndrome. Illuminated scopes from now on.

Yes I have had trouble using iron sights for quite a few years so will not miss them

MarkD · Jun 10, 2020

I had surgery on my right eye last June, at age 47. I went from great vision to legally blind in just over 6 months. After the surgery it took about 3 days and I had my old vision back. I went with a distance lens do to shooting sporting clays as my wife and mines main hobby. I knew I would have to start wearing readers because of my lens choice. My left eye also has a cataract and I’m just now starting to notice it. I will have it fixed way quicker than my right eye. My only thing is now I can’t read my turrets to dial for elevation when shooting my long range gun with out my readers. Sucked getting old!!!

MS 9x56 · Jun 10, 2020

MarkD said:
I had surgery on my right eye last June, at age 47. I went from great vision to legally blind in just over 6 months. After the surgery it took about 3 days and I had my old vision back. I went with a distance lens do to shooting sporting clays as my wife and mines main hobby. I knew I would have to start wearing readers because of my lens choice. My left eye also has a cataract and I’m just now starting to notice it. I will have it fixed way quicker than my right eye. My only thing is now I can’t read my turrets to dial for elevation when shooting my long range gun with out my readers. Sucked getting old!!!

I second that.

tedthorn · Jun 10, 2020

I had lenses implanted into both of my eyes a couple years ago.

No issues at all shooting or using binoculars and my night vision is as good as it ever was

JimP · Jun 10, 2020

Nice thing now on insurance and cataracts is that you don't have to wait for them to get ripe as they used to say.

I had my first eye done when I was 56 and the one in the other eye was there but not getting any bigger. Then the doc told me that they would do it any time that I wanted to get rid of it. It was gone a month later.

Now my distance vision is fantastic but I do have to pull out the readers for books or filling out paper work.

I did ask on the first one about how long I would have to wait before shooting a high power high recoiling rifle and the doc said a week. I had a elk hunt planned for a couple of weeks after I had it done.

Cataract Surgery and Hunting

Sjakon

Newboomer

sierraone

Sjakon

Sjakon

crs

USMA84DAB

Sjakon

JimP

sierraone

Sjakon

Rob404

Newboomer

Sjakon

Sjakon

MarkD

MS 9x56

tedthorn

JimP

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