Cataract Surgery

Pete Wass

Pete Wass

Well-known member
Well, I finally decided to try to be able to see clearly again so scheduled having my Cataracts removed. As it turns out, several of my shooting friends are doing the same right now.

Had my first removed on Wednesday and things did not go as well as we had hoped but time should correct the issue. The holder of the lens broke so other steps had to be take. I have lots of floaters, which the Dr says will be absorbed. The good news is I had 20-25 vision in that eye the day after the surgery. He says that is good news and I hope he is right. Get my second one done on the 30th. Can't shoot or lift much for awhile. It will be nice to be able to see distant flags once again.

Pete
 
Good luck, Peter. I am in the "should do" group but just haven't brought myself to do it. My floaters and inability to focus on flags make my shooting a "for the fun of it" proposition. Wish you the best.
 
Me Too

I'm scheduled for the 4th and 18th of November. I haven't been told yet how long I'll have to lay off shooting. I also suffer from floaters. I've missed birds while shooting skeet because the floater obscured the bird and the sights. Same thing when shooting rapid fire with my .45. It'll be nice if they go away.
 
Had my first eye done in May and my second 3 weeks ago. Some places will do the second eye one day after the first. Others a week or two later. I strongly recommend waiting at least a month. You need to ensure no complications in the first eye plus with two eyes close together, the month-long drops schedules get confusing. And, if you're using steroid drops, two eyes at once is a large dose--if you have high eye pressure steroids can trigger glaucoma.

Floaters are not related to your lens--they are farther back. If produced by surgery, there must have been a lot of pressure applied. I've had floaters for 30+ years. Once present they seem to persist.

My main complaint is a shimmering in my far left and right peripheral vision after surgery--very annoying. I'm told it's common and usually gets better in time.

I have one eye corrected for distance vision and the dominant eye corrected for near vision. It works for me.

I was advised to avoid the "bifocal" intraocular lenses--stick with the simple lenses.

Good luck to all who had or will have this surgery. It almost always results in improved vision. If you can avoid the possible complications (infection and detached retina) it is great to see well again.
 
Pete, I had this done in 2000, I was 39yrs old. It is amazing how bright the world is and how important sunglasses become. Down side has been trying to shoot open sights, luckily I like high magnification scopes.
 
Good Move

Had my first surgery in the mid 80's. After 17 separate surgery's, I still have one eye I can still use to shoot. Of course driving and sometimes walking to walls is a problem. Take care and follow the Dr's orders.
 
Lens replacement surgery to both eyes (only one had a cataract) last year was the best thing that happened to me shootingwise in the last 25 years.

Comparing my results with a similar single eye job that my brother wen through, I recommend that the best available surgeon is selected.
 
Why?

vicvanb said:
Fred J--Why 17 surgerys???
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7 Detached retinas, 2 cornea transplants, (corneas, were damaged by infections caused by extended wear contacts). 2 cataract surgery's and two more to correct failed surgeries. & four laser treatments blood leakage and seal leaking blood vessels. My Glaucoma didn't help matters. Enough about my troubles, lets go shoot somewhere, I still have one eye that is cooperating, that's if the target doesn't move..
 
We all have problems but, luckily for me, mine isn't vision. I need reading glasses for close stuff but that's it. An ophthalmologist said that my total lack of cataracts in my mid-60's is probably largely largely due to my consistent use of UV blocking sunglasses for most of my life.

My wife had cataract surgery on her 2nd eye just a couple of months ago. She says that the difference is startling.
 
Ophthalmic lab work

Just some general information about my work with ophthalmologists. Floaters are usually caused by specks of blood in the vitreous chamber of the eye. The one closest to and often touches the retina. These can occur any time something leaks into the chamber. Little white cells whose name I have forgotten eats them and that is called reabsorbing. But some don't depending on what debris caused them. It doesn't happen with cataract surgery normally. For patients who are really troubled with floaters that should reabsorb but don't there are types of steroid injections that can stimulate the white cells into producing greater numbers of them.

The best results I have heard from fellow shooters who have had cataract surgery have told me correct both eyes for distance and use either single vision lenses for the near or a multi focal with no power in the distance and your script for the intermediate and near. This gives the patient a greater sense of depth especially for things like driving.

Fluctuations in the peripheral vision are often caused by varying pressures in the eye. Disrupting the organ with surgery can certainly do this and abates over time as it heals. When we are borne the vitreous chamber is in contact with the retina in about three places near the edge. As we get older it gradually moves away. This touch and go can cause the retina to be stimulated and produce bright flashes of light. Again nothing to worry about Sometimes it can be the onset of glaucoma. So if this symptom persists see the ophthalmologists.
Andy
 
Hey Rory

R.DesJardin said:
Pete, I had this done in 2000, I was 39yrs old. It is amazing how bright the world is and how important sunglasses become. Down side has been trying to shoot open sights, luckily I like high magnification scopes.
Click to expand...

Nice to hear from you. I am optimistic that I will come out of this well. The surgeon I chose is very well respected here and told me he has done over 16,000 cataract surgeries. He assures me my vision will clear up and be fine.. I can already see improvement.
 
Eye Surgery

I am a firm believer that eye surgery will fix some scope problems that the manufacturers get blamed for.



Glenn
 
Natural Membrane

The lens holder he speaks of, is a sack (Capsule) within the eye that positions the natural lens. When a cataract if removed, the new artificial lens is inserted into the sack. Sometimes as also in my case, the sack muscle will break loose and has to me retrieved and fastened in place. This will sometime cause double vision unless it is repaired. Afterwards, the sack may cloud and they use a Jag Laser, to open a small hole in the center area of sack. The vision in most case will clear back up. The Laser is painless.
 
Yep had to have the laser to remove the skin growing over the lenses. Then several years later I had a detached retina. Doc said it was highly unlikely caused from shooting. I think he said less than 10% of detached retinas are from impact damage. He was more concern with if I grew up in the Mississippi River valley, he said something in the soil??????????????? Well that wasn't my case so he just shrugged and patched me up. I tell people I have 80yrs old eyes in a 50yr old body.
 
I had intraocular replacement surgery last January. My cataracts were not considered bad enough but they were bad enough for me! I went with the Restor lenses. My vision is 20/20 in the right eye, 20/25 in the left eye. I see close enough to read and far enough to see for driving without glasses. There's a little midrange loss. Disassembling a gun is blurry and I use 1.5 glasses to clear it up. As someone else mentioned, there is a little blurring/flashes around the edges that can be distracting but it's much better as time goes by.


Dave
 
One Week Checkup

Had a positive checkup today. Have 20-20 vision in the new eye and the Dr sez the floaters will resorb. Everything else about the eye was first rate. As it turns out, the capsule did not break but just has a slight tear he said. Second surgery in a week! let's hope it goes as well.

Pete
 
Pete Wass said:
Had a positive checkup today. Have 20-20 vision in the new eye and the Dr sez the floaters will resorb. Everything else about the eye was first rate. As it turns out, the capsule did not break but just has a slight tear he said. Second surgery in a week! let's hope it goes as well.

Pete
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Awesome news Pete.
 
Pete Wass said:
Had a positive checkup today. Have 20-20 vision in the new eye and the Dr sez the floaters will resorb. Everything else about the eye was first rate. As it turns out, the capsule did not break but just has a slight tear he said. Second surgery in a week! let's hope it goes as well.

Pete
Click to expand...

Great news Pete! Glad to hear all's well. Hope it goes well on the next!
Keith
 
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