Advice for shooter with cataracts?

[Mike M.]

I'm dealing with cataracts in both eyes. Left eye is pretty bad, I'm probably looking at cataract surgery late this year or early next year. Now it's starting to become noticeable in the right eye...which is my sighting eye. Not too bad yet, but a hint of haze. Any advice on how to cope would be most welcome. Thanks.

Damn, I hate having stuff wear out as I get older.

[Elmas]

Get your master eye done first ... and don't go for the multifocal lens implant .

elmas

[dulcmr-man]

Most insurance companies will not authorize surgery for minor obscuration. Your ophthalmologist should be able to tell you whether or not each eye qualifies for corrective surgery. If you non-aiming eye is much worse than the master eye, you may not be able to wait to have your master eye done first.

I had both my eyes done several years apart and it makes a world of difference. The surgery is straightforward and, barring complications, you should be back in action in a day or two.

Plus 1 on not getting multifocal implants. Get your correction set for good distance vision, then wear glasses of some sort for close work.

Dennis in the PRK

[Silvershooter]

I was using my L dominant eye for shooting and R hand, as there is no significant cataract on the L.
I had my R eye done 2 years ago as there was more developed cataract and I wanted to use it for shooting.
Very straightforward op. My surgeon does not do the multifocal lens, as there can be complications with them.

Before the op the remedy I used was a stronger lens and an Eyepal stick on aperture.

[TenMetrePeter]

Most insurance companies will not authorize surgery for minor obscuration. Your ophthalmologist should be able to tell you whether or not each eye qualifies for corrective surgery.

In my country the "national health service", although providing the op free, has a similar policy. Basically you need to be near blind and then wait some more. All health insurance including our NHS stinks when it comes to lifes little annoyances like going a bit blind. My brothers second cataract ripened in weeks due to medication. Still looking at months for first consultation. Had to spend some hard cash to see again.
All shooters, photographers, artists should start saving now for the op. Over here its about the price of a decent rifle.

[Silvershooter]

10 m Peter
The situation must have changed recently. My R eye was at the point of not being good enough for driving so I was able to get an appointment at a private hospital within a few months, paid for by the NHS.
Your brother's second cataract - do you mean thickening of the capsule at the rear ? I had that and had to have a Yag laser treatment to cut a hole in the capsule which was arranged quite quickly. After the Yag laser I found when looking through a small aperture to shoot I could still see some of the capsule, I got another appt and told the consultant that I shoot and could still see some of the capsule, he arranged another op for me and cut a bit more of the capsule away. Sounds as though I was lucky then.

[ShootingSight]

While I would not make a life choice to accommodate shooting, there is a fixed focus option for a cateract lens that I have heard referred to as a 4 foot focus. I suspect it is really a +1 diopter that gives you a 1 meter focus. The idea being that with a 1 meter focus, it's a good mid-range focus, so you can function without glasses if you want to, though still need reading glasses and/or distance glasses if you want to see perfectly.

As it turns out, the ideal lens to have for shooting pistol is +0.75, so only 1 step in power away from the fixed focus lens. I've talked to a lot of shooters with this fixed focus lens, and they maintain it is close enough to perfect that they can shoot competitively with no further correction needed.

I don't have any advice for your existing cateract specifically, other than to make sure you are set up for optimal shooting vision by using a correction that is +0.75 diopters over your best distance vision correction.

[TenMetrePeter]

10 m Peter
The situation must have changed recently. My R eye was at the point of not being good enough for driving so I was able to get an appointment at a private hospital within a few months, paid for by the NHS.
Your brother's second cataract - do you mean thickening of the capsule at the rear ? I had that and had to have a Yag laser treatment to cut a hole in the capsule which was arranged quite quickly. After the Yag laser I found when looking through a small aperture to shoot I could still see some of the capsule, I got another appt and told the consultant that I shoot and could still see some of the capsule, he arranged another op for me and cut a bit more of the capsule away. Sounds as though I was lucky then.

As you know its a postcode lottery
He was Scarborough. Just went milky throughout due to prednisolone. couldnt see at all. 5 months wait til first appointment.
Our GP wont use private hospitals . All exams are in the university hospital. You wait weeks then more weeks. Or you pay and get it done next week.
It's what you get when you mix low taxes with a welfare system.

[Silvershooter]

As you know its a postcode lottery
He was Scarborough. Just went milky throughout due to prednisolone. couldnt see at all. 5 months wait til first appointment.

That is bad, he wouldn't be able to drive then.
I don't live in a wealthy area, certainly a postcode lottery then.

(Apologies to the OP for highjacking the thread.)

[Mike M.]

Right now, I'm figuring on either a fixed or accommodative lens. Cost won't be much of an object, I can cover it. Neither is wearing glasses, I've worn them since I was 8 or so. Getting back into battery is. What has me worried is that I'll be shooting at the World Muzzle-Loading Championships next August. And I'd bet money they won't do my right eye before then.

And if they let the right eye get as bad as the left, I'll be blind. The left eye is pretty well useless in daylight at this point.

[TenMetrePeter]

Right now, I'm figuring on either a fixed or accommodative lens. Cost won't be much of an object, I can cover it. Neither is wearing glasses, I've worn them since I was 8 or so. Getting back into battery is. What has me worried is that I'll be shooting at the World Muzzle-Loading Championships next August. And I'd bet money they won't do my right eye before then.

And if they let the right eye get as bad as the left, I'll be blind. The left eye is pretty well useless in daylight at this point.

That was kind of my point. If the insurance will not cover it and you're into shooting in a big way then it may be time to dig out the savings or clear out a few guns for sale and pay the doc.

[Mike M.]

Update on this. I'm arranging for surgery on the left eye sometime in January. Currently planning on an accomodative lens - it's the most expensive option, but will give me the best range of focus.

The right eye? Surgery sometime, I'm just hoping it will hold up long enough for the 2018 World Muzzle-Loading Championships in August.

I've mild astigmatism in both eyes, especially the right...the doc said it was borderline for the accomodative lens but within limits. I've accepted that I will probably wind up needing glasses anyway.

[Gwhite]

I hope they've sorted out the issues with the accommodating approach. I've asked about it a few times in the last few years since it was first developed, and two different doctors said it wasn't quite ready for prime time. I have a cataract in my non-shooting eye and isn't too awful, so I'm waiting as long as I can. I wear contact lenses, and to dela with presbyopia, my right (shooting) eye is corrected for distance, and my left eye is set up for reading. The cataract makes reading a bit dicey with small print, but it's manageable. I just wish they had never invented the laser printer. A lot of every day stuff (like labels on packages) is now in 4 point font.

Please keep us posted on how things go. I hope it is an unqualified success.