My story is the same as Pointman. It was October '22 and I received both eyes and elected the distant vision, and I wear off-the-shelf readers for computer and up close. For me - it made a HUGE difference getting behind the optic. No more trying to find that "just right" relief and angle using bifocals.
Shooting after cataracts surgery
- Thread starter falconew
- Start date
Help Support Long Range Hunting Forum
Medicare covers a MONOFOCAL intraocular lens (IOL). It is an EXCELLENT, high quality, very good lens! Not a thing wrong or 'cheap' about it. Perfectly fine for MOST people.
A monofocal lens can only correct your eye to see well at one particular place (i.e., DISTANT, intermediate, or NEAR.) Most doctors shoot for a monofocal lens that will make your DISTANT vision clear so you can drive without glasses and then you just need readers or a bifocal for near work, since most people getting cataract surgery are already used to wearing glasses for near work by this point of their lives. Works great. Most people are quite happy.
In some cases, if a patient has successfully done monovision using contact lenses BEFORE having cataract surgery, the doctor may use the Medicare covered monofocal lens to set one eye up to see far clearly and the other eye is setup to see at near clearly. These people can get by without any glasses after surgery! The catch is a person has to have done monovision successfully BEFORE they need cataract surgery. Most doctors will not attempt a 'monovision' cataract surgery on someone who hasn't already shown they can tolerate it.
As for the cost of the "premium" lenses, it varies from office to office and depends on what premium lens you are looking at (TORIC? MULTIFOCAL? LAL?) But figure about $4000 per eye as a 'ballpark' figure. I hope that helps.
LRNut
Well-Known Member
I had LAL surgery in February; I timed my first eye one week after I had my second surgery to replace my right ankle (I actually broke the implant the first time). My doctor recommended LAL because I have severe astigmatism; he said standard surgery would still require the use of glasses. Prior to that, I had worn gas perm contacts. Back in the day, those blue lenses on my blue eyes were great - women loved them. But as I got older, I noticed a lot of irritation on windy days. I hated wearing glasses when hunting, so I suffered. The other thing I hated about contacts was the need to keep my fingers clean in case I needed to clean my lenses - not easy on a packstring or wilderness type hunt. And taking a mid-day nap was hit or miss - I would often wake up with very irritated eyes.
The LAL procedure is amazing; UV light changes the molecular structure of the lens. My left eye was 20/15 after one correction and my right eye 20/20 to 20/15 (drops before the test helps). I did have the laser treatment to remove some wrinkles in one of my lenses; interestingly, this uses a YAG (yttrium argon gas) laser which is the same kind of laser the M1 tank used to use (and perhaps still does for all I know).
I love waking up seeing 20/20. I told my eye doctor he has significantly enhanced the quality of my life.
The LAL procedure is amazing; UV light changes the molecular structure of the lens. My left eye was 20/15 after one correction and my right eye 20/20 to 20/15 (drops before the test helps). I did have the laser treatment to remove some wrinkles in one of my lenses; interestingly, this uses a YAG (yttrium argon gas) laser which is the same kind of laser the M1 tank used to use (and perhaps still does for all I know).
I love waking up seeing 20/20. I told my eye doctor he has significantly enhanced the quality of my life.
baldhunter
Well-Known Member
Ok,my doctor said my cataracts are ready.I'm ready to get this done maybe sometime this year.I know I want to be able to see distance,if I have to wear glasses for close up so be it.Here is one of my prescriptions.What lenses would be best for me and what can I expect on my vision after surgery?How long should I wait before shooting my non-braked 300 magnums?
Citified
Well-Known Member
I am no doctor but my restriction was lifted 3 months after the last surgery.
Rick Richard
Well-Known Member
My doctor gave me clearance to do anything but swimming FIVE days after surgery….And I mentioned shooting. I don't know though if he really understood what type of shooting. However, I am going to wait at least a month.
I had bilateral cataracts removed with IOL's to correct my distant vision to 20/15, done over 10 years ago.
Since then I've developed poorer near vision, plus a mild astigmatism, so I wear glasses for those. I shoot LR as though I never had cataract surgery, but do wear my glasses when shooting.
Also, buy the best wrap around polarized sunglasses you can afford and wear them religiously when outside.
I second this. Absolutely love my prescription Oakley sunglasses with wrap around lenses. I forget I am wearing them.
I second this. Absolutely love my prescription Oakley sunglasses with wrap around lenses. I forget I am wearing them.
Yep
Spend the money get the absolutely best lenses out there and listen to eyedoc. You will be glad you did!!!!!
YepBest money you will ever spend....bar none!!!! If you didn't figure out the money thingy in life, give up beer, cigars, and/or wild women....even shooting.......for a year if you must. But, don't cheap out here!!!! Have store boughts in both eyes since 2016.......20/10 both eyes. No special lenses. No glasses for distance or reading......non-fogging, no wipers, no fingers in my eyes. In good lighting, I can easily read 1pt type. No issues shooting really big boomers or ELR. You will be AMAZED at the COLORFUL world you have forgotten. The guy doing the lens spec is your BFF&F&F&F&F....AMEN!!! Check him out carefully. Close doesn't cut it. This ain't hand grenades, horse shoes, fire for effect. My guy was even better than God's original ophthalmologist. Astigmatism can be a problem. Built in the Forties.....19s, not 18s......mostly unrestored survivor condition. Rode hard like stolen, put away wet, miraculously all parts in place, working order. Many creak, grown, complain. still a good beat cuties can dance to. Two better than new.
You are farsighted in both eyes. That isn't relevant as the cataract surgery will fix that even with the standard monofocal lenses covered by insurance.
But your right eye (OD; oculus dexter) has a moderate amount of astigmatism (-2.50 diopters) that will ideally be dealt with using either a TORIC IOL or the LIGHT ADJUSTABLE LENS (LAL). The standard monofocal IOL can also be used and the astigmatism would then have to be corrected with your glasses after the surgery.
Your left eye (OS; oculus sinister; the "evil eye") is also farsighted (+4.50 diopters) but has much less astigmatism (only -0.75 diopters). This eye can be handled with a standard monofocal lens (the one insurance pays for) or the LAL.
But, this is really something your doctor will advise you about once he/she gets your full medical & ocular history and talks to you about your work and hobbies. For example, you can't get the LAL if you have:
1) Pre-existing macular disease
2) Prior history of herpes eye infection
3) Use medications that increase the sensitivity to ultraviolet (UV) light
4) Use any retino-toxic medications (for example: Tamoxifen)
This is why I can't tell you what's best for you but your eye surgeon can. Find an ophthalmologist you trust and talk it over with them & they'll get you into the right intraocular lens so your cataract surgery and recovery can be a success.
