LASIK for Target Shooters

[pewpewfever]

I have astigmatism in both eyes that’s so bad I see two moons in the night sky with one eye closed. Plus I’m old so I need help with reading. I’ve been wanting to get Lasik, and most people get one eye done for distance and the other for reading. I like to shoot 10m air pistol, and for that I wear shooting glasses with a shade over my left eye and a .75 diopter lens and iris over the right. So I thought I’d get my right eye done for distance and my left eye for reading. But now that I’m into PRS and wanting to try F class, I wonder if that’s the right move. I’ve recently received advice here that I should sight the target through the scope with both eyes open to aid with finding targets and staying on target. So now I’m wondering if I should get both eyes done for distance and just use reading glasses. Anyone here faced this choice? What did you decide and why? How did it work out? Are there other shooting disciplines that would warrant a different choice? Thanks.

 

[acudaowner]

if you feel you need it or could benefit from that surgery , I totally think it could be a good thing for you . Personally I cannot imagine being awake while anyone even a doctor cut my eye . At least I was out for heart surgery and remember nothing . The less I know the better i felt about whole thing . But being able to see would be a good thing .

 

[Streetcop]

I had this surgery done about 2 months ago. My doctor called it monovision, left eye for reading and right eye for distance. Your doc should be able to set you up with a set of contacts to simulate what it'll be like after. I like it but some don't, it does take some getting used to. It did not affect my shooting through an optic at all. It does take some getting used to with iron sights. I'm right eye dominant so my sights are a little fuzzy when shooting a pistol. I can still aim fine just took a little practice. My doc understood this, she's worked on several other LEO's, if possible see if you can find an eye doc that understands shooting.

 

[pewpewfever]

I had this surgery done about 2 months ago. My doctor called it monovision, left eye for reading and right eye for distance. Your doc should be able to set you up with a set of contacts to simulate what it'll be like after. I like it but some don't, it does take some getting used to. It did not affect my shooting through an optic at all. It does take some getting used to with iron sights. I'm right eye dominant so my sights are a little fuzzy when shooting a pistol. I can still aim fine just took a little practice. My doc understood this, she's worked on several other LEO's, if possible see if you can find an eye doc that understands shooting.

For target shooting, you might want to try getting some computer glasses as shooting glasses. They have a .5 or .75 diopter that focuses your vision at arms length or a bit beyond. With pistol you want your front sight to be in sharp focus and the bullseye and rear sight a bit blurry. You probably know all this being a LEO, and it isn’t something you’d use in the field. Of course, real shooting glasses with a diopter for your arm’s length will work better.

When shooting with a scope, do you keep both eyes open? Do you wear glasses or other lenses that fully correct your distance vision in your left eye?

 

[DownhillFromHere]

You specifically mention your age... I'm wondering about potential cataract issues down the road - it would suck to pay for lasik and then have to do cataract surgery not long after.

I also had major astigmatism as well as nearsightedness. Cataract surgery fixed all that. I now have 20/15 vision in both eyes - biggest issue is post-surgery vitreous separation caused a bunch of floaters which impair otherwise amazing vision.

I chose to have both eyes corrected for distance because, especially at that time, I did a lot of shotgun/clay target competition where depth perception is really important. It took me awhile to learn to have reading glasses somewhere on my person at all times, but for me personally that was far more preferable than losing depth perception.

 

[Srikaleak]

When I got Lasik ~1.5 years ago I was not given any option for tailoring the eyesight based on needs. They just zapped me to 20/20 vision. I can see near and far.

Lasik is a modern miracle and was life changing. I recommend it 100%.

The procedure was not painless (for me) and a little unnerving but by the time you realize what was happening it's done. It took literally 8 minutes. You do feel cheated on that first day. I spent several thousand for 8 mins just to be tearyed and slightly less blurry vision? But after the nap and the day after you'll have an epiphany and be like, damn this is the best thing ever.

 

[Spooky68]

I was in the same boat. Correct for distance or do the mono vision thing. The whole idea was to avoid glasses so I chose monovision. They said it would take a while from the brain to adapt... It seemed ok for a while then things progressively went back to they way they were. So guess what... I’m wearing glasses. I get it no guarantees.....but dammit....

 

[mildot326]

I've been dealing with this for the last couple of years, so I can tell you first hand what I did and where I'm at. I have a fairly advanced astigmatism and also keratoconus. I had quite a bit to deal with since the latter required "cross linking" which was a form of laser surgery. Glasses weren't working since the further away the lens is from the cornea the less effective they are in correcting your vision.

That said, my doctor recommended Scleral contact lenses. They are expensive, however by design they basically form another cornea with no defects allowing for the correction. They do require some extensive fitting, so it's advantageous to get an optometrist that has experience fitting them.

Depending on how severe your astigmatism is, they may entirely correct it? or like me, almost eliminate it. RDS's are still not 100%, so I moved to a low power scope, the benefit there was that the contacts gave me 20/20 vision, so scopes work great and no glasses. Using a magnifier also works well, and I have that set up on my EOtech.

I still wear 1 power "cheaters" for reading, and they enable me to get a clear front sight when shooting handguns.

Either way, it was the best I could achieve given the condition of my eyes, unfortunately as we get older, seeing the front sight etc becomes more and more difficult.
Hope this helps? at least you have some talking points for your optometrist? Good Luck.

 

[Dougie308]

I was advised that at 57 I was too old for surgery. Something about the the lenses in my eyes being too brittle.

 

[sharpshot50]

@pewpewfever - I assume you've already discussed this thoroughly with an ophthalmologist, but if not, you should definitely talk to one. While double vision can be caused by astigmatism, it can also be caused by several other eye problems. In my case, it is a combination of constantly-changing astigmatism as well as severe chronic dry eye syndrome. My astigmatism is so unstable that I'm not a good candidate for LASIK. The chronic dry eye on top of that means that I can't wear contacts and I have to use absurdly expensive medicated eye drops (Restasis) to have any real tear production at all.

 

[Nik H]

I was going to try LASIK but was told that astigmatism cannot be corrected by LASIK so if the OPs eye issues are due to astigmatism, I would definitely check with the ophthalmologist to determine if LASIK can help

 

[Luke]

Nik H. I know multiple people that have had astigmatism corrected with lasik - and all the lasik ads on the radio around here say they can fix it. I should probably go get it done, but the cost is definitely holding me back.

 

[Nik H]

Nik H. I know multiple people that have had astigmatism corrected with lasik - and all the lasik ads on the radio around here say they can fix it. I should probably go get it done, but the cost is definitely holding me back.

Maybe it is my specifics but the way astigmatism was explained to me is that it has to do with more with the shape of your eye then a deficiency in the lens of the eye.

If your ophthalmologist claims it is repairable, then it may be the best option for you

 

[sirmixalot]

i have corrected sight and have had good luck with it, Wasn't called lasic but same idea

 

[DaveM]

I started wearing glasses at 12yo. I struggled with them my entire shooting career. I had LASIK to correct nearsightednes and heavy astigmatism. It was easily the best money I ever spent.
Given your love of shooting, I would go with a distance correction and learn to keep reading glasses around. It’s what I would choose.

 

[Bolo]

Reviving this old thread.. I hit the 'range' up for some plinking this week and realized the front post is nothing but a fuzzy ball without computer glasses, despite crystal clear long distance vision. (Truth be told, I've been in denial for the last three years and blaming those flyers on everything else.)
I had been considering monovision lasik for a couple years, now I think I'll be pulling the trigger on it real soon.
My biggest q for you all... how's the long-term prognosis? I get there's a chance I could run into what happened to @Spooky68 (sucks, man. Sorry 'bout that). Assuming everything goes to plan, how are the peepers after 5, 10, 15 years?

 

[acudaowner]

that would be funny having vision set up to see clearer further away than normal .
walking into parked cars but could see that girl sunbathing on her roof top 2 blocks down almost make how comical it would be worth it .

 

[Bolo]

that would be funny having vision set up to see clearer further away than normal .
walking into parked cars but could see that girl sunbathing on her roof top 2 blocks down almost make how comical it would be worth it .

It's brutal... I once had to have my wife hold up a restaurant menu from across the table so I could read it. On the upside, though, I can put on the Mr. Magoo act and avoid any suspicion about my old-man ogling of the twenty-something waitresses across the restaurant.

 

[Tiger_Shilone]

20 years on lasik done in Canada (Canada had better tech at the time, FDA didn’t approve the B&L laser in The USA until three years later) . Older technique where they removed material all the way down to the bottom of the valleys (they found out they just have to remove the peaks and leave the valleys alone for the same results) And I only had enough material for one attempt so I had to sign a waiver acknowledging that.

price was $1000.00 usd. If I had to do it over again I would still do it even if it cost 5x as much as it was that big of an improvement in my life. I have my eyes set at different distances: The right eye is close vision at about 5 feet perfectly but still sees ok at longer range And the left is set for distance. Took about a week to get used to, no problems with it since. Brain processes information Normally. I have developed a mild astigmatism in the right eye about eight years ago that gives a short “meteor tail” about 2.5x the diameter of a dot in a red dot scope at 2 o’clock. This is not an issue in scopes or prismatic lens sights.

this surgery is did not prevent the loss of close focus distance as you age around 40 years old or presbyopia and i do need glasses now for reading or computer. Your eye lenses just age and get to hard and lose that close focus. However I can still see just fine through a scope without glasses.

All in all the time and $ put forth is well worth it imo.

 

[sinister]

I did a consult with the Chief of Eyeballs at Womack Army Hospital at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

At first, he said that as a free-faller and assaulter he would definitely do PRK on my eyeballs, no flap-cutting authorized then as there wasn't enough data considering combat shock and desert sand. Next was LASEK (not LASIK) with some kind of radar-mapped laser forming.

I explained I was also a highpower competitor and sniper and he stopped. "I can guarantee you'll see better than you do with glasses but not with contacts. Later, you'll need reading glasses or contacts for fine focus."

I figured if I needed contacts again after surgery anyway it wasn't worth the squeeze. As it is, I can't wear contacts in the desert in combat.

 

[Bolo]

I did a consult with the Chief of Eyeballs at Womack Army Hospital at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

At first, he said that as a free-faller and assaulter he would definitely do PRK on my eyeballs, no flap-cutting authorized then as there wasn't enough data considering combat shock and desert sand. Next was LASEK (not LASIK) with some kind of radar-mapped laser forming.

I explained I was also a highpower competitor and sniper and he stopped. "I can guarantee you'll see better than you do with glasses but not with contacts. Later, you'll need reading glasses or contacts for fine focus."

I figured if I needed contacts again after surgery anyway it wasn't worth the squeeze. As it is, I can't wear contacts in the desert in combat.

Thanks, @sinister . That's great info. I can't get over willingly sticking something in my eye, but it might be worth gutting it out for a bit to see how it goes.

 

[silentwoods]

I did both eyes at 37. 20-15 after, 20-20 today. no problems so far. No regrets.

 

[theLBC]

the first time i went for eye surgery i was told i was not a good candidate for it because of astigmatism.
my vision was 20/400 in one eye, not as bad in the other.

8 years later (around 2010) they had the corneal mapping and the surgery was laser and not the old radial keratotomy with a knife, and i had it done.
kind of a bummer i need reading glasses now for small print (when i was blind, i could read anything), but still happy.
i don't need glasses for a newspaper if there is enough light.

 

[silentwoods]

the first time i went for eye surgery i was told i was not a good candidate for it because of astigmatism.
my vision was 20/400 in one eye, not as bad in the other.

8 years later (around 2010) they had the corneal mapping and the surgery was laser and not the old radial keratotomy with a knife, and i had it done.
kind of a bummer i need reading glasses now for small print (when i was blind, i could read anything), but still happy.
i don't need glasses for a newspaper if there is enough light.

Eye muscles age with us. They can't snap back from close to distant nearly as quickly as we age too.
I can still see like a hawk, not needing reading glasses yet, but when I do, I'll still be able to see like a hawk.
I'm more than happy with that.

 

[Stevo86]

I did it 4 years ago, best money I’ve ever spent. It was too painful, it was unnerving letting someone put that thing in your eye and you can smell stuff burning when they start using that laser. Took all of maybe 15 min. I do it again in a heartbeat

 

[Doc68]

I had mine done in Oct of 2017. Best decision ever made. I had a horrible astigmatism just like yours. Red dot were red blurs. Now everything is picture perfect. Red dot are dots now. Seeing scope articles so clearly is amazing. I would never look back on this decision.

 

[fencewire]

I have thought about it numerous times but just can't get on board, my parents both had it done and both ended up back in glasses before they passed. I have worn contacts for 20+ years and with the advent of daily wear astigmatic lenses it is that much easier to just throw in a pair...

 

[Arc Light]

I had considered LASIK since I also wear glasses and have an astigmatism. After doing considerable research, I decided against it. Not worth the risk to me.

I highly suggest anyone considering it do the same. Eye doctors with a financial stake in the procedure downplay the significant risks, leading many to believe it is zero risk. It is no where near risk-free. Many cases of people whose vision has been destroyed for life after LASIK or similar. I wasn't willing to risk my vision for what is essentially a cosmetic choice for me. I can see and shoot fine with glasses, though not ideal.

 

[checkmate101]

I didn't have your circumstances but was unhappy with wearing glasses while hunting in the cold (often fogging them up while wearing a face mask) and just in general unhappy with glasses. I re-tried contacts but that did not go well. Just couldn't get used to them again and my prescription was tough to nail down.

I had PRK done 1.5 years ago. I am happy with it now, but PRK takes longer than Lasik to heal and vision to correct. For me it took MUCH longer. Normally people are seeing as well or better than with their correction prior to surgery in about 4-6 weeks is what I was told. I took almost 6 months. Steroid drops (to prevent inflammation) also seemed to be preventing me from healing. When I finally got rid of them I noticed rapid improvements in my vision over the next 4 weeks. 20/20 now and I am happy, but damn I was worried for a while. Don't be afraid to ask questions if you decide to get the consult.

On the upside though, as mentioned above, there is no flap with PRK and therefore no risk that it could dislodge by something in the woods/wilderness/etc.

 

[checkmate101]

I should add, I had both eyes corrected for distance vision. I am <40 now and wasn't willing to have depth perception issues. When it comes time I will just carry some readers.

 

[Akimbro]

Thought I'd chime in because of all the glowing reviews here about LASIK.

For me well over a year after surgery I now know it has turned out to be the worst decision I ever made.

My vision in low light is worse with very aggravating aberrations known as starbursts/halos/glare. These are caused by higher order aberrations and cannot be corrected by glasses or soft contacts. I'm trying scleral lenses soon.

Higher Order Aberrations after LASIK - LASIKComplications.com

LASIK generally increases the higher order aberrations of the eye by inducing irregular astigmatism, which reduces visual quality. LASIK patients may lose contrast sensitivity and see starbursts, glare, halos and multiple images.

lasikcomplications.com

My very near vision is also gone. I used to be able to see clearly all the way in till about 3-4 inches from my face, now I have to pull something 10-12 inches away to see it clearly.

My red dot sight, if turned up to be somewhat bright, now starbursts too.

You're looking at more like a 20%+ chance of these sorts of problems, really 100% if you have large enough pupils.

If you only read one article about LASIK before deciding to undergo it, read this one:

Blurred Vision, Burning Eyes: This Is a Lasik Success? (Published 2018)

Some patients who undergo the eye surgery report a variety of side effects. They may persist for years, studies show.

www.nytimes.com

Look into being fitted for scleral lenses if you have higher order aberration issues (ask your optometrist). Keratoconus is one natural cause of these issues and I think a poster above talked about keratoconus/scleral lenses, LASIK is a man-made cause of them. Also as people age I think these issues crop up more. If you go this route you need to find an optometrist with a lot of experience fitting these. Look for one with the Eaglet Eye Surface Profiler and an Optical coherence tomography (OCT) scan machine.

Look into OrthoK if you have regular nearsightedness/milder astigmatism. These are rigid lenses you leave in only overnight that temporarily reshape your corneas during the day to correct your vision. Non-surgical, you can return them if you don't like them. Unlike LASIK where if it screws up your vision it's for life.

 

[mildot326]

I've been wearing scleral contacts for about 2.5yrs now, & I just replaced them, and my optometrist was able to improve my astigmatism even more, so while an RDS isn't perfect, the Eotech reticle is pretty clear now. I use "cheaters" for pistol shooting and that has worked out very well. The reticle on the Holosun 509t is pretty clear as well and very usable, I'm hoping that iron sights will only be used in a "dire" need scenario.

 

[Dunraven]

FWIW.. from a retired OD. I had LASIK 12 years ago and I was over 50 at the time. At the time I called it a 'modern miracle'. Still do. Would do it again in a heartbeat. It absolutely corrects astigmatism. Have shot hunter benchrest, F class, and PRS. I chose to correct both eyes for distance, as I did not want to sacrifice depth perception for any activity. Yes, I need to use readers. No big deal. Power of +3.00 for a 13 inch turret distance. This works well in low light conditions. You can purchase press-on bifocals which can be placed where most convenient.

 

[PracticalTactical]

My wife has been managing both Lasik and cataract offices at one of the largest Ophthalmologist facilities here in Canada for 34 years. Now, she's the expert, not me, but I do have some inside scoop that might help some of you.

Some of the comments above are correct in that Lasik can remove material but it does not protect from the possibility if getting cataracts later in life. It may in fact contribute to cataracts from exposure to the laser.

Lasik is only effective when the eye is too long, where they in essence flatten out the eye just enough to correct vision.

For people who's eyes are too flat, they basically perform cataract surgery. This involve the removal of the cornea and replaced with a synthetic substitute. The cut can be done with either a blade or a laser and the laser costs you more, but its popular.

This same surgery is also done for people who reach that age where they need reading glasses.

Keep in mind that there are a wide variety of lens implant options at a wide variety in price. The cheaper lenses will provide a fixed distance that is in focus and you will require progressive reading glasses for up close. At mentioned above, they can do each eye differently with one for close and one for far. This is the least expensive compromise.

There are other more advanced lenses available they call them multi focal lenses. These are the good ones, as they closely replicate a persons normal vision, where you can focus both close and far, but they will be more expensive. As far as I'm concerned, whatever the extra cost, these are the ones to get.

If you do get the lens implant and your vision is not 20-20 after, they can still do Lasik to refine your vision later.

Keep in mind I am just paraphrasing what I have gleaned from my wife over the last 20 years or so, but I hope some of you find it helpful.

Obviously if you are interested, its best to arrange an appointment with an Ophthalmologist, but it may require a referral from your Optometrist.

If I can offer the most important advice... Make sure you go to a highly experienced Ophthalmologist with a solid reputation. I have heard plenty of horror stories where the great doctor my wife works for has been called to the operating room of a less experienced doctor to save the day. Less experience doctors will often attempt a procedure that is over their head and they need to get experience somehow right... just don't help them get it at your potential expense.