Shooting with corrective lenses has become a PITA

[mario]

Have any of you Gentlemen had laser eye surgery? I can't get the most out of my scopes, sights, etc while wearing corrective lenses and I'd like to go back in time to just shooting glasses. I've heard serious shooters say its the best thing they've ever done and its become commonplace for the military to do the procedure on pilots.
Obviously there is risk with any surgery but according to the FTC web-site its minimal

[Mr.Goodtimes]

mario, i shoot with glasses as well and am hoping the military will pay for the surgery for me after i enlist. the only thing that bothers me about shooting with glasses is when im shooting outside and i start sweating or its raining etc.. what are the other down sides? does it actually mess with the optic?

also, a close friend had lasic done and it corrected his vision to 20/15 i believe. the guy can practically see through walls.

[JSantoro]

I got Lasik in 2003 after getting back from OIF 1. Among the best decisions I've ever made in my life, no joke.

Whether you get Lasik or PRK, get it done by an ophthalmologic surgeon. That way, if you're one of the less than 1% who get a complication, they can fix it on the spot. They also tend to have the best mapping software for the surface of your cornea, which increases the chance of getting the best results. The bargain shacks that pitch the low prices are doing the procedures with the eye-surgery equivalent of a hammer and a cold chisel.

When I did it, I lived in Martinsburg, WV, and I got the surgery in Tyson's Corner, VA. I got a hotel room nearby, since trying to drive myself back home was a no-go. Dummy me, I decide to walk to the hotel after surgery, being too cheap to get a cab. Walking through The Galleria and crossing Rt 7 with eyes that seemed to have Vaseline smeared across them was, uhhhhh....tricky.

[Palmguy]

It is an annoyance for me as well...I wear contacts the vast majority of the time and for some reason it is difficult for me to hold my weak eye closed. I guess that has helped me develop shooting both eyes open though...

[Adam_s]

Are contacts not an option? I ask because they are quick, cheap, and non-permanent. I have actually two prescriptions for lenses, thanks to a optometrist friend. One corrects to the standard 20/20, for every day work. The other corrects to 20/10, which is awesome for going to the range.

That being said, if you do need surgery, look hard into who you are going to see, etc. Maybe do a quick scan of the clerk of the courts to see if anyone has sued him in for malpractice.

I advise this because I know of one or two folks who have had the surgery done, and it did NOT markedly improve their vision. Once that surgery is done, it's DONE, there are no redo's (unless something has changed recently).

One more semi-surgical option, is something called intacs. They aren't for everyone (-1 to -3 diopter, which would leave me out as I'm at -3.75), but, they ARE reversible, and can be changed as your vision changes with age.
http://www.getintacs.com/

Hope this helps.
-Adam

[skipper49]

Lasik can be a real blessing, but I make glasses on a weekly basis for those who've had the surgery and still need correction to get them to 20/20, if 20/20's even obtainable for them. Lasik really shines for those with really poor eye sight. If I could "only" see 20/40, I'd think I had real problems. Take someone who sees 20/600, do Lasik on him to get him to 20/40 and he thinks he sees like an eagle.
Many who get the surgery still need correction to get best vision, BUT, they CAN go to the bathroom in the middle of the night w/o reaching for their glasses, and that can be a real blessing for someone who's been tied to strong prescription lenses all their life.
1. Don't get Lasik if you only need a mild correction.
2. Keep in mind, that if you're shooting, you should be wearing glasses anyway.
3. Eye surgery is one place where you DON'T want to be price shopping. Most everyone in the eye care field knows of at least one or two surgeons who need to be serving hard time!
4. Proceed with care.

Skip

[montanadave]

I required corrective lenses from the age of eight. My nearsightedness was significant (-6.5 diopters in one eye and -8.0 in the other). I had LASIK eye surgery in 1998 when I was 39 years old and have never regretted it. However, having LASIK does not prevent one from developing presbyopia with age. At age 50 I now find I have difficulty making scope adjustments without reading glasses despite seeing OK downrange. There is also the side-effect of night vision "starbursts" and the like associated with corrective eye surgery. While these side effects were not as significant in the years immediately following the surgery, they have become more pronounced as I have aged. But it was pretty sweet to wake up in that first morning and read the house number across the street for the first time in thirty years.