Lasik eye surgery for hunting

S

schoolhousegrizz

Very Active Member
Messages
2,577
Any of you had lasik? How did it affect you out in the field and in life in general? I am on the fence went in for my pre-op today. I would love to hear your experience and opinions.
 
I had it done about 20 years ago. I had mono vision done. One correct for distance & the other for close---reading
/computer. If I had to do it again I would NOT. My depth perception isn't very good---but I've learned to adapt. I have "halo" problems------street lights, stop lights, stars, the moon have fuzzy rings around them. They say my vision is 20/20----but I don't believe them.

I got glass glasses that now correct the right eye for distance & also got bifocal lenses.------Net change nothing---I still wear glasses. But I can see well enough to drive with out glasses & I can function around the house & yard with out them. Low light levels--dawn & dusk are hard for me to see. I'm 66 so that maybe just age----the older I get the less I like to drive at dusk & also night time.

If I could change it back I would. They have been bending glass since Ben Franklin----they have that down pat. Don't try to fix what GOD has given you.

FYI--I was a class "A" & 26 yard line trap shooter before the surgery & I still am in the classes.

I'll be in the minority on this but remember It's surgery. Sometimes it works & sometimes it doesn't. Play it safe & keep what you have. Bob
 
i had lasik 4 years ago, best thing i ever did. As a bowhunter i hated to compensate with glasses. Or fogged up glasses, or not being able to see when I didn't have them. I did lasik and i had better than 20/20 vision the same day of surgery. would do recommend it to anyone
 
Had it 22? years ago. No regrets. Hated contacts and glasses while hunting really sucked. Had some starburts night driving stuff for a few years but no regrets ever. Still hunt with no glasses/contacts needed.

If I was a treestand hunter or into other very moderate exercise endeavor and not running up and down hills huffing and puffing trying to get in bow range I maybe would not have needed it...but I do and did.
 
Awesome information. Needed glass about 11 years ago for right eye. Been thinking about Lasik for several years. Keep putting off. Scopes work great, but open sights are impossible with glasses (can either see sights and game is foggy or with glasses on I can see game at distance, but not both sights).

Hoping to muzzleloader hunt elk in Colorado, but no scopes, so I need to get this done.

This thread is helping me with my decision. I need to get it done!!! Thanks guys.
 
Yes make sure ya go to the right place, I had it done and it only lasted 6 yrs or so but was nice while it was there no glasses fogging or trying to do the contact thing in the mountains, and if they offer a insurance to get enhancement when needed take them up on it, cause it affects people differently. I didn’t do it now wished o would have cause it wasn’t that expensive, but I thought it would last as long as I did or until age messed up vision anyways lol
 
20 years ago I was a test subject for USN. They wanted to see if eye surgery (in this case PRK) would/would not pose any problems (during G force loading) for a group of pilots and SEALs. Out of the hundred or so participants, the worst thing that happened was one pilot saw no improvement in his vision after one year. Yea, I know PRK is not the same thing as lasik. Still, some dude, or dudette, is operating on the only set of eyes you will have.

My vision is still 20/15 in both eyes. I would do it all over again.
 
I had it done 20+ years ago and I always say it’s the best money I ever spent. The only complaint I have is that I think it made me more sensitive to sunlight, I always wear sunglasses outside, but they don’t bother me nearly as bad as prescription glasses did. I know some people that have had it complain with halos at night, luckily I never experienced that, but I’m starting to now, but I imagine it may just because of age. I did research who did mine, I sure wouldn’t be cheap with something that important
 
51
One of the best things I have done for myself.
The 1st week to 2 was pretty miserable, felt like sand in my eyes. But once they normalized it has been good. Even helped with my motion sickness. I little normal age related issues but not to the point of readers yet.
No Night issues.
 
My corneas were too thin for LASIK, so did PRK. That was 14 years ago. 20-15 vision in both eyes still (outside 4 feet). I wear readering glasses for up close stuff. What I can see, the clarity and crispness, still like a mirical.
 
Lasik doesn't correct nearsightedness and farsightedness due to aging at the same time. So it won't let you see the open sights and the target at the same time. You can do the monovision that Coloradobob did to see distance with one eye and read with the other. That's the only way you can correct for reading. That may or may not work out for you.

I think it's about $1,000 to $2,000 per eye.

I'm 20 plus years also. Saw 20/20 for two years and then had to get glasses. Doctor told me not to come back because I didn't have enough cornea to take any more off.

Although I still wear glasses I'm glad I did it. I was a -12 diopter before and now I am a -1 in one eye and -2 in the other. I can drive a car during daylight.

I'm not sensitive to light but I don't have good low light vision. I have seen starbursts from car headlights my entire life so that isn't any different.

My next eye surgery will be for cataracts. They make lenses that will correct for reading and distance when they replace the lens.

Think about how your eye works. The lens in your eye focuses on things up close or far away just like a pair of binoculars. Instantaneous signals from the brain tells muscles attached to the lens what to do. When you get older either the muscles get weak or the lens gets stiff and you can't focus up close anymore.
 
I had prk done about 10 yrs ago. With prk they take off the skin over the eye, shape the cornea and let the skin grow back. Lasik they cut the skin but leave a small section attached, flop if over, shape the cornea then flop it back over.

I did left eye for close and right for distance. Love the way it turned out although being right handed and not being able to see close, you need to use a scoped rifle. A peep sight on a bow is not a problem. However, unknown to me it turns out I had borderline dry eye to start with so it didn't heal right. Since then I suffer from corneal erosion where the skin literally peels off my corneas. I haven't had this happen for a year now but for a few years it happened every 3 months. Last year it happened to the left eye during deer season and was so bad I had to bail on the hunt for a week. I returned for the last week and missed the shot.

I went through 5 doctors before I found one that knew what was going on with the erosion thing and was able to get plugs in my top tear ducts, all 4 ducts have plugs in em. He sees problems with lasik patients as well, usually the skin tries to grow back which pushes on the flap. He told me one time that if he ever did either lasik or prk, he would do prk.
 
feddoc said:
20 years ago I was a test subject for USN. They wanted to see if eye surgery (in this case PRK) would/would not pose any problems (during G force loading) for a group of pilots and SEALs. Out of the hundred or so participants, the worst thing that happened was one pilot saw no improvement in his vision after one year. Yea, I know PRK is not the same thing as lasik. Still, some dude, or dudette, is operating on the only set of eyes you will have.

My vision is still 20/15 in both eyes. I would do it all over again.
Click to expand...
When I was in the Army 2000-2004 I had the opportunity to get laser eye corrective surgery. I politely declined. I don't mind wearing glasses, extra eye protection for my eyeballs.
 
One of the best things I’ve ever done, did PRK 4 years ago at hoops, can still spot the balls on mosquito lol
 
woody622 said:
i had lasik 4 years ago, best thing i ever did. As a bowhunter i hated to compensate with glasses. Or fogged up glasses, or not being able to see when I didn't have them. I did lasik and i had better than 20/20 vision the same day of surgery. would do recommend it to anyone
Click to expand...
Did you do monovision or distance?
 
I had Lasik done about...2 years ago I believe for astigmatism and wow!!! I have 20/15 vision. It has made hunting a whole new ballgame for me
 
I was always reluctant to get it, but once I got into hunting I clearly saw the advantage of getting it and cashed out $5k from my HSA for it. It is a life-changer, I would've paid ten times the price.
 
I think the hard part about this kind of decision is, it works for MOST people. The question is, are you the one that it doesn't work for?
Messing with eyes is scary stuff. I have had great eyes, until 50 when I started to need reading glasses. And after going to Hoopes and experimenting with one contact to correct the close vision problem, I opted out.
My brother had it done and he ended up having a bad experience. He eventually had to go back to glasses and he is one who would tell you not to do it.
I don't want to muddy the water for anyone, but just go into it with both eyes wide open. You may or may not be that guy!
 
littlebighorn said:
I think the hard part about this kind of decision is, it works for MOST people. The question is, are you the one that it doesn't work for?
Messing with eyes is scary stuff. I have had great eyes, until 50 when I started to need reading glasses. And after going to Hoopes and experimenting with one contact to correct the close vision problem, I opted out.
My brother had it done and he ended up having a bad experience. He eventually had to go back to glasses and he is one who would tell you not to do it.
I don't want to muddy the water for anyone, but just go into it with both eyes wide open. You may or may not be that guy!
Click to expand...
Great perspective LB. Not to take from the thread, but my father’s hearing has gone way DOWN hill since he hit 70., it hurts his every day communication and everyone else.. he thinks “ he “is less of of a man if he needs hearing aids..Suggestion’s?
 
Butts said:
Great perspective LB. Not to take from the thread, but my father’s hearing has gone way DOWN hill since he hit 70., it hurts his every day communication and everyone else.. he thinks “ he “is less of of a man if he needs hearing aids..Suggestion’s?
Click to expand...
Get him to Costco get him some hearing aids. Not that expensive and he won’t regret it. I know I don’t.
 
I was hunting one evening in 2001 and was having trouble seeing through my bino's. I contributed it to bad allergies, but when I got home I discovered that one of my contacts had folded in half. I called and booked an appointment for Lasik surgery the next day. I didn't go back to the eye doctor for 20 years and I still have 20/20 vision when I finally did. I do wear reading glasses now due to age, but I can live with that as long as I can still see at distance. There's a surgery for that as well now, but I don't want to risk messing up my distance vision.
 
I did the Mono vision maybe 10 years ago after my eyes started going bad, I wanted to be able to spot game with no glasses, it worked, sort of, they missed the mark a bit and my right eye is only 20/30, so good enough for everyday driving etc, but not good enough for long distances spotting to be clear, so I still wear prescription sunglasses all the time, and have learned to wear a lease or I scratch or lose them as soon as I get them! If it would have gone right I would say it was well worth it. My current Eye Doc said what I was really wanting is 20/15 maybe that is true?
 
devobrodie said:
I did the Mono vision maybe 10 years ago after my eyes started going bad, I wanted to be able to spot game with no glasses, it worked, sort of, they missed the mark a bit and my right eye is only 20/30, so good enough for everyday driving etc, but not good enough for long distances spotting to be clear, so I still wear prescription sunglasses all the time, and have learned to wear a lease or I scratch or lose them as soon as I get them! If it would have gone right I would say it was well worth it. My current Eye Doc said what I was really wanting is 20/15 maybe that is true?
Click to expand...
I have 20/15 vision and it's insane.
 
I had mine done in 2016. Best decision I’ve made to date. Make sure you ask for game vision though. Will enhance your ability to spot game better than your buddies.
 
Probably in a minority here, but I passed on having it 20 yrs ago. The place I was talking to was the same company that did Tiger Woods. Had his poster and ad in the office. Anyway, they did a touch-up if vision wasn’t 20/40 post surgery. I didn’t consider 20/;40 good enough, so I passed.
 

Similar threads

MuskegMan
Spill the Beans
2
Replies
128
Views
4k
Buckmiser
Buckmiser
RELH
Hatfield knives Information
Replies
18
Views
889
RELH
RELH
Founder
Great Hunt Testimonial for Sonora Outfitters
Replies
0
Views
386
Founder
Founder

Click-a-Pic ... Details & Bigger Photos

Member Gallery Photos and Videos!

EA502C7D-F463-44AB-B8FF-8E22A1810545.jpeg
IMG_1215.JPG
9AD5F784-99A7-4E05-8911-91F03BA7B9CE.jpeg
AA93A99C-D4EE-478D-B805-6F4C16E41433.jpeg
DC324F6D-6976-43A8-823E-DA2F97541CEA.jpeg
FB_IMG_1581906164268.jpg
aa1.JPG
IMG_2825.jpeg
CF0D739B-79CB-4055-B99C-D88B36D59A11.jpeg
B6712FEC-581B-4BC1-BF1A-1727A04B516E.jpeg
71BA152A-E18B-452A-AC99-86AF75C8FA2C.jpeg
F8C820A0-C1C5-496C-9227-7D95303B59F0.jpeg
Back
Top Bottom