Laser Eye Surgery - Pros/Cons for hunters

[Oddmott]

Hey all,

My work just circulated a notice that our group benefits provider is offering a 3 month promotion for increased discounts/coverage on Laser Eye Surgery.

What i'm looking for here, is feedback from anyone who's had the procedure (or similar procedures) or stories of hunters you know about the less discussed results and side effects, particularly for folks who hunt or do lots outdoors.

Obviously, i'd like to be free of the PITA that glasses are. I'd like to be able to put on atv/motorcycle helmets easily, i'd like to be able to put on my turkey hunting facemask without fighting with the damn glasses every time, i'd like to be able to wear a chainsaw helmet & earmuffs without crushing arms of glasses into the side of my head and getting a headache. You get the picture.

However, I've heard that there are side affects that often effect outdoors people more than the typical patient.

Things like:

• Messed up depth of field - makes focusing down rear sight, front sight & target very difficult
• Constant tearing/eye leaking from wind, even just soft steady breezes
• Often very poor/blurry/foggy vision in dawn/dusk light
• Severe glare and 'spots' in direct sunlight

If you've got any info or experience to share, i'd appreciate hearing it!

[Hunter John]

Geeze Mott , you falling apart ? Cant hear ,sciatica , cant see ? How old are you again.LOL. Just funning with ya. The people I know that have had the laser surgery say they should of done it sooner but none of them are hunters so that's likely not much help. Good luck.

[Oddmott]

Geeze Mott , you falling apart ? Cant hear ,sciatica , cant see ? How old are you again.LOL. Just funning with ya. The people I know that have had the laser surgery say they should of done it sooner but none of them are hunters so that's likely not much help. Good luck.

lol
I'm a 35 yr old trapped in a 75 yr old's body. Lots of idiotic mistakes in my youth (who really jumps out of trees and off roofs in a 10 year competition with a buddy to see who can make it the furthest without breaking something?) and working labour positions without proper protections, processes or techniques.

I'm paying for it all now.

[Mdiddi]

Wife is not a hunter. She does shoot with me trap, rifle, handgun. She does a lot of photography and spends a lot od time hiking and outdoors. She got it done. I went down with her and drove her home. After that no glasses except at night specifically when it's wet or when she is tired at night. I think the wet was from the glare. She has had it for twelve years and the prescription she has for her night glasses is the last one before she would be wearing straight glass. I think there is maybe a placebo effect. She wishes she got it done sooner. No complaints on atv snowmobile or boat with wind in her eyes.

She didn't cheap out and went to some place downtown Toronto Bochner. Pain to drive to but worth it to her. She is an advocate for the procedure and place now. I watched the procedure on TV outside the room. Amazing to see.

Good luck. I think you will enjoy it. Good to hear some companies are offering that benefit.

[Fishy Wishy]

Mrs FW had laser surgery as have some friends and some of my coworkers. None of whom are hunters. I have considered it but....I have other places to spend my cash. But I understand the PITA that is glasses.

Soome friends who had the surgery long ago get "halos" during night driving, night vision. This is caused from the laser sculpting ending abruptly at the edge of the part of the cornea it is resculpting. As your pupils dilate (iris opens) in low light it may open beyond this edge, this causes refraction of the light (think particularly of oncoming headlights) which causes a "halo" effect. I believe this a thing of the past.

Mrs. FW had hers done 6 or 7 years ago she had the "advanced wave front" lasik done. In this procedure they scan the patients eyes and the program is adjusted for all anomalies (aberrations) it finds, it creates a custom just for you program for the laser, it also does a better job "feathering" (my words) the edge of the burn area to avoid halos.

Mrs FW finds the only negative being the extremes of light and dark. She finds sunny days very bright and cannot go long without sunglasses (which you should have anyway to protect your eyes). She also finds night very dark, and doesn't like driving my car with tinted windows at night at she finds it way too dark. No halos but finds night very dark.

No blurriness, still better than 20/20.

She doesn't hunt or shoot so I can't comment on looking down the sights.

[ricoboxing]

I had PRK done 15 years ago. Vision still 20/20. I don't even notice the halos anymore and the dry eyes isn't very bad for me.

[Bo D]

Things like:

• Messed up depth of field - makes focusing down rear sight, front sight & target very difficult
• Constant tearing/eye leaking from wind, even just soft steady breezes
• Often very poor/blurry/foggy vision in dawn/dusk light
• Severe glare and 'spots' in direct sunlight

If you've got any info or experience to share, i'd appreciate hearing it![/QUOTE]

I've never had the surgery but suffer and have everything that you mentioned above... I think I need help

[MarkB]

I had PRK done about 3 years ago. My vision is pretty good. I don't suffer from dry eyes no more than I did before the surgery. If my eyes are dry though, a bit of eye drops 2 nights in a row and all is fixed (but I used to do this before the op anyhow). Imagine being able to see better than the average person. I can hit my golf ball down the fairway and track it no problem, when most others have lost sight of it. That should help for hunting.

My only issue is at night. There is some halos, but nothing serious. Red lights seem to be the worst (car brake lights). But I don't even notice it anymore. The other issue is contrast. Under a moonlight, it's like things are a little more dim, but nothing to the extent where it impairs me.

I'd have the surgery all over again if I had to. No more fogging up, wet glasses, or dry contacts. No more waking up and can't see the clock beside me. No more worrying about losing a contact lens while swimming. No more carrying contacts on trips, or glasses to lose. It is SOOOO easy now.

[Greenhorn]

I under stand that Tafour?? is the best in Windsor. Lots of guys from work had it done a few had side affects and wished ,they never had it done.The majority had fantastic results. My self I'm not a good candidate for the surgery,but Tafour was the specialist that took care of the shingles in my eye.

[dutchhunter]

My dad had his done about 10 years ago now and he is very happy with it ,no more glasses ,I would highly recommend it ,,It is very scary to go thru with but well worth it ,,Dutch