Astigmatism, contacts, laser surgery?

[eric nielsen]

Les

Polycarbonate has a lower clarity factor number, called "Abbe Value."

For straight CR39plastic lenses, the Abbe number is 59. Glass is something like 62.

For polycarb, the Abbe # is 30. About half as good.

The lower Abbe number means that the farther away from the exact optical center of the lens you look, the worse the clarity of the image. Wraparound lenses will make the problem even worse.

Polycarb is great for kids, great for safety, but sucks for anyone with a complicated or high-power prescription. Just tell your optician you want CR39 plastic and you want it at safety glasses thickness. The FDA decides how thick that is for each lens material. [except for glass, which is never really safe]

[Sam]

I saw something interesting on the TV yesterday. There was talk of a new type of contact lens that was to be worn only while sleeping. The intent of this particular contact lens is to gradually reshape the cornea. It is not a lens per se, but rather a mold.

I have 20-40 in my dominant eye and I would like very much to avoid surgery. I think I have more to lose and less to gain than the folks who have really bad vision. I'm just not willing to risk the possible ill effects of Lasik yet, if there is a more moderate approach.

Please keep an ear to the ground for more news of this product. Unfortuantely, I can't remember which TV channel it was on. Now, if we can do something about my failing memory and diminishing hair......

[Ron Ankeny]

...there is a more moderate approach.

Sam, do you remember what Ron Avery told us? Something to the effect that aging shooters can still be very competitive with a "softer sight focus". I really miss the ability to see a sharp, crisp, front sight and I think great vision is a recipie for great shooting. What I really miss is seeing just one front sight, lol. Then again, I wonder how many long and/or tight shots we run into in IPSC that require 20/15 vision with the front sight in perfect focus?

[Jim Norman]

Les,

I have nver worn anything but Varilux since I had to go to multi focus lenses. I suggest you not go to Bifocal, but go straight to the variable, it takes a week or so to get used to and then you never think about it unless you want to.

All I can say is about my own experiance. I have Varilux and RB3 and I am a happy camper. I am shooting faster now then I have just about evetr. I am not thinking about where to hold my head anymore since I changed the center height. I do admit to missing a few hits, but I am not really upset since I can actually see, as soon as I get used to that idaea, I am sure I'll slow down again just a bit and my hits will be there again.

[Sam]

Ron, yes I remember him saying that too. I seem to have the opposite problem though. Uncorrected, my eyes see the front sight very clearly. It's in the distance that things get fuzzy for me. I guess If my vision was giving me problems with my shooting, I would have done something by now. LOL.

I would just like to be able to see 20-20 again in the distance without my glasses. (Shucks, I'd like to be able to run a sub-five-minute mile again too.)

Basically the only time I wear glasses is when I'm shooting or hunting. I need eye protection anyway, and my employer provides me with a pair of prescription safety glasses each year. Pistol shooting out to 25 yards, I can do just fine with no RX. That's the main reason I haven't persued Lasik. Some people do need reading glasses after the procedure and to me, that would translate to seeing a fuzzy front sight. A couple of years ago, I was discussing Lasik with my optometrist and he told me that he wished he had eyes as good as mine. That sort of put it in perspective for me.

I can see, what I need to see, to make the shot.

[Les Snyder]

Jim Norman, and Caspian28r.... thanks for the information.... regards

[Michael Carlin]

It has been roughly 4 years since I had laser surgery. I am now 57 years. 3 months and some weeks old.

Left eye is still very good at 20/15 to 20/13 and virtually without astigmatism.

Right eye has a correction of sphere +1.25, Cylinder +1.25 axis 028

My bifocal is a +2.00 at 16" which is not uncommon for folks my age.

Until I was 47 years old I did not require bifocals in my +2.50 and +2.75 lenses that I used prior to LASIK.

I would like to be free of the slight remaining astigmatism, and may go back if the technology has another generation.

It is nice to be able to drive, swim, etc without glasses.

Things I miss, I could read and do precision fine work up close at age 47 by taking my glasses off! Now I can not see to do close work without a +1.50 to +2.50 lens depending on how close I want to work.

I just got a new prescription and a new (Right Sight) front sight for my Palma rifle with the .5 diopter lens. I will let you know how that goes.

this post is simply to update you who are considering LASIK that it is not perfect, but I would do it again!

Michael