Cataract surgery and viewfinders

I recently had cataract surgery in both eyes and as a result, have lost all my mid and close vision. I wear progressive lens glasses and that's fine for topside, but am struggling with the camera. I've tried split lenses in my mask but it's hard for me to look through the viewfinder with just the bottom half of the lens. I can't wear soft contacts because of astigmatism in both eyes. So I'm wondering if anyone else out there has had cataract surgery and how they are handling this problem.

I recently had cataract surgery in both eyes and as a result, have lost all my mid and close vision. I wear progressive lens glasses and that's fine for topside, but am struggling with the camera. I've tried split lenses in my mask but it's hard for me to look through the viewfinder with just the bottom half of the lens. I can't wear soft contacts because of astigmatism in both eyes. So I'm wondering if anyone else out there has had cataract surgery and how they are handling this problem.

Not sure I understand the problem about looking through the viewfinder with the bottom part of you lens. I have progressive lenses for both topside and in my dive mask and I look through the viewfinder with my distance focus part of my lens (the top). Is it a mid vision problem, if so you might try monovision, with your dominant eye prescription for looking through the viewfinder.

Bill

Not sure I understand the problem about looking through the viewfinder with the bottom part of you lens. I have progressive lenses for both topside and in my dive mask and I look through the viewfinder with my distance focus part of my lens (the top). Is it a mid vision problem, if so you might try monovision, with your dominant eye prescription for looking through the viewfinder.

Bill

Yes, it's more of a mid vision thing for the viewfinder but near vision for things like depth gauge, monitor back on the video housing, etc.

I have monovision with that kind of surgery (one eye set to closeup and the other set to far vision), and it works fine after your brain does a bit of adjusting.

If both eyes are set to farsight, I think you could replicate it by having one eyepiece on your mask fitted with a lens for closeup and using the other unadjusted for your viewfinder.

Otara

I recently had cataract surgery in both eyes and as a result, have lost all my mid and close vision. I wear progressive lens glasses and that's fine for topside, but am struggling with the camera. I've tried split lenses in my mask but it's hard for me to look through the viewfinder with just the bottom half of the lens. I can't wear soft contacts because of astigmatism in both eyes. So I'm wondering if anyone else out there has had cataract surgery and how they are handling this problem.

If your distance vision is good without correction the camera should work fine (looking through the viewfinder), simply adjust the diopter power on the viewfinder. This would be no different from any presbyope (loss of near vision with age). Is your distance vision good without glasses?

There are soft contact lenses that correct for astigmatism.

(If you are looking at an LCD screen this is a different matter and where your loss of mid and near vision comes into play underwater)

I'd need a bit more information to ferret out your visual problem. If you have, say, 20/20 vision (or close) at a distance without glasses a camera viewfinder shouldn't be a problem.

Steve (MD - ophthalmologist)

I have had the same surgery and use a contact in one eye for distance and the other eye for closeup and looking into the viewfinder using the cameras +/- diopter to get proper focus. Works well for me.

Phil Rudin

If your distance vision is good without correction the camera should work fine (looking through the viewfinder), simply adjust the diopter power on the viewfinder. This would be no different from any presbyope (loss of near vision with age). Is your distance vision good without glasses?

 

There are soft contact lenses that correct for astigmatism.

 

(If you are looking at an LCD screen this is a different matter and where your loss of mid and near vision comes into play underwater)

 

I'd need a bit more information to ferret out your visual problem. If you have, say, 20/20 vision (or close) at a distance without glasses a camera viewfinder shouldn't be a problem.

 

Steve (MD - ophthalmologist)

Steve-

I'm 20/30 in both eyes without glasses but have -.75 and -1.25 astigmatism. I was very nearsighted (-18) in both eyes before the surgery so I'm thrilled now. I'm thinking that a combination of an Inon viewfinder and a mask with +2 bifocals in it might do the trick. I'll just have to live with less than ideal distance vision.

Steve-

I'm 20/30 in both eyes without glasses but have -.75 and -1.25 astigmatism. I was very nearsighted (-18) in both eyes before the surgery so I'm thrilled now. I'm thinking that a combination of an Inon viewfinder and a mask with +2 bifocals in it might do the trick. I'll just have to live with less than ideal distance vision.

-18.00. Yow. I'm a minus 9 so I can sympathize with you and the happiest patients are folk like you and me. Nice to get out of bed in the morning without glasses, eh. AND, just for fun, there is a connection between high myopia and high IQ.

Anyhow, theoretically you should be able to adjust the focus part of the viewfinder and see everything in the viewfinder pretty well. I assume you have tried that. If so, I'm not quite sure why that isn't working. The astigmatism could be corrected in a lens in the mask with a bifocal in one eye if you wish.

Steve

I have had the same surgery and use a contact in one eye for distance and the other eye for closeup and looking into the viewfinder using the cameras +/- diopter to get proper focus. Works well for me.

 

Phil Rudin

Hi Phil,

Have you had any problems with salt water getting under the contact lens and causing irritation? I have reached a stage where I can hardly read my camera or gauges just thru my mask so I'm researching solutions. The magnification of the mask seems to compensate for my mild astigmitism and myopia when viewing distant objects underwater.

I have dry eyes so am not a candidate for Lasik. Anyone else can chime in here too.

Regards,

Scott

I dive with soft lenses all the time, at least for the last 10 years, I used Torics for astigmatism, then now as my eyes changed, I'm using spherical soft lenses. never had a problem, your tears are basically salt water too, just different concentrations, no difference with salt water being in direct contact with your eye, just blink and it'll get squeezed out. If you get water in your mask all the time, it's a matter of getting a better fitting mask. Most big viewfinders allow for diopter adjustments if required.

S.

I'd need a bit more information to ferret out your visual problem. If you have, say, 20/20 vision (or close) at a distance without glasses a camera viewfinder shouldn't be a problem.

 

Steve (MD - ophthalmologist)

Hi Steve,

I have sent you a private message about an eye problem of my own....sorry for intruding on you thread cdoyal...

Cheers,

John

I use the one day acuvue type lenses and offen wear them for more than a day. If I do two weeks of three or four dives a day I find myself making a change more offen but for the most part one day of diving is not a problem for me.

Phil Rudin

Thanks for the replies, Phil and everyone. I will ask my ophthalmologist if I can use the soft lenses. That sound a lot easier than getting a new hard lens in a mask!

CATARACT / SURGERY / DIVING QUESTIONS  - Mind if I dust off this topic? 

My brother (and dive partner) found out (today) that he needs cataract surgery in BOTH eyes.  His vision has been decreasing, at an accelerated rate, for a few months.  He has been using a singular contact (monovision) to help him see his gauges and camera settings on his LCD screen (no viewfinder)... but because we haven't been diving for 2 years -  the one contact approach may not be enough anymore) :-(

We have a macro underwater photography trip scheduled mid January - a month from now.

He is willing to get cataract surgery asap on one or both eyes - BUT -

 - How long does he need to wait - post surgery before he can dive (given the pressure)

-  Will his vision (post surgery) improve over time, or magically all at once?  Important to know so he can make the appropriate accommodations for his vision on the trip.

- Any suggestions would be helpful to help us figure out the best approach to this first world dilemma.

Thanks so much! 

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

10 minutes ago, holloways said:

CATARACT / SURGERY / DIVING QUESTIONS  - Mind if I dust off this topic? 

My brother (and dive partner) found out (today) that he needs cataract surgery in BOTH eyes.  His vision has been decreasing, at an accelerated rate, for a few months.  He has been using a singular contact (monovision) to help him see his gauges and camera settings on his LCD screen (no viewfinder)... but because we haven't been diving for 2 years -  the one contact approach may not be enough anymore) :-(

We have a macro underwater photography trip scheduled mid January - a month from now.

He is willing to get cataract surgery asap on one or both eyes - BUT -

 - How long does he need to wait - post surgery before he can dive (given the pressure)

-  Will his vision (post surgery) improve over time, or magically all at once?  Important to know so he can make the appropriate accommodations for his vision on the trip.

- Any suggestions would be helpful to help us figure out the best approach to this first world dilemma.

Thanks so much! 

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

 

 

 

Wow, I sympathise for the guy. Very tough.

I'm sure people will chip-in with thoughts, but aren't these questions best put to the physician/ophthalmic surgeon?  Mid-January is only 4 weeks away......

5 hours ago, holloways said:

CATARACT / SURGERY / DIVING QUESTIONS  - Mind if I dust off this topic? 

My brother (and dive partner) found out (today) that he needs cataract surgery in BOTH eyes.  His vision has been decreasing, at an accelerated rate, for a few months.  He has been using a singular contact (monovision) to help him see his gauges and camera settings on his LCD screen (no viewfinder)... but because we haven't been diving for 2 years -  the one contact approach may not be enough anymore) :-(

We have a macro underwater photography trip scheduled mid January - a month from now.

He is willing to get cataract surgery asap on one or both eyes - BUT -

 - How long does he need to wait - post surgery before he can dive (given the pressure)

-  Will his vision (post surgery) improve over time, or magically all at once?  Important to know so he can make the appropriate accommodations for his vision on the trip.

- Any suggestions would be helpful to help us figure out the best approach to this first world dilemma.

Thanks so much! 

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

 

 

 

You can talk to the surgeon about it, but my understanding is that the new lenses that are installed are or can be set for distance vision.  My father could see perfectly without glasses for distance and walking around  very soon after cataract surgery and just needed reading glasses.  But the new lens installed is fixed focus with no accommodation, so closeup glasses will be needed for things like gauges and LCD screens. 

I have seen a few people in Sydney using a setup whereby they have a go pro mount installed on their mask and attach a normal pair of specs (without sidearms) in a clamp that they can flip up and down and it works very well by all accounts.  It's effectively like putting on reading glasses over you mask.  Cheap readers would probably work fine as is should just be pure dioptric adjustment with a good new lens installed in the eye. 

I had the surgery over thirty-five years ago and have been diving using a single contact in my distance eye and no lens for the closeup eye. 

I have had a few times over the years where saltwater has caused a bit of a vision issue but mostly during days when I have done multi dives (4-5) and had issues with my mask leaking. For the most part no issues with a proper fitting mask. I am still able to find very small macro critters and at the same time see to the limits of visibility.

Because I was a police officer working the road at the time of the surgery I was not allowed to return to full duty for about eight weeks. This was because of an abundance of caution regarding the issues of the possibility being punched in the eye. I went back to diving after about four weeks.

I tried having lenses mounted in a mask but the contact lens was a far better solution for me.

I dive with contacts for many years. I also had a surgery on one of my eyes, the result is soso. The upside of it is that I had to update my (hard) contacts and was told that I had the option to buy multifocal lenses. I understand that not everyone can get accustomed to them, but I was very enthusiastic from day one. Perhaps because in my case the corrections didn't have to be that strong (add +2.5 for reading).  I love these multifocals above and under water, it's just as if you have perfect eye-sharpness, also in the viewfinder.

The only drawback(?) is a blurred vision at the end of some dives on intensive deep dive trips with long ascends. It looks like microbubbles apear. Not sure what it is, I consider it as a warning not to ascend to fast. The blurriness disappears at the surface soon.