Not a topic that I ever thought much about, but it hit me a few months ago. Fuzzy vision with shadow images around everything. I asssumed that it had been about 3 years since I last got new glasses, that was all there was to it, but no; it's a cataract. Normally most pilots have hung up their goggles by the age this hits them, but it can happen to relatively young people. I was wondering if any member here have gone trough this and intra-ocular lenses implanted (or even as refractive surgery without cataracts). There are a variety of lenses out there and we're on the brink of getting really good accommodating lenses, but the technology is still young with this types. Without getting too technical, most IOLs (Intra-ocular lenses) are monofocal you'll see well at one distance, usually far and then will have to resort to glasses for close-up. No big deal for most, because at this age we need to do that anyway. The other option is monovision - one eye is set for distance, the other is left slightly myopic for close up. The FAA frowns on this. But they frown a lot. The other option is a multifocal lens; these are divided into zones and although analogous to bifocal glasses, they work very differently - the light is divided up and some of it gets focused at distance, some at intermediate and come for close up distances.This takes neural adaptation over a period of time, but works well - as long as you can deal with the side effects and of course you get nothing for free in physics the reduction in available light does reduce image quality.
Accommodating lenses attempt to use the ciliary muscle (the one that focuses your natural lens) to physically shift an IOL in your eye giving you the ability to focus close and far. So far it's still a technology that is just emerging, but there are some lenses out there with a good record.
The state of the art is such that with standard lenses the FAA only requires that you pass the usual vision test and you're good to fly. With other types of IOL they demand a 3 month waiting period and a medical report.
Has anyone here had the surgery performed and did it affect your flying?
Accommodating lenses attempt to use the ciliary muscle (the one that focuses your natural lens) to physically shift an IOL in your eye giving you the ability to focus close and far. So far it's still a technology that is just emerging, but there are some lenses out there with a good record.
The state of the art is such that with standard lenses the FAA only requires that you pass the usual vision test and you're good to fly. With other types of IOL they demand a 3 month waiting period and a medical report.
Has anyone here had the surgery performed and did it affect your flying?
