After extensive review with my ophthalmologist, recruiter, and Naval Aerospace Medical Institute, I found out the Navy now allows civilian applicants to undergo LASIK. I attached a pdf information sheet I received. I was selected in the Nov 2010 boards SNA and had LASIK done 2 weeks ago instead of PRK. The recovery was quite non existent. Few days of scratchy eyes and that was it. Now I can see 20/20. My recruiter originally did not know LASIK was an option, but helped me look into it deeper to get the answer. I believe it is new that civilian applicants are being allowed to get a waiver with it. View attachment Vision Screening Requirements for Accessions Enclosure 1 Fin[1].pdf
This makes me sad. I showed the exact same document to my surgeon AND my recruiter. But my recruiter was still convinced it had to be PRK so I went with it. I guess I should have pressed the issue further. Wish i saw this earlier. My PRK recov has been no bueno.
Carl - what was the application process like for the study protocol? I was looking at PRK/LASIK before I chose my designator, and my recruiter believed those studies were for those who are already serving.
My ophthalmologist knew a Navy doctor and he contacted him. He told me LASIK was allowed so I asked my recruiter, who said PRK only initially. However he then got in contact with NAMI and did confirm that LASIK is now allowed for civilian applicants. LASIK used to be allowed only for current aviators, but it has changed now. I will have some additional testing for the new study and a waiver, but other than that its a similar process as PRK.
I'd like to put out a warning to people looking into LASIK. The Navy only allows a specific type. Research it before you permanently forfeit the opportunity of a lifetime.
And what type do you think this is? I quote from the document I posted: "Wavefront-guided (e.g., VISX CustomVue, or equivalent) or wavefront-optimized and femtosecond keratome (e.g., IntraLase, or equivalent) LASIK procedure is STRONGLY ENCOURAGED as the LASIK treatment of choice in Naval Aviation" Notice it says strongly encouraged. Most LASIK centers do use intralase and wavefront today. I think the doctors at NAMI would have told me if only a certain LASIK was required. If you think they only allow a certain type, do you have any documents that show this? Believe me. I have done my research, as I tried to show in my posts. That being said, everyone should still get the ok front their recruiter. It just seems that most recruiters don't know it is an option yet. If anyone needs a reference for this, just send me a pm. Here is another link I got from the NAMI doctor: http://www.med.navy.mil/sites/navmedmpte/nomi/nami/clinical/Pages/Ophthalmology.aspx
Sorry, I was posting at 12am and I did not consider you would think I was posting at you. I am not challenging you at all. There just seems to be a pre-preponderance of applicants that want to go for LASIK and I only knew that certain types of LASIK were accepted from reading a medical document a while back. You definitely have more current info.
PRK is a 3 month wait if your refraction is less than -6.00 and a 6 month wait if your between -6 and -8 diopters. LASIK only says 3 months regardless of refractive error. It makes sense since the recovery is much quicker. I am still waiting for my medical documents to get to my recruiter, but I hope it to be only 3 months.
Just got off the phone with the Aviation Nurse in Newport (who by the way was a very nice woman), and she said its 6 months for PRK and LASIK. They are the ones who issue the waiver to NAMI and she said they won't even bother with that until 6 months post op. The document here that says minimum 3 months is kind of a tease. Has anyone heard of differently? I am looking to have LASIK done second week of July and had my fingers crossed I was pro-rec'd in August so I could get Final Select within the 90 limit.
My Lasik waiver got rejected after the 3 month period, they said it has to be 6. My 6 month post op is in a few weeks.
DBatt, I'm a Prowler ECMO who had LASIK in January 2010. Can't say enough marvelous things about it. The eye doc was ready to give me an up chit at 2 weeks post-op, but waited til 4 just to be safe. I went from 20/300 to 20/16 (L) and 20/400 to 20/12 (R), overnight, with zero pain. 18 months later, my left eye is stabilized at 20/16 and my right is 20/30. I'm also pregnant right now which can cause some vision changes; at my most recent physical the doc who checked me said she expects the right eye should go back to 20/20 or better after delivery. If you want to know more, just ask.
From my conversations with the flight doc here at API. If I were to get LASIK in the near future, I could get my up chit at two weeks (like ReconJos mentioned) if all was well. Luckily, my vision is pretty good right now, but I'm quickly becoming an old man,and I know my vision is getting worse. It's nice to know that LASIK is an option.
There's about three of us in my squadron who looking to have it done. We just went through our flight doc and optometry...the whole process seems fairly simple for current flyers.
I have gone through the headache of a civilian with LASIK to SNA in primary right now. 3-4 eye exams pre-OCS, 2 eye exams in OCS, one at API, and my last annual medical. It sucks no matter which road you take. There is plenty of bad gouge out there so make sure you do all your research before pulling the trigger on the surgery. With the delays, headaches, and the metric butt load of eye exams over the last 9 months, it was completely worth it no matter what anyone says. The biggest hurdle for most applicants is the fact that many in the recruiting command are not up to speed on this program. Good to note that once you've made it to the flight line the surgery scrutiny subsides. Complete annual flight physical took just less than an hour, where before the eye exam would've been that long alone.
I had LASIK done July 27th. Right eye went from 20/50 to 20/20 - left eye from from 20/60 to 20/30...my doc expects this to keep getting better as time goes on. My concern is that I keep reading stories like ReconJos who had much worse vision before surgery and have 20/20 (or better results) the next day. I am also stressing the 6 month wait until I can try for a waiver. I guess I was naive enough to assume when it said MINIMUM 3 months they would consider the waiver at 3 months if your post ops went well. Does anyone know how long after a pro-rec you have to get the waiver before they tell you to screw off? Word on the forum is mid September we will know the results of the board - at that point I will be just about 2 months post op.
I could tell you not to stress becuase it won't help anything, but I am guilty of the same kind of thing. My vision was never really 20/20 after PRK, though I could fake it with super-hydration, rest, eye drops, no reading the day before and a little squinting. After 24 months I had to wear glasses to fly. It pisses me off whenever I hear DJ's on the radio give endorsements for the local LASIK guy because they are now 20/15. How come that guy gets to be 20/15? I had the same surgery and actually need superior vision for my job, yet my vision slipped to 20/30. The world is not fair. And those commercials are not true. So I won't let it piss me off any more. Starting now.
Well I had LASIK done, got picked up for the LASIK in Aviation Research Program, and am now down in IFS/API in Pensacola with an appointment soon with NAMI (or NOMI depending on who you ask lol). I'll let you guys know how that goes. All that was required for it at OCS besides all my paperwork from the day I was born was an extra appointment in CandiO phase at Medical for more tests.
