Lasik?

[jamesdavidboyle]

Is LASIK waiverable for NFO?

 

[Pags]

I'm pretty sure PRK is still your only choice, so, No, it's not. Anyone wanna back me up on that?

 

[Thisguy]

Lasik is only waiverable for designators other than Pilot, NFO, and SEAL

 

[jamesdavidboyle]

I had LASIK done about two years ago - am I correct then in saying that this immediately disqualifies me from applying NFO?

 

[nittany03]

Yes, I believe you would be correct in saying that.

 

[turtle_sc]

yes, only PRK and LASEK are waiverable for NFO.

 

[jamesdavidboyle]

Might I have any luck if I pushed the issue (either tried really hard to get a waiver, or just concealed the fact that I had the surgery), or am I pretty much scr*wed on this one? Thanks -

 

[ea6bflyr]

There is no possible way to conceal eye surgery from NOMI/NAMI. THey have this high-speed super-wham-o-dyne eye mapping device and they can tell if someone has had PRK, LASIK, ICR, or any other type of surgery. Your best bet is to go to the recruiter and ask. I believe you can still be a SWO or Submariner, but talk to your recruiter and get the straight scoop. The LASIK DQ's you from Navy or Marine Corps Aviation, but I do not know about AF or Army.....
ea6bflyr

 

[Thisguy]

Pushing it won't help, there is no waiver for Lasik, period. Concealing won't help either, because any doc can take a look at your eye and see the flap. If you still want to join the navy, there are other designators.

 

[nittany03]

There is no possible way to conceal eye surgery from NOMI/NAMI. THey have this high-speed super-wham-o-dyne eye mapping device and they can tell if someone has had PRK, LASIK, ICR, or any other type of surgery.

Believe me, he's right. I've had PRK and when I went through my NAMI physical, the corpsman actually showed me the printout of the contours of my cornea, and the big blue area in the middle where the laser trimmed it down. You can't sneak much past those guys.

 

[jamesdavidboyle]

Yeah, I figured trying to sneak it past them wouldn't work out too well. I'm just surprised that they don't allow LASIK for NFO - I can understand why it's nixed for Pilot, but I thought it wouldn't be a big deal for applying NFO. I'm currently enlisted - I got a waiver for LASIK for BUD/S no problem (injured during BUD/S, dropped out). Anyway, I don't really have any interest in going back to BUD/S, and since I already went to college and have my degree, I want to apply to OCS. NFO seems really interesting, but it sounds like I'm f*cked.

 

[Shadow9660]

james,
The way the Flight Surgeon explained it to me when I got my Flight Physical, was due mainly to the way the cornea is cut in PRK vs. Lasik...you can find forums on the PRK listing that go in detail, but basically when you got lasik, your epithelium is basically "water sealed" by the flap they cut. In the event of say, a sudden cabin pressure change, that could be enough to break open that seal, and thus more tests need to be done for LASIK in such scenarios. PRK on the other hand, is a more in depth (and I've heard more painful) cut of the epithelium/cornea, and takes longer to heal, but as a result, is not a "water seal", but rather, heals like any other non eye muscle surgery, and seems to be more permanent. Any other posters feel free to add/critique on my terminology here, but you get the main idea as to why LASIK is not approved yet....

 

[wink]

I understand that the Army will accept LASIK surgery for flight training candidates. If you think about it, that is consistent with the Navy's concern. Since nearly all the of the Army's aircraft are unpressurized, or helos, they may not be worried about the "flap" problem.

 

[jamesdavidboyle]

Thanks everybody. If I apply anyway, at what stage would they neg me? During the flight physical? Is there any chance that I could ask for a LASIK waiver and somebody might say yes? I know this sounds stupid at this point what with everybody here telling me that it's not possible, but I really want to exhaust every option before I give up. Thanks again.

 

[jamesdavidboyle]

Sorry to keep pushing the issue - I just figure there may be a way for a couple of reasons - when I initially applied for BUD/S I was told by a bunch of people that LASIK was absolutely not waiverable. I ended up getting a waiver without much of a problem. Also, I spoke with a Navy pilot in a bar the other night (he was drunk, so I guess this doesn't count for much), and he basically told me that officially, LASIK wasn't allowed, but getting a waiver was possible. I'm just a bit confused at this point. Thanks in advance -