Vision question

[89-LX]

Right now, my vision is 20/25 in the left eye, 20/30 in the right eye. This was taken on a bad day, so I am going to imagine that it is 20/25 in each eye. But let’s give it the worst case scenario, and say that my vision is 20/30 in both eyes at the time of OCS. I know that 20/40 uncorrected is the MAX that is allowed, and PRK is allowed with a waiver, but do they want SNA people (preferably jets) to be 20/20, or would they accept 20/30 uncorrected? If I also get PRK in another year or two before OCS, is there a limit to how many waivers get approved, or will a waiver be granted no matter what as long as the surgery is successful without any other problems?

Thanks much guys.

 

[macattack]

But this begs the question...what % without 20/20 get jets?

 

[OohRahUSMCF18]

You should check out the soft contact lens waver. I am looking into that right now. You can have vision as bad as 20/400 as long as it is correctable to 20/20.
Here is the NOMI link on contacts for SNAs.
http://www.nomi.med.navy.mil/Nami/WaiverGuideTopics/ophthalmology.htm#contact

 

[navymech]

You should check out the soft contact lens waver. I am looking into that right now. You can have vision as bad as 20/400 as long as it is correctable to 20/20.
Here is the NOMI link on contacts for SNAs.
http://www.nomi.med.navy.mil/Nami/WaiverGuideTopics/ophthalmology.htm#contact

That begs an even bigger question, what % of those (future) guys will get jets?

I wear contacts, and have successfully worn them for about 3 years, and have enlisted, with hopes of getting picked up for STA-21, should I pay for PRK when I'm in, which I will have plenty of time to recoup and allow for the 6-month period before submitting the application, or attempt for the waiver with soft contacts? My vision is right at 20/400. Ouch!

Cheers

 

[Wankertank]

should I pay for PRK when I'm in, which I will have plenty of time to recoup and allow for the 6-month period before submitting the application, or attempt for the waiver with soft contacts? My vision is right at 20/400. Ouch!

Cheers

The problem is that once your vision goes beyond 20/400 you will no longer be within limits to fly. And myopia normally stabilizies in the mid 20's, however your eyesight can still degenerate with age. If you go the SCL waiver route, you may end up being able to fly for a number of years and then be forced to get PRK to continue to fly.

The questions you need to ask yourself are: How do you feel about PRK? Are you confident about the procedure? Would you rather wait and use contacts and then get PRK when absolutely necessary?

 

[Bear]

I am applying for OCS Coast Guard and have a similar situation...curious if It is possible to have the military pay for a PRK after I am accepted (hoping I will be accepted)? I have a correctable astigmatism in my right eye and my vision is weak because of it. I was under the impression that Uncle Sam will pay for my eyes to get corrected once I'm in the club (club military). I would like to fly! It would be a dream of mine to fly! If accepted into OCS I will then apply to flight school and if I fail the eye portion, will there be another chance to apply after a PRK? Which I'm hoping will be paid for.

So I'm sorry for the rambling...my question is again: will the Coast Guard pay for my PRK once accepted into OCS?

Thanks!

 

[navymech]

The problem is that once your vision goes beyond 20/400 you will no longer be within limits to fly. And myopia normally stabilizies in the mid 20's, however your eyesight can still degenerate with age. If you go the SCL waiver route, you may end up being able to fly for a number of years and then be forced to get PRK to continue to fly.

The questions you need to ask yourself are: How do you feel about PRK? Are you confident about the procedure? Would you rather wait and use contacts and then get PRK when absolutely necessary?

I see your point. At the moment, I'm still uncertain about PRK, I'd really have to research a bit more and get some thoughts from the folks who've had it done.

 

[nugget81]

I see your point. At the moment, I'm still uncertain about PRK, I'd really have to research a bit more and get some thoughts from the folks who've had it done.

There are several folks on AW who have had PRK done, including myself. I had it done 1 year ago this month and I am tremendously happy with it. I paid $2500 for both eyes and it has been the best investment I've ever made.

In addition, the affect on my daily life has been noticable. I wore contacts for 8 years prior to the surgery and it's great not having to worry about inserting, removing, cleaning, buying, etc. my contacts. Being able to wake up in the middle of the night and see the alarm clock without squinting....priceless.

However, PRK is not without its risks. Definitely do your research and make absolutely sure that the reward outweighs the risk for you. My reading vision has been degraded slightly since the surgery and my eyes get dry sometimes (more than they did before the surgery). But these minor inconveniences are worth it to me.

Best of Luck!

 

[Jeff29]

That begs an even bigger question, what % of those (future) guys will get jets?

I wear contacts, and have successfully worn them for about 3 years, and have enlisted, with hopes of getting picked up for STA-21, should I pay for PRK when I'm in, which I will have plenty of time to recoup and allow for the 6-month period before submitting the application, or attempt for the waiver with soft contacts? My vision is right at 20/400. Ouch!

Cheers

This is an absolute no brainer! If you can get in without getting surgery, then DO NOT GET SURGERY! If you're close, the difference between 20/400 and 20/200 can be a week of lots of rest, no reading, no computers, and plenty of water (and some practice with an eye chart).