I'm a 3/C MIDN thinking about having PRK done this summer before my junior year. My diopters are pretty bad, so I'll have to wait 6 months for the waiver. The problem is, I go to college 2,000 miles from my home town where I'd probably get the PRK done. From what I can tell, you can't just show up after 6 months and apply for a waiver. Don't you have to have check-ups at 2 weeks, 1 month, 3 and 6 months etc.? If that's the case, does anybody have any suggestions on whether to just get the PRK done where I go to college or is it possible that I can have it done at home and just have fewer follow-ups? So far, I can't really tell what the best plan of action is. Thanks for the help.
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PRK follow-ups until waiver
- Thread starter flyboy21
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I had the PRK done on Oct 7 and I had follow-ups everyday for a week and a half afterwards and then every other day for 2 weeks...then I have been having one monthly since then. My OSO called the doc after the 3 month follow up and he said that he wanted records of the next 3 months too(my eyes were pretty bad) in otder to get my waiver. I would reccommend getting it done near where you go to college, thats what I did and it turned out really well. Just in case you have any problems it would be smartest to be near your doctor. Good luck in whatever you decide!
callsign_HURRICANE
Registered User
So can I just get PRK done, before going into the military for a potential filght career?
You have to get it done before. If you want to get a flight slot you have to have the eyes and the only way of getting the eyes you don't have, is PRK (with waver). The military will not pay for it before you are in. If you are in there is a possibility they will pay for it (from what I have heard), if you are part of their study to evaluate the effectiveness of the procedure (which may or may not have concluded, i'm not sure)
So, get PRK ONLY!! (other methods are disqualifying) and keep all your records and apply for a waver.
So, get PRK ONLY!! (other methods are disqualifying) and keep all your records and apply for a waver.
another option is to go to a place that has offices nationaly. I had mine done at a place called LaiskPlus (www.lasikplus.com) and they have offices all over the place, so you could get it done in your home town then go to another office for checkups.
Ben
Ben
Thanks for the responses so far. I guess to clarify my question: When I keep reading about people on here getting PRK and having all the follow-ups, is that because their individual doctors just want to see how they're doing or is it because of Navy regulations that must be met in order to have a waiver issued. In other words, what is the Navy's official stance on the number and frequency of pre-op and post-op visits with your doctor that are required in order to get a waiver?
Below is a link to the Opthalmalogy section of the Navy Aerospace Medicine Institute's waiver guide. It should have lots of usefule info. Specifically, click the item called PRK/LASIK update. It lists all the specific requirements to get a PRK waiver. If you don't understand some of the technical parts, print it out and show your eye doc.
LT G.
http://www.nomi.med.navy.mil/NAMI/WaiverGuideTopics/ophthalmology.htm
LT G.
http://www.nomi.med.navy.mil/NAMI/WaiverGuideTopics/ophthalmology.htm
frencho, how are you seeing now? How farsighted are you? How nearsighted are you?
flyboy, the Dr. who did my surgery offered to have a different Dr. do the post-op check ups if I wanted. So you can have the surgery done at home and have a Dr. near your school do the post-op check ups, just make sure he documents everything. If he ends up telling you to go back to the surgeon for an enhancement then I'm sure the surgeon will want to see you beforre he does it. But potentially you could have the procedure done in one place and the follow ups in another. Just make sure you have you 1,2,3, and 6 month check ups as the Navy docs require. I recently met someone who had less than -5.50 and the Dr. wanted him to send in his 6 month post-op even though it's "officially" not required. The bottom line is that the more documentation you have the easier it will be to get the waiver.
Hope this info helps.
flyboy, the Dr. who did my surgery offered to have a different Dr. do the post-op check ups if I wanted. So you can have the surgery done at home and have a Dr. near your school do the post-op check ups, just make sure he documents everything. If he ends up telling you to go back to the surgeon for an enhancement then I'm sure the surgeon will want to see you beforre he does it. But potentially you could have the procedure done in one place and the follow ups in another. Just make sure you have you 1,2,3, and 6 month check ups as the Navy docs require. I recently met someone who had less than -5.50 and the Dr. wanted him to send in his 6 month post-op even though it's "officially" not required. The bottom line is that the more documentation you have the easier it will be to get the waiver.
Hope this info helps.
I had it done in September, my vision was 20/400, (-4.5 diopters). I printed out the requirements from BUMED and showed them to my doc before just to make sure I was within the preop standards and to see what the possibility was of getting within the postop requirements. A couple things to keep in mind though, some of the paperwork on these sites are not up to date, the navy's current pre-op policy is + or - 5.5 diopters in any meridian (not 8.0 like most of the paperwork says)and correctable to 20/20. My suggestion is print it the info and take it into your aviation instruction (if NROTC) and have him call down and get any changes.
Anyway, I'm seeing 20/20 + and haven't had any complaints, just document everything.
GO BUCKS, ANN ARBOR'S STILL A WHORE!
Anyway, I'm seeing 20/20 + and haven't had any complaints, just document everything.
GO BUCKS, ANN ARBOR'S STILL A WHORE!
From: OSUNavy
Does anybody else have any word on the current refraction limits for NOMI? I've been scouring the website, and like OSU says its current limit is -8.00 diopters on the website, (I'm -6.00), but that section of the NOMI website was last updated in '02. Any hope or I am totally out of luck--destined to apply for SNFO? Granted, I'd take SNFO in a heartbeat, but was just hoping for SNA.
I guess I just figured I could trust the NOMI website: http://www.nomi.med.navy.mil/Text/NAMI/WaiverGuideTopics/ophthalmology.htm I mean, if you can't trust the info. currently on the website, isn't it possible for a lot of people to get messed over on the pretenses of following incorrect directives on the website?
Does anybody else have any word on the current refraction limits for NOMI? I've been scouring the website, and like OSU says its current limit is -8.00 diopters on the website, (I'm -6.00), but that section of the NOMI website was last updated in '02. Any hope or I am totally out of luck--destined to apply for SNFO? Granted, I'd take SNFO in a heartbeat, but was just hoping for SNA.
I guess I just figured I could trust the NOMI website: http://www.nomi.med.navy.mil/Text/NAMI/WaiverGuideTopics/ophthalmology.htm I mean, if you can't trust the info. currently on the website, isn't it possible for a lot of people to get messed over on the pretenses of following incorrect directives on the website?
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