• Please take a moment and update your account profile. If you have an updated account profile with basic information on why you are on Air Warriors it will help other people respond to your posts. How do you update your profile you ask?

    Go here:

    Edit Account Details and Profile

PRK enhancement?

R

radkindoical

New Member
I'm a USMC OCC applicant, just had PRK about a month ago, and my current visions are 20/40 left eye and 20/25 right eye. I know i still have more time to heal but, what are the rules on PRK enhancement, is that an automatic disqualification?
Thank You.
 
I had the same question at the time, but it turned out to be a non-issue, I eventually got to 20/20. You'll need 3-6 months before you know if you need a touch up, and your numbers are normal following only one month of healing. I never did find out what was allowed, it's likely just a case by case issue.

Your other complications are dry eyes, double vision, halos at night, and reduced night vision, and they'll all get much better with time; or maybe I just adjusted, either way, don't sweat it.

My opinion: As long as you're within regs (20/40) and without complications, thus meeting the requirements of an air contract and passing your physical, then there is no need to risk your contract by getting an eye sliced and burned again. Just let the mil docs give you lasik in the future. If it ain't broke...
 
My surgeon told me 6-8 weeks to finally stabilize. You sound about where I was at +4 weeks and now I'm 20/20 both eyes, marginal 20/15. Just give it some time.
 
I had PRK, and my eyesight eventually stabilized at 20/40 in the left and 20/15 in the right. My surgeon said he can go in and do a touch up on the left but I figure it's too much of a hassle, as I am pretty sure you need to wait another 6 months after the second surgery until you can get your up chit.

I just got my up chit for API a few weeks ago so I don't really feel like messing around with the surgery again. I'll just wear the glasses when I fly.
 
Thank you for all the replies, i appreciate it.

i thought your visions had to be 20/20 after PRK in orther to pass the aviation physical.

I have one month follow up on thursday, so we'll see how it goes.

thanks again.
 
the flight doc at NAMI in P-cola told me as long as it was 20/40 or better and correctable to 20/20, you're good to go.
 
I got PRK. One year later I was 20/20 on a good nights rest, extremely hydrated, and with generous use of hydrating eye drops. Started flight school like that and at 2.5 years out I am 20/25 and fly with glasses. Glasses are a pain in the ass but I am not gonna stop training to get re-cut... don't even know if that would be authorized.

I think this is your best bet for the info on the PRK waiver. http://www.med.navy.mil/sites/navmedmpte/nomi/nami/arwg/Pages/default.aspx
 
radkindoical said:
i thought your visions had to be 20/20 after PRK in orther to pass the aviation physical.
thanks again.
Click to expand...

At the time I thought so too, but luckily I thought wrong. Let us know what they say at your appointment.

pourts said:
I got PRK. One year later I was 20/20 on a good nights rest, extremely hydrated, and with generous use of hydrating eye drops. Started flight school like that and at 2.5 years out I am 20/25 and fly with glasses. Glasses are a pain in the ass but I am not gonna stop training to get re-cut... don't even know if that would be authorized.
Click to expand...

Your case is identical to mine, except I haven't yet acquired glasses. I do need them. I'll eventually ask about a Lasik touch up, but only after I'm well on my way to the fleet.

I finally kicked the eyedrop habit during the second year while I was at OCS.
 
So I was working out yesterday, P90X and my stretch band happened to slip out of my foot, hit the ceiling and out of all the body parts it could have hit, it got my left eye ball, 20/40 eye too.... well I hope that didn't do any damage to my left eye,... Got my dr's appointment in 3 hours.
 
The appointment went good, my left eye had recovered a little bit, went up to 20/30 from 20/40, my right eye remained at 20/25.

I found out through my new doctor that I wasn't on the eye drop that I was supposed to take the past two weeks, he told me that was weird and that I should have been prescribed to one, I forget the name of the drop but it cost me 200 bucks.

So hopefully, my eyes will start to heal better and faster.
 
Gunna bump this thread here.

I'm a freshly minted 1310, and I had PRK before I came into training, had no issues, they tried to tell me I needed glasses because I missed one letter on my left eye at nomi, but got 20/10 in the right.
Long story short no issues through training, even took their little test again in primary for my annual, 20/20 and 20/15. I'm now about 2.5 years out and I just couldn't focus, failed the initial far vision test, I didn't think my vision was that bad and I got my upchit finally with a little "eh close enough" workaround. Either-way I was concerned and set up an appointment at the friendly neighborhood optometrist, says I have 20/40 at best now. That's about what I was when I got PRK in the first place, so needless to say I'm considering an enhancement because glasses in the aircraft are a pain in the ass.
So two questions:
Anyone get an enhancement recently or know anyone that did?
How did it go over for you/them? I'm in the FRS at the moment, so not sure if I should chop before I start flying again (ground school and holiday leave will keep me earth bound until about February) or wait until fleet transition.

Sorry for the long post, and thanks for any help/advice in advance.
 
BlkBird48 said:
Gunna bump this thread here.

I'm a freshly minted 1310, and I had PRK before I came into training, had no issues, they tried to tell me I needed glasses because I missed one letter on my left eye at nomi, but got 20/10 in the right.
Long story short no issues through training, even took their little test again in primary for my annual, 20/20 and 20/15. I'm now about 2.5 years out and I just couldn't focus, failed the initial far vision test, I didn't think my vision was that bad and I got my upchit finally with a little "eh close enough" workaround. Either-way I was concerned and set up an appointment at the friendly neighborhood optometrist, says I have 20/40 at best now. That's about what I was when I got PRK in the first place, so needless to say I'm considering an enhancement because glasses in the aircraft are a pain in the ass.
So two questions:
Anyone get an enhancement recently or know anyone that did?
How did it go over for you/them? I'm in the FRS at the moment, so not sure if I should chop before I start flying again (ground school and holiday leave will keep me earth bound until about February) or wait until fleet transition.

Sorry for the long post, and thanks for any help/advice in advance.
Click to expand...

Is NAMI entertaining the idea of you getting a touch up while in the FRS? I am currently in OCS and the aviation optometrist here said I wouldn't even be allowed to get a touch up until after my first tour....Have you heard any sort of restriction like that before?
 
BleedGreen said:
Is NAMI entertaining the idea of you getting a touch up while in the FRS? I am currently in OCS and the aviation optometrist here said I wouldn't even be allowed to get a touch up until after my first tour....Have you heard any sort of restriction like that before?
Click to expand...

I went to get my exam done. 20/20 both eyes and about 20/30 individually, so for now I'm just getting a set of specs to wear in cockpit.
To answer your question, no never heard of any such restriction, flt doc said it's now a 90 day down and I'd just need permission from the chain, which since I won't be flying till about February with ground school I was likely to get it. The eye doc also said my eyes were just enough to recommend the touch up if I wanted, and on the Navy's dime no less.
I decided to just suck it up till out of the FRS, get it done in transit at my civilian place (I get free touch ups there anyhow and the eye drop prescription I got from the doc helps my vision a good deal)
 
Last edited:
Oh that's good to know! thanks for the info and hopefully you can find an answer to your question soon
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top