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Arizona PRK Doctors

RedFive

Well-Known Member
pilot
None
Contributor
Hey guys,

I guess this is the right place to post this. I'm all squared away with the recruiters and they told me to go get this thing done finally. I'm looking for some recommendations for eye surgery doctors in Arizona. If nobody knows of any, I could potentially do it in California, but that could be a lot of hassle. Let me know!

Thanks!

Logan
 

Afterburner76

Life is Gouda
pilot
Hey guys,

I guess this is the right place to post this.

Here... um... or maybe the "PRK" thread.

But seriously, did you try the phone book? ;)

As for "recommended" docs, I would call the nearest military optometry clinic and ask them for some recs...
 

RedFive

Well-Known Member
pilot
None
Contributor
Yeah, the phone book is filled with a lot of people I wouldn't trust. I was looking for some recommendations from other applicants in my area -- which is far better than looking in the phone book.

For example, I went to the eye doctor today just for a general exam, and the crazy b***h decided she needed to peel my eyelids inside-out by yanking on my eyelashes and rolling my lids up over a q-tip. Do you have any idea how much that hurt? Guess what, I found her in the yellow pages!
 

ea6bflyr

Working Class Bum
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
I was born and raised in Phoenix, but have no clue as to where you could go. Are you in Phoenix or Tucson?

If you are in Tucson, you might be able to ask the Navy ROTC unit where some of their students go.....just a thought.

-ea6bflyr ;)
 

RedFive

Well-Known Member
pilot
None
Contributor
Prescott, actually. I was kinda shooting for someplace in Phoenix. I even convinced my roommate to drive me.....but to where, I don't know :(
 

BACONATOR

Well-Known Member
pilot
Contributor
Prescott, actually. I was kinda shooting for someplace in Phoenix. I even convinced my roommate to drive me.....but to where, I don't know :(

Don't go to ANY health care professionals in Prescott. Unless you like doctors who hit the crack pipe before working on you. (seriously get OUT of prescott/ERAU as fast as possible).

My suggestion would be to call the NRD down in phoenix. They are good guys and can probably give you some names of prior candidates in the area who got the surgery.
 

RedFive

Well-Known Member
pilot
None
Contributor
Wow. Now I'm confused again. I talked to the Navy this morning. They said PRK is okay, Lasik is okay, and LasEK is not! I was pretty sure LasEK was okay and Lasik was not...in fact, I know I've read that multiple times on here. What the hell?!
 

ea6bflyr

Working Class Bum
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
Wow. Now I'm confused again. I talked to the Navy this morning. They said PRK is okay, Lasik is okay, and LasEK is not! I was pretty sure LasEK was okay and Lasik was not...in fact, I know I've read that multiple times on here. What the hell?!

You are right, they are jacked up. LasEk is just another variant of PRK. You can goto the NOMI/NAMI website and check it out yourself. I'd call them again and have them review the instruction.

The real question is did they give you any good places to get PRK?

-ea6bflyr :)
 

RedFive

Well-Known Member
pilot
None
Contributor
Nope. I feel retarded, but I really want to make sure I dot all the i's and cross all the t's before I go do anything surgery-wise. I've read too many posts here over the years about guys getting screwed for one reason or another.

They also said that I don't need any official paperwork from them to go do it. I just have to keep track of the paperwork the doctors give me and I should be good. Sound right? If so, why did I just shell out 65 bucks to send them another eye exam??! I could have told them I needed the damn surgery! :(
 

ea6bflyr

Working Class Bum
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
Nope. I feel retarded, but I really want to make sure I dot all the i's and cross all the t's before I go do anything surgery-wise. I've read too many posts here over the years about guys getting screwed for one reason or another.

They also said that I don't need any official paperwork from them to go do it. I just have to keep track of the paperwork the doctors give me and I should be good. Sound right? If so, why did I just shell out 65 bucks to send them another eye exam??! I could have told them I needed the damn surgery! :(

Sounds right. After the PRK, you'll need your doc to fill out the paperwork.

-ea6bflyr ;)
 

wink

War Hoover NFO.
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
If you are really motivated you can try to find out if there are any Navy Reserve ophthalmologists in one of the units at the Reserve center (oops now the Operations Support Center). The easiest way to do that is talk to the Medical Recruiter at the NRD. She probably has a short list of Reserve Docs she uses for interviewing her Medical Corps candidates. She is just a desk or two down from your recruiter.
 

Jeff29

Science Project
Yellow pages and the BBB are not the places to find an eye doc. My guess is that a navy doc or recruiter will be hesitant to endorse a civilian eye doc (this was my experience), but they may be willing to give you the names of docs who other applicants have used or give you the names of applicants who have gotten the PRK waiver in your area.

If you are not opposed to travelling to San Diego, the Navy's former Head of Refractive Surgery (CAPT Steve Schallhorn), and the former Director of the Navy's Refractive Surgery Center in San Diego (CDR Mitch Brown) are both retired and in private practice together (http://www.clearvieweyes.com/). They obviously know the policy and all requirements inside and out. CAPT Schallhorn was actually an F-14 pilot and TOPGUN instructor, before going to med school (a real underachiever). If you want more info on them, PM me.

I think Wink's suggestion of finding a Reserve Opthamologist would also definitely be worth checking out. CAPT Schallhorn and CDR Brown may also be good sources for this information.
 

BACONATOR

Well-Known Member
pilot
Contributor
Yellow pages and the BBB are not the places to find an eye doc. My guess is that a navy doc or recruiter will be hesitant to endorse a civilian eye doc (this was my experience), but they may be willing to give you the names of docs who other applicants have used or give you the names of applicants who have gotten the PRK waiver in your area.

If you are not opposed to travelling to San Diego, the Navy's former Head of Refractive Surgery (CAPT Steve Schallhorn), and the former Director of the Navy's Refractive Surgery Center in San Diego (CDR Mitch Brown) are both retired and in private practice together (http://www.clearvieweyes.com/). They obviously know the policy and all requirements inside and out. If you want more info on them, PM me.

I think Wink's suggestion of finding a Reserve Opthamologist would also definitely be worth checking out. CAPT Schallhorn and CDR Brown may also be good sources for this information.

This was my point. A recruiter, most likely, will NOT endorse a doc to get PRK (since they will officially attempt to talk you out of gettin PRK) but they WILL put you in contact with other applicants who have gotten PRK to speak with them about their experience.
 
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