Astigmatism question in regards to PRK

[A&P wallis]

To any of you guys on regards to PRK If your astigmatism is in the -4.00 but your vision is less than the required 20/40 is PRK still an option. I was told that PRK does correct for vision as well as astigmatism please excuse me but I am no docter so any help would be great. I have a year and half left of college and I plan on getting the surgery in December of 2005. I have tried to contact NAMI but had some problems getting someone on the phone.

 

[Legionnare]

I am no expert on this but I believe having prk before joining disqualifies you. Anybody else?

 

[NozeMan]

PRK before joining what part?

Speaking from the NROTC side of the house, PRK does in fact disqualify you from getting a commission. But after 3 months we apply for waivers through BUMED to get requalified again. Again, this is the case for NROTC mids.

 

[A&P wallis]

First and formost I have heard many many diffirent times on this site that PRK is an option for somone before commissioning, that is not what I am asking here, I should have worded myself correctly. What I am asking is in regards to the current regs on astigmatism's and were I stand in reference to the required MAX -1.50. I think I see 20/30 in one eye and 20/35 in the other so as of right now I am inside the required max of 20/40, but my astigmatism is I believe a -4.00. DOES ANYONE ON THIS SITE know if I can still get PRK done even though my astigmatism is outside of the current regs. I called and talked to a young enlisted girl at N.A.S Bellchase New Orleans, I hope I spelled that right! This girl or lady worked for a flight sergen but at the time he was not there so I could not ask him. So I figured that I would post something on this site. By the way my vision is correctible to 20/20 as of right now. I am going to call this guy again on Monday so maybe he can answer my question. Also this girl told me that there has been student's from LSU and other grads put in packages for PRK and get waiver's. Matter of fact I remember her saying that she could not recall when someone was denied a waiver but I don't know how true this is.

 

[hornetframer]

I suggest you talk to a PRK Cetrified doctor to see if you are qualified to get the procedure, then talk to your ROTC Unit about getting it done. My Unit requires a request chit routed to the CO to get PRK. Just know all of the possible side effects that could happen. I know of a few guys at my ROTC Unit OCs and MIDS, myself included) that had PRK performed. OCs do not go on a leave of absence but MIDS do. I was barely (I do mean barely) within limits of the astigmatism limits to get PRK and I had a pretty bad astigmatism. Also, you will not see clearly for a few weeks after getting PRK but the healing process is different for each person. I suggest, which was from my Doctor, to start taking 1000mg of Vitamin C a day for a few weeks before getting the procedure done.

 

[Jeff29]

http://www.nomi.med.navy.mil/Nami/WaiverGuideTopics/exams.htm#sna
outlines medical requirements for normal accession. It says:

DVA
20/40 (minus zero) on Goodlite chart, each eye, corrected to 20/20 minus (zero) or better each eye. If uncorrected vision is less than 20/20 each eye the correction must be worn while flying

REFRACTION

edited May 01
(Cycloplegic) Myopia no more than -1.50 any meridian. Hyperopia no more than +3.00 any meridian. Astigmatism no greater than -1.00 cylinder.

This means that you must be 20/40 correctable to 20/20 (you must wear glasses/contacts while flying) AND that your refractive error must be no worse than -1.50/+3.00 and no worse than -1.00 astigmatism. You will probably meet all of those requirements except the astigmatism. If this is the case, you must get surgery to correct your vision. (Before doing that, I'd have your eyes rechecked. It's hard for me to believe that you can read the 20/40 line with an astigmatism or -4.00)

If you must get surgery, the requirements are outlined at http://www.nomi.med.navy.mil/Nami/WaiverGuideTopics/ophthalmology.htm#lasik .
Part of that says, "appropriate preoperative refractive error range is –8.00 to +6.00 total diopters sphere with no more than 3.00 diopters of cylinder". You obviously meet the refractive range, but if your astigmatism is really worse than 3.00, you WILL NOT get the waiver. If you really do measure -4.00, there are things you can do to get it down to 3.00 before surgery.

 

[A&P wallis]

vision

I contacted the medical department at NAS Bellchase and spoke to someone there I informed them of my situation and asked the very specific question if your astigmatism is in the -4.00 or outside the the current regs can I still get PRK and their response was yes I could get the proceedure done and still get a waiver. Now keep this in mind the person I spoke to relayed this information from the flight surgen to me. I still plan on calling NAMI to further investigate this question. Jeff29 you are correct in the fact that because my astigmatism is what it is my vision should be alot worse than what it is, this is the same reply that I have received from so many docters. I do need a current eye exam but the last time I had one my vision was 20/30 and 20/35 I cant remember in which eye. I will be 24 in three months and will be applying for PLC in three to four months, I have a year and a half left of college. If I do get excepted to this PLC programe I would like to do the ten week programe durring the summer of 2006.

 

[Jeff29]

I contacted the medical department at NAS Bellchase and spoke to someone there I informed them of my situation and asked the very specific question if your astigmatism is in the -4.00 or outside the the current regs can I still get PRK and their response was yes I could get the proceedure done and still get a waiver.

I would be careful. If it's not in writing, it doesn't exist.

Definitely call NAMI. I wouldn't hang my career on 'someone' at the medical department at NAS Bellchase.