Medical

[paullatina]

What is the difference between PRK and lasik surgery? Are both of them acceptable forms of surgery for avaition? I'm scheduled for lasik on Jan 8th, and dont want to shoot myself in the foot (or eye) if it will bar me from ever being accepted. Thanks for the info.

 

[jet_ifr]

DO NOT GET LASIK!!! The only acceptable forms of corrective eye surgery are PRK and LASEK Read through this link very carefully before having corrective eye surgery: http://www.nomi.med.navy.mil/Nami/WaiverGuideTopics/ophthalmology.htm#lasik

All forms of laser vision corrective surgery are in theory the same, they differ only in the way that the cornea is exposed. In PRK and LASEK forms of corrective eye surgery they remove the outermost layer of your eye (called the scelera) by either dissolving the cells with chemicals (lasek) or physically scraping them away (prk). Your cornea is then reshaped and you go through an uncomfortable 3-5 day initial recovery period. In LASIK they make a horizontal incision on your eye in the shape of a "C" which creates a very thin flap exposing your cornea. After reshaping the flap is laid back into place. The NAVY is concerned that the flap created durning LASIK compromises the stability of the globe of the eye (scar tissue's weaker than normal tissue) and in the case of extreme pressure gradient differences (ie: high altitude vs pressurized cockpit, or deep sea diving) serious damage MAY occur to the eye. Imagine your eyeball squirting out through your pupil if you ever had a depresurization....Now has it ever happened? Who knows...but DON'T GET LASIK!!!

I had PRK (20/400 pre-prk, 20/15 post-prk). One more warning DON'T GET LASIK!!!

I fly. Me pilot?

 

[paullatina]

Wow..thanks a ton Jet. I cant tell you enough how much I appreciate the heads up.

 

[stevew]

I went for a consultation for my PRK yesterday and the Dr. said that one possible long term side effect of PRK is glare, helo's and starbursts at night. permenantly! Sounds kind of scary that there is a chance of not even being able to drive at night because of it. Not to say that this always happens but there is a strong possibility of it. Has anyone here who has had the procedure done suffered from this?

-Steve

 

[jet_ifr]

The Halos that your doctor is refering to is a phenom called "Ocular Haze." It isn't uncommon for most patients of prk, lasek, lasik to experience it in some degree (70-80%). I had PRK and had some halos 3-4 months after the surgery. Two of my cousins had LASIK and both had halos for 3-4 months after surgery.

Ocular haze is basically scar tissue on your cornea, light passing through your cornea is scattered by the haze, giving the illusion of auras, halos, and starbursts.

As eyes heal after prk, lasik, and lasek, ocular haze is present in virtually all patients to some degree (according to the NEJofM), it actually increases in abundance in PRK and LASEK patients over 3-4 months and then rapidly subsides.

I'm 6 months post-PRK and had some problems with ocular haze (halos, auras, starbursts) for about 3-4 months after my surgery. I was pretty nervous about it but everything turned out fine.

To anyone thinking of vision correction surgery, do your research so you know what to expect!

Hope all this helps-

jet

I fly. Me pilot?

 

[stevew]

Thanks Jet, that makes me feel a lot better now

 

[jwilliamsee]

I had PRK done in one eye and LASEK done in the other. I guess if the outer layer of the eye (I am not even going to try to spell it) the part that is "rolled up" for LASEK tears you just get PRK. Thats what happened to me. Both eyes are perfect now and I have no haze or halo's. My doctor told me that they cut/shape a larger treatment area than in the past even as recently as a few years ago and this has stopped most of the helo's/haze/night vision problems that a lot of people had in the past. I got a waver and SNA slot and would be happy to answer any questions.

 

[stevew]

LASIK is where they do the "rolling up". The only difference between LASEK and PRK is that for PRK they either use chemicals or a brush to clean the surface of the eye before surgery in LASEK they use alchol instead. Essetialy they are both the same procedure.

 

[virtu050]

can anyone tell me what the vision test at ocs is like? is it an eye chart or do you look into a machine? is it fairly accurate?

 

[paullatina]

I am now 1 week post PRK. I must admit the first 2 days sucked! I was 20/40 before the surgery and right now at 1 week I'm 20/25, but expected to be 20/15 after its all said and done. Thanks again for the heads up! -Paul

 

[Ironnads]

I am now 2 months post op and I'm still experiencing haze in my left eye. I started at 20/60 left, and 20/40 right according to NAMI when I was NPQ's for SNA back in October. My PRK surgeon said I was 20/40 left and 20/30 right before surgery (within SNA standards/ F NAMI). My vision was awful up until the past two weeks. In the last 2 weeks or so, I have noticed a ton of improvement. Just make sure that you follow your doctor's orders precisely. I have taken my drops every day and now it is finally paying off. Also, make sure that you use the goggles or shields that the doctor gives for sleeping. This is to prevent you from rubbing out the protective contacts in your sleep. I rubbed out both of mine while sleeping and I didn't know what had happened until an emergency visit to the doctor's office on turkey day. This was one of the most excrutiating pains that I have ever felt in my life. I don't believe that PRK and Lasik are the same except for the prep. During lasik, the doctor makes an incision and rolls back a flap O cornea. This is not the case during PRK. Make sure that you use a good doctor. I used Dr. Tylock here in Dallas and I have been very impressed. Feel free to e-mail any questions. I plan to resubmit my packet in a month.

F GTX

Travis Alexander

 

[Ironnads]

The vision test at OCS is done in a room with very dim lighting and you read charts at 20 feet. It is definitely the hardest vision test that I have ever taken and all of my shipmates agreed. I had 4 eye exams in the year leading up to my OCS date and the worst was 20/30 left and 20/25 right. At NAMI they said I was 20/60 left and 20/40 right. You will also do the infamous verhoff depth perception test which I can't pass for the life of me, but no worries, if you fail you get to try again on a stereogram book with the glasses which is a piece of cake. Also they will test your color vision with a machine that blinks red, green, and white dots. You just call out the colors as they appear.

Travis Alexander

 

[virtu050]

Charts? you have to do it more than once? Also, NAMI doesn't care that you took 4 eye exams prior that year and passed? you can't ask to have the exam taken again?

Finally, if you don't pass they put you in GTX?
Is that where you wait after PRK and resubmitting your package? Since there aren't any slots until 2004 does that mean you wait there for a year? I think I'm a little confused. Please elaborate. Thanks

 

[Ironnads]

There are "charts" (plural), so that the doctor can tell you to read different lines of the same size. It wouldn't make any sense to have you read the same line with your left eye that you just read with your right, you would already know the letters. I believe that there were four charts. None of these were the one that starts with a bigass E either, so don't count on that. I memorized that chart before I left for the hell of it and it didn't get me anywhere. Also, NAMI doesn't care how many eye exams you've had. I had my recruiter talk to the opt. and he even faxed the exam I had here in Dallas from an opthamologist who is supposed to be one of the best in the country. What I learned is that doctors can be just as egotistical as pilots. They don't like to be second guessed and there not about to admit that they're wrong. The opthamologist at NAMI refused to see me again. They did clear me for NFO, but that is not what I went there to do. If you fail the SNA physical but get cleared for SNFO, I think that you just stay with your class. If they don't find you an SNFO slot, I've heard that it is possible that you can graduate OCS and not get commissioned and go home. As far as GTX goes. You don't want to go there. You wake up at 5 A.M. and muster. Then you go back to your room and sit with both feet on the floor in a chair. You are not allowed to sit on your bunk. You are not allowed to look "restful". The DI's constantly come through there and mess with you. You still have to march to chow everyday and follow all of the wonderful chow hall procedures. IF you are there to long, you WILL go crazy. The letters G, T, and X each stand for the types of people in GTX (DOR, Medical, NPQ). Luckily, if you have a long term injury or have to have surgery, you can usually get moved to student pool. In student pool you are supposed to work a job that the navy assigns from 7-4. This is usually raking leaves, but there aren't many leaves in PCOLA so you usually just man a spot and rake dirt. If you're smart, you can usually sneak off and sleep somewhere, but don't get caught and don't miss muster. Then you'll have to talk to Petty officer Beale. He'll call you things like lying sack of ****, spineless piece of ****, full of ****, ******* stupid, and the list goes on.

Travis Alexander

 

[jumppilot01]

Do you get PRK on your own accord then apply, or do you have to coordinate your surgery with the Navy?


I'm considering applying for a naval aviation, but am unsure how to do it since I need vision surgery.

Thanks