Starting my LASIK Process

[Hopeful Hoya]

Hey everyone,

Just about to start my LASIK process and I figured I'd post here to make sure I have all my bases covered.

I started wearing glasses about 10 years ago in the 7th grade. Prescription has been pretty stable since then, going from -1.5 to -2.25 (even then I was right on the border between -2 and -2.25 after getting a bad night's sleep before my last exam).

I made an appointment to get a consultation next week at the TLC office my my house when I'm home for spring break with the plan to get the surgery when I'm home over Easter.

According to my doctor I'm a great candidate and I should have no problems getting below the 20/40 requirement for SNA.

Still trying to decide between PRK and all-laser LASIK (both wavefront). I'm guessing my doctor can help with that, but is there one that the Navy prefers? I know LASIK allows you to heal quicker and has less chance of dry eyes but PRK is possibly longer lasting?

Also, I looked on the waiver guide, but I could not find how many follow up appointments the Navy requires. Any idea of how many and at what times?

If anyone has any other advice about this too I would appreciate it. Just trying to read as much as I can and come to terms with the fact that my SNA hopes rely on getting lased in a few weeks

 

[Spekkio]

You're not active duty, so the Navy couldn't care less how you schedule your post-op care. Military physicians will evaluate you when the time comes.

Which procedure you use is really up to you and your doctor. The military has no preference. If you do choose surface ablation, ask your doc about Epi-Lasik. They use a suction + laser to take off the epithelial layer instead of a scrubby brush, so you heal from the major part in like 1-3 days instead of a week.

 

[Hopeful Hoya]

Yeah I know but I thought there was a requirement that you had to go and actually get a 6 mo post op (not just wait 6 months) before MEPS would see you or something like that.

And yeah I would do the whole shebang wavefront epi-LASIK or wavefront PRK. Meeting with them next week so interested to see what their recommendation is.

 

[MemphisBell]

I'm actually going through the process right now. You have to wait six months till meps will see you. Usually they want to have the preop evaluation, day after postop, week postop, 3 month, and 6 month. After that, everything is submitted to them and they schedule a day for you to come in. They will automatically DQ you for lasik but then their evaluation will be sent to the navy docs for the waiver. My six months ended last week and I'm waiting to hear back for my official day at MEPS. My right eye is a close to 20/15 but my left eye is 20/20 on a good day and 20/25 on a bad day. Hoping the day I go to meps will be a good day. Lol So if you had lasik does the between 20/40 corrected to 20/20 thing still apply or do you have to have perfect 20/20?

 

[Ralph]

Lasik all the way.

 

[Hopeful Hoya]

AFAIK if you get in the door with 20/40 or better, what ever way you do it, you are fine as long as it's correctable to 20/20.

I'm guessing you went with LASIK? What was your post-op experience like with it?

 

[jpham89]

Hello there,

This is my first post so hello everyone.

I hope someone can clarify this for me: How does post-operation work? Do I need to request some documents from my recruiter so that I may give it to my surgeon to sign? In addition, does it have to be in the following order: day after, week after, 3 month and 6 month?

 

[MemphisBell]

I did lasik. I had the procedure on a Thursday and went back to work the next day. I had the usual dry eye for a few months but that is pretty much gone. I also got it done at a TLC location and they had the newest laser on the market. They were also offering $1100 off during the month I got it done to try to get the word out about the new laser. I knew I would need the procedure if I wanted to go pilot so I went all in. I studied my ass off for the ASTB during my six month wait and took it last week and scored pretty good. MEPS is the only thing holding me back from my dream now so I hope all goes well.

 

[Hopeful Hoya]

Just curious was there a specific reason that they recommended LASIK to you over PRK? I've read that some surgeons recommend PRK for military types because of the more physical activity and stress since there is no chance of the flap becoming detached with PRK.

And @jpham89 I talked to a recruiter over the summer and they just said to save all of your pre-op and post-op paperwork and that you'll submit it to MEPS. I'm going to double check before I go under the laser but I do not believe there is anything you have to do for the Navy before hand except save all the relevant documentation.

 

[MemphisBell]

I heard the same thing about the flaps and that's one of the reasons the navy didn't accept it for a long time. However after years of study, the navy found that G-forces will have no effect on the flaps. Now, the navy actually prefers Lasik over PRK due to PRK's risk of scare tissue forming because its a more intense procedure. As far as physical activity is concerned, there are hundreds of professional athletes that have underwent Lasik and they have no problems. However, I'm sure you are doing your research and will decide which one is best for you and your situation.

 

[Spekkio]

And yeah I would do the whole shebang wavefront epi-LASIK or wavefront PRK. Meeting with them next week so interested to see what their recommendation is.

I think you misunderstood. Epi-lasik is in the same category as PRK - it's a surface ablation procedure. The difference is how the epithelial layer is removed to get to the cornea. PRK takes a scrubby brush to your eye, epi-lasik uses suction and a laser to do it.

Ultimately, which procedure you choose will be between you and your doc.

My doc recommended epi-lasik because I had a minor correction like you, and it had fewer chances of complications (even though the odds of lasik complications are small, they are still higher). At the 1 week follow-up I was 20/40 with significant 'ghosting' of lights. Vision wasn't perfect as the epithelial layer heals from outside-in. At the 1 mo follow-up I was 20/30L 20/20R, with some 'ghosting' around lights. At the 2 mo, 20/20 both eyes, no ghosting whatsoever. Never had dry eyes at any point following surgery, you actually had that backwards - lasik has more instances of dry eye than PRK/epi-lasik. The worst part was feeling like you had a bug in your eye scratching it for 2 days and having to stay in pitch black.

Oh, and that suction thing hurts like a sonofabitch on your lower ocular bone.

I wouldn't get hung up on your 'good' vs. 'bad' day for the surgery. One of their machines measures your correction when it maps out your eye, they just use your perception to double-check its accuracy.

 

[Hopeful Hoya]

Oh ok, I thought you were talking about LASIK but using a laser to create the flap rather than a knife. Thank you for your advice! I will definitely ask my doc about it when I go in.

 

[jpham89]

@Hopeful Hoya: I did not see your earlier post. Thanks for getting back to me. I will definitely keep track of all my paperwork then. My recruiter appears to be very unfamiliar with this process. In fact, he didn't know NAMI had waivers. Or (benefit of the doubt, hopefully) he was a new recruiter. Anyways, thanks!

Have you decided what procedure you're going to go? I am (or was) in a similar position like you were. My surgeon suggested that I get LASIK instead, as he performed countless surgeries for individuals who wanted to become pilots in the military. But since I did not want to risk my chances (of getting rejected), I decided to go with PRK. I don't mind the discomfort at all. I'll be on Spring Break... Currently, I am scheduled for surgery on April 3rd. I hope everything works out in your end. Just one step closer to your dream!

 

[Hopeful Hoya]

@jpham89 Yep I was in the sam exact position. I went to TLC last weekend and got my scans all done, and the surgeon recommended LASIK. I re-read the NAMI waiver guide and it said the Navy actually recommends LASIK now because of the reduced chances of post-op light halos at night. And according to my surgeon PRK may last marginally longer but the risk of scaring is less with LASIK and after the first year it would be extremely unlikely that the flap comes detached.

So I decided to go with LASIK and I'm going to get it done on May 13th once I'm home for school. Let me know how your surgery and recovery goes!

 

[jpham89]

@Hopeful Hoya: I received my eye surgery last Friday (April 3rd) and I have to say IT IS AMAZING. I had glasses for ~12-13 years and for the first time, everything is so clear! I decided to receive LASIK as opposed to PRK after re-reading the manual and spoke to a few physicians about PRK. I couldn't afford the extra $500 nor the discomfort since I need my eyes as much as possible for the rest of my semester.

On my experience during operation: I selected to use the Algretto "Custom-LASIK" laser treatment for my eyes. The PREP was fairly quick and the technicians explained what the surgeon will be doing. You're going to lay down and they're going to pull up the equipment towards your head. It sort of felt like I was being examined by aliens (as seen in X-Files when Mulder was abducted, sorry for the spoilers). This is where they applied an anesthetic to your eyes. They first measured the diameter of my eyes and then used a few equipments to keep my eyes open. There were a lot of lights but the surgeon wanted you to focus on the green light that was in the center. Throughout the procedure, the surgeon explained every step that he was doing, from telling you I was going to experience pressure and asking if I was still able to see the green light. It's important to communicate to your surgeon throughout the operation and ensure that you see what you're supposed to be see. When he placed the pressurized ring on my cornea, it felt really weird. This is where he would cut an incomplete circle on your cornea. The pain was very minor, like someone pinched you really hard. After finishing, he would pull back your flap and this is where your vision would literally be blurry. Imagine you you were painting and you decided to make a big smear on your canvas. He would then apply the laser treatment for 10 seconds using a low concentration of radiation to "clean" your eye. The smell was a bit unpleasant (imagine you left a burnt toast in the toaster). After, he would close the flap and a rush of water would ensue. He would massage your eyes for a bit and then proceed to the next eye.

On my experience after: I wasn't able to immediately see after the operation until the next day. The physician recommended that I go sleep when I got home and gave me painkillers and a sleeping pill to help with the transition. I had a friend drive me home so it's imperative to have someone who can take care of you and feed you if necessary, haha. The following day, it was a bit difficult to open my eyes but I was able to successfully. My eyes were dry but everything was clear. It was like a different world. When I went back for my post-operation check up, they conducted a test to determine my vision: My right eye was 20/20 and my left was 20/15 (more than perfect). This will change or stay stable for the few couple of months. Per the recommendations, I utilize eye-drops every hour (I have the Oasis Tears brand that is composed of 2% glycerin -- this help retain lipids and water more efficiently due to its chemical properties). I also take a tablespoon of flax-seed oil everyday followed by Neomycin antibiotic treatment every 4 hours until told otherwise.

Overall: I am very satisfied with the result of my procedure. I was able to see 20/20 (and better) the following day but it's important to take care of your eyes and listen to any suggestions the physician(s) tell you. Currently, I am applying eye-drops every hour and utilizing the antibiotic treatment every 4 hours on top of flax seed oil. I also recommend, just for habits' sake, to avoid staring directly into the sun and use shades whenever you feel it is too bright inside or out. Invthe beginning , your eyes are healing and it takes time for the process to complete; you don't want to induce any complications after the procedure. Not using sunglasses when it is bright or sunny outside, for example, can increase the chance of cataracts (cloudiness of vision). The entire healing process is expected to take 2-3 weeks but this is dependent on the individual. Take care of your eyes and treat it like an investment. The entire procedure costs $3300, so be sure you're taking care of your eyes and be consciously aware of the activities you are doing on a daily basis.