Lasik and Your Medical

[evandam]

Has anyone had any experience with having Lasik and getting back to Flying? I don't do it for a living, and I know there is some risk involved. Do I just have to go back and get my Medical redone? Just thinking about it for now.

Thanks

 

[Knob]

I had PRK done a year ago. After my vision settled down to 20/15, my AME gave me a form to have the Dr. who performed the surgery fill out, and I had to send it in to the FAA in OK. The FAA will send you a new medical with no restrictions on it. I have been flying 121 for three years, and yes there is some risk to it. Hope this helps.

 

[FracCapt]

I had Lasik about 5 years ago. I took 3 weeks off work to recover, but after a week the surgeon released me to fly. I still didn't fly for 2 more weeks(who wants to go back to work early?!). Worse than 20/400 before surgery, now 20/20 each eye(20/15 on a good day), 20/15 both eyes(20/12 on a good day). I had starburst and haloes for less than a week, but they all went away pretty quickly. I've held a first class medical ever since, no problems. The FAA never has asked for any follow up paperwork, just the initial stuff that the surgeon filled out.

 

[some_dude]

I'm going under the laser tomorrow!

 

[FracCapt]

I'm going under the laser tomorrow!

Good luck! Go to your local pharmacy(tonight or before going to surgery tomorrow morning) and pick up some lubricant eye drops. I preferred GenTeal...but they're all the same really. The surgeon will give you some, but not enough for very long. Also pick up some of the ointment type eye lubricant for nighttime. You put a little on the underside of your eyelid, then blink and it spreads it. That stuff lasts all night, the drops don't. If you use the drops, you'll wake up with extremely dry eyes in the morning(possibly peeling the epithelial layer when you open your eyes in the morning)....with this stuff, you won't. If you get it tonight...take it with you tomorrow to make sure your surgeon is cool with it. If you don't get it, be sure to ask him about it....don't trust me, they're YOUR eyes!

 

[some_dude]

Thanks for the advice! I will look into it.

Good luck! Go to your local pharmacy(tonight or before going to surgery tomorrow morning) and pick up some lubricant eye drops. I preferred GenTeal...but they're all the same really. The surgeon will give you some, but not enough for very long. Also pick up some of the ointment type eye lubricant for nighttime. You put a little on the underside of your eyelid, then blink and it spreads it. That stuff lasts all night, the drops don't. If you use the drops, you'll wake up with extremely dry eyes in the morning(possibly peeling the epithelial layer when you open your eyes in the morning)....with this stuff, you won't. If you get it tonight...take it with you tomorrow to make sure your surgeon is cool with it. If you don't get it, be sure to ask him about it....don't trust me, they're YOUR eyes!

 

[JediNein]

Some_dude, when you can see again, let us know how the experience went, how much it cost, pain level, and what it is like actually being able to see again.

Fly SAFE!
Jedi Nein

 

[some_dude]

So far, so good! I had the follow-up exam this morning, 20/15. The doc said it may fluctuate a bit. He already signed my FAA paperwork, although I am going to wait until next week before flying.

It wasn't too painful, although the 4 or so hours after the numbing eyedrops wore off were pretty bad-- not pain, as much as the sensation that there is dirt or dust in your eyes, and you can't rub them or do anything about it.

I can see a little bit of halo-ing and a little bit of ghosting. It's about the same as having slightly smeared glasses.

One thing I didn't expect is that my depth perception seems much better than it was, even with glasses.

On cost-- I went to the most expensive place in town. It was a little over $4k total. There are guys who advertise $299/eye, but the day before I went in there was a front page article about some lady who got a hole burned in her eye by one of those guys. I don't need that.

Some_dude, when you can see again, let us know how the experience went, how much it cost, pain level, and what it is like actually being able to see again.

Fly SAFE!
Jedi Nein

 

[FracCapt]

It wasn't too painful, although the 4 or so hours after the numbing eyedrops wore off were pretty bad-- not pain, as much as the sensation that there is dirt or dust in your eyes, and you can't rub them or do anything about it.

Congrats on the success so far! Don't be suprised if you have that scratchy, something in your eye feeling every now and then for the next couple weeks. I had it a couple days during the first week, but not again after that.....but a friend of mine had it continue for several weeks, a day here and a day there.

Sounds like your results so far are better than normal. If your eyes are anything like mine were, the vision fluctuations will be very minimal and only occur over the first few days.

 

[some_dude]

I had astigmatism, but not nearly as bad as yours. I was able to get 20/20 pretty easily with glasses, and I think in my astigmatic eye I was around 20/100 before LASIK.

Best thing to do is go in and get a preop exam. They can tell you if they can fix it or not.

Of course, if the industry keeps going the way it is, you may want to find a degree program that can get you a decent job regardless of the outcome of LASIK!

Any of you have an astigmatism?

Thats what I'm fighting....20/400 uncorrected astigmatism in the left eye.

Right eye is fine.

Best they have done is marginal 20/30 with contacts in the left eye.

If laser surgery can't fix it...I may be screwed....which is why I'm so big on finding a degree program that'll actually get me a job..

 

[Flyeys]

When is a good age to do the LASIK. Do optometrist's say anything about a minimum age so that your eyes will be fully developed?

 

[FracCapt]

When is a good age to do the LASIK. Do optometrist's say anything about a minimum age so that your eyes will be fully developed?

2 years after your prescription stops changing.

 

[bg1686]

lasik

I had it done two years ago...best money I ever spent. My doctor wrote me a letter and filled out a form for me the next day and I faxed it to the FAA and then called the FAA that afternoon. The FAA released me to fly again in about 24 hours after my surgery.

 

[troy]

I'm trying to get my vision under control, also. I can not have laser surgery done, as I have keritoconus (thinning of the cornia). I'm trying a new contact lens (hard) currently, a macrolens. It's about the size of a soft lens, but is hard. www.macrolens.com

It may be a possibility for those of us with astigmatism, look into it before any major surgery is done (other than normal LASIK)

 

[troy]

anyone know if FAA waivers vision? I'm talking about getting as close as 20/30 or so. I'm just playing "what if"

 

[wrxpilot]

On cost-- I went to the most expensive place in town. It was a little over $4k total. There are guys who advertise $299/eye, but the day before I went in there was a front page article about some lady who got a hole burned in her eye by one of those guys. I don't need that.

Yeah, smart choice. I was looking at the most expensive (and recommended) place here in Palm Beach county. It was around $5.5k. I went throught the pre-screening and was recommended as a good candidate, but haven't done it yet. It's a lot of change for me right now, and more importantly I'm waiting for the technology to settle out. Seems like the leading edge right now is wavefront w/ laser scalpel.

One thing I would recommed is to get your pre-screening w/ the doc doing the surgery, then go to another doc and tell them you are having it done somewhere else, but will pay for them to pre-screen you for an unbiased opinion. If you're a career pilot, it's a small price to pay.

 

[Herculeus]

Some of those $299 an eye are not bad.My dad spend $400 and eye and he says 20/20 and his vision sucked.I think it depends on where you live.

 

[wrxpilot]

Some of those $299 an eye are not bad.My dad spend $400 and eye and he says 20/20 and his vision sucked.I think it depends on where you live.

No, that is over simplified and NOT true. It depends on many factors, including your eye geometry, doctor experience, type of equipment, etc. Generally the guys doing the blue light special on eye surgery are inexperienced working cheap to get experience.

If anyone here is considering it, they need to do a lot of research and make sure they know the other side of things (i.e. the bad side of eye surgery, including the possibility of NEVER flying again) and what questions to ask. There is a very high success rate if you're the right kind of candidate, but you need to make sure.

 

[bobbysamd]

Vision correction surgery

Not to rain on anyone's parade, but vision correction surgery has at least three potential downsides.

The most important downside are the potential complications, which you can read about on this site.

Another downside might be how the airline(s) of your dreams reacts to vision correction surgery. Years ago, airlines automatically showed the door to pilots who had vision correction surgery. Delta, which, of course, is not hiring, had strict proscriptions against pilots with less than 20/20 vision; how would it react to someone who had eye surgery to correct to 20/20. I have learned that airlines are far more liberal about eye surgery these days and might only care that you have a First. Just the same, better check before going under the laser.

Finally, and I have asked, despite having eye surgery you'll still need reading glasses as you age, probably after forty. The alternative is having monovision for close-in vision, meaning they correct one eye a little more for reading. Personally, I wouldn't want that.

Just a little food for thought.