LASIK Surgery

[gjxjet]

Has anyone had LASIK done? I looked into it with a very reknowned doctor in the DFW area. He didn't seem to eager to work on a pilot. Rather than talk him into taking my $4G for 62 seconds of his time, I thought I would check around a little....any thoughts?

 

[jdog78]

Lots of pilots have LASIK. You must be aware, as does anyone undergoing elective surgery that there are possible complications. I understand that very few people experience serious complications. I think it is very noble of your doc to have concerns about operating on someone whose livelihood depends on his vision....however, i think doctors are seriously afraid of lawsuits these days.
About that price...$4K is way above the going rate these days, even at a reputable institution. I had mine done before I was a pilot a few years ago and even then it was only 1400 per eye. This was at the LSU Eye Center in New Orleans, one of the chief developers of the Excimer laser used in reshaping the cornea. My results were very good, with no restrictions on my medical.
Newer technologies don't even involve any cutting of the eye and are much more precise. The technology is very good so I would recommend it if you want a vast improvement in quality of life with lower risk of complications!
Do a search for LASIK on flightinfo...I've seen numerous threads about it.

-j

 

[CitationLover]

i went to TLC in CLT three years ago. $2g per eye (they knocked $500 bucks off each eye if we made a $20 donation to Toys For Tots - i'm sure this was some form of tax scam for the doctor). anyways, 20/400 before to 20/30 right after the surgery and by the next day i was 20/15 where i still am today.

no side effects other than dry eyes, which is a common side effect.

 

[bobbysamd]

Vision Correction Surgery

I, for one, with 20/400 in the left eye and 20/70 in the right and a bifocals wearer, would love to have vision correction surgery, but I don't fancy the outcome if it goes wrong. And, it can. Check out this website and you'll see what I mean (sorry - bad pun).

Notwithstanding all the frightening effects of eye surgery gone bad, I, as a pilot, would be especially afraid of glare, night vision loss, and double vision.

Another point is vision correction surgery won't do much for you if you're at the age where you need reading glasses. Some eye surgeons can set up monocular close vision to eliminate that need, meaning that you would use one eye only for close vision. In my $0.02 opinion, that doesn't make sense, so, for close vision, you'll still need reading glasses, so what is the point of getting it? The idea is to eliminate the need for glasses and/or contacts altogether.

There are non-surgical procedures for improving vision, such as Ortho-K. Also see this story. Ortho-K involves one wearing a series of contact lenses to change your cornea to improve your vision. It's actually an older procedure, although the contact lenses have improved. You still have to wear them every night or your vision will regress to where it was. I could live with that. I asked my optometrist about the treatment and she wasn't too keen about it. She also said that Ortho-K does not eliminate the need for reading glasses.

Finally, from what I understand, all you need to have a corrective lens restriction removed from your medical is to have your opthalmologist fill out the FAA Report of Eye Exam form and send it in to Oklahoma City. I also understand that the airlines have really relaxed their anti-eye surgery bias. Most care only that you have your First. That is a major change from even ten years ago.

Hope that helps. Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

 

[Buffettpilot]

Just had it done 3 weeks ago, was 20/300 left eye, 20/200 right eye. I had the same concerns everyone else does, but decided any risks involved were worth a life without glasses (i.e. scuba diving, riding the scoot, muff diving, etc....).

I did have concerns about any night-vision problems (starburst effect, haze) but the place I went to did some pretty cool tests to determine the size of the flap to cut. Stick you in a totally dark room and have you stare at what appears to be an infra-red camera to determine pupil size in near-complete darkness.

Right now, I'm 20/10 and 20/15 but the do inform you that the results could fluctuate for the first month while the eye heals.

If you have any questions, feel free to PM me and I'll let ya know what I can from my experience

 

[NoPlaneNoGain]

My parents had it done about 6 mo. ago in the DFW area. They looked at Tylock, but when the doctor would not meet and talk with them until the day of surgery, they decided against him. I think they finally went to Carter in Dallas. Both my parents NOW have to wear reading glasses. My mom has to go back and have another "touch-up" procedure done so that she can see 20/20 and my dad is considering having one of his eyes enhanced so that he can see near and far without reading glasses. They are both older, but understand that the outcome varies with everyone.

good luck.

 

[Swass]

I would highly reccomend running LASIK and other medical costs through your companies Section 125 plan. If they don't have one ask them to put one in place, it'll save you 30% or so in taxes on things you are going to buy anyway (drugs, co-pays, premiums, hot tubs etc. ). The employer is a winner in this also because they pay less FICA and other taxes, could be a real money maker for them if enough employees participate. Thought you might like to know.

 

[de727ups]

LASIK

Had it done a year and a half ago without any problems. Would do it again in a heartbeat. Do need a very slight correction now, with glasses, to get my sharpest vision for night flying.

 

[TX_DFW]

HEY you might want to check out DR. BOOTH ive heard good things about him.

 

[Dash8]

check out wavefront lasik, its a new form (approved for a year or so i think) that does a MUCH better job of mapping the irregularites in the cornea and therefore much more reliable results with reductions in the typical night vision problems, but only certian machines/docs are certified to do it last i checked, do some googles on it plenty of good/promising info on it.

 

[RocketRob]

Can anyone recommend a good Doc in the Southern CA area? Also what has everyone been paying for their LASIK? I'm trying to get a feel for the difference between the "$500 per eye" you see on the billboards and the $2k per eye from others. Don't get me wrong, if I do this it will be with the best doc I can find.

 

[gjxjet]

thanks for all of the great info/advice. I talked to Dr. Boothe in Dallas already. He doesn't want pilots' business, and believe me he sure doesn't need it. His office is a zoo.

I am definitely getting it done. Just a matter of finding the right Dr. and getting the time off. Speaking of which, how long before you can go back to work?

 

[Bai B Nai]

Check out Ladarvision.com

The procedure now using CustomCornea, Wavefront technology (created by Alcon Pharmaceuticals in Fort Worth) is head and shoulders above the slice and dice doctors have been using the last ten years. They map your eye and identify the aberrations therein.

They're still risks, but it's got to be better than slicing your lens open and carving around risking over or under corrections.

 

[46Driver]

poll bump