Vision Correction

[Dornier 335]

As far as I know Europe and Asia will not accept LASIK to issue you a Class 1 medical certificate. That said I do not know how difficult it is to prove whether you had eye surgery or not.

Questions to those that had Lasik: Any discomfort at night with bright lights? I remember hearing that some people had issues with their night vision.

 

[dicko]

How does age factor in?
In my 40's now and am curious if I got surgery now and my eyes changed naturally in the next few years

Wave,

Talk to your Ophthalmologist. As you get older your eyes may change towards long sighted (can't read stuff up close). It cannot be corrected with surgery. So, you're back in the same boat with regard to correction.

 

[DorkProp]

Thanks for the info! Have y'all had any problems getting any airline jobs because of employers not accepting it or have all the majors accepted it?

No company ever asked me. A doctor can tell if you had the procedure by looking at your corneas, but I'm not aware of any US company that would disqualify you for having LASIK. Your medical certificate will not have any mention of the procedure.

 

[NEDude]

Europe and China both give class one medicals after PRK and LASIK. In Europe your uncorrected vision prior to the surgery could have been no worse than -6.0 (at least that is what the UK CAA was showing last year). China requires a one year wait from the surgery. With PRK nobody can tell you had it done, at least according to my regular eye doctor. LASIK he can spot, with PRK he says there is no way to tell.

PS- I should clarify that my eye DR (not the surgeon) said that if he was not looking for it, he would not be able to tell it was done. If he knew it was done or was looking for it, he could tell.

Also the U.S. military is now accepting PRK. I am not sure about LASIK, but they do recommend PRK over LASIK and in some cases have paid for it.

Just double checked the UK CAA site and the pre-operative limits for class 1 are +5 and -6.

Lastly I do believe that Japan and Korea still do not accept it.

 

[atrdriver]

I had LASIK in 2005, best decision I ever made. I now have to wear reading glasses, but being late 40's I probably would have to anyway. But being able to wake up and see without fumbling for glasses, well there is nothing like it. I was about -6.75 before, and at least 20/20 after. No problems at night. I probably went back to work too early, but still didn't have any problems.

 

[Super Monkey]

I had LASIK done in 2007. Awesome results...went from -3.25 to 20/20. Only drawback...you cannot fly for an Asian carrier with Laser surgery on the eye. Found out on the interview with ANA recruiters back in 2008. Don't know if it's changed, but it's something to consider.

 

[densoo]

Your medical certificate will not have any mention of the procedure.

Except it will go from "Must Wear Corrective Lenses" for the last 20 years to not. I seriously doubt the FAA is organized enough to see this on a routine Class I submission, but in an investigation of any kind they will definitely see it. But then, if that happens they'll see a lot of things they didn't notice before and can hang you for any one of them if that's what they want to do.

 

[NEDude]

I had LASIK done in 2007. Awesome results...went from -3.25 to 20/20. Only drawback...you cannot fly for an Asian carrier with Laser surgery on the eye. Found out on the interview with ANA recruiters back in 2008. Don't know if it's changed, but it's something to consider.

China allows it after a wait of one year from the surgery. Japan is still in the dark ages when it comes to medical certification.