Any bad experiences with PRK?

[ea6bflyr]

Two stories for ya:
1. A fellow NFO gets the surgery and fell asleep with the "protective" contacts in and one of them adhered to his eye....he was sleeping so he couldn't put the lubricating drops in. Went to the doc the next day to get the contacts removed, they ripped off a bunch of epethelial (sp?) layers. His eyes took almost 6 months to fully recover.

2. Another NFO buddy had the surgery, but when his eyes finished healing, he was 20/20 in one eye and 20/30 (or so) in the other. This was uncorrectable to 20/20. He was grounded for almost a year and then had they 'bad' eye re-fixed. He's back in a flight status now with no problems.

Both of these guys were winged aviators and had their surgery at NAVHOSP San Diego.

On the other hand, I have had a lot of students that have had the surgery to get the NROTC scholarship or to go aviation. So far 100% success rate. Make sure you ask lots of questions like:
"how many sugery's do (or have) you performed?",
"What is the success rate",
"what happens if my eye's aren't 20/20 correctable...where do we go from there?",
"Do you aim for 20/15 or 20/20?"

Good luck!
ea6bflyr

 

[Whalebite]

"A fellow NFO gets the surgery and fell asleep with the "protective" contacts in and one of them adhered to his eye....he was sleeping so he couldn't put the lubricating drops in."
This sounds odd......I wore my protective contacts, dr's orders for 2 weeks day and night, why would falling asleep in them be a problem? Contacts should be left in for no less than 3 days (usual period of epithileal healing) Also, was he not expected to sleep, and put drops in at all hours?

 

[froghead1]

I had PRK done in mid and late May (Right then left eye). About a month out, I am 20/20 left and 20/25 right. I'm hoping the right eye will get up to par with the left eye in the near future. If not, I'll be looking into having an enhancement. I'm going for a flight physical on the 9th and hoping they don't make me leave and come back in two months. According to my OSO, they are just going on the three week checkup and then will monitor it come three months. Anyone have an experience like this, either with one eye not being 20/20 a month after surgery or with taking a flight physical earlier than 3 mos. from your surgery?

 

[nittany03]

Whalebite, you can sleep in them; it's missing the drops that's a big no-no. I specifically remember the first day after my surgery, which went something like "put drops in, sleep for 1/2 hour, repeat ad nausaeum." Froghead, I had my ROTC flight/precommissioning physical done 3 months or so after my PRK surgery, and couldn't get an up chit. I had to go back in May, 5 months after. I was ROTC, not OCS, and that was 2 years ago. YMMV.

 

[ea6bflyr]

From my understanding, although I haven't had the surgery, you are supposed to put the drops in about every 2-3 hours. This was his story relayed to me....I know they stayed down in San Dog for about a week....so it may have happened over the course of the week. I am not sure. I do know that his eye was injured during the course of the contact removal....This happened in 2000....so things may have changed OR it might be the differences between civillian and military health care. I don't know.

Whalebyte: Did you have YOUR surgery at a Naval Hospital?

ea6bflyr

"A fellow NFO gets the surgery and fell asleep with the "protective" contacts in and one of them adhered to his eye....he was sleeping so he couldn't put the lubricating drops in."
This sounds odd......I wore my protective contacts, dr's orders for 2 weeks day and night, why would falling asleep in them be a problem? Contacts should be left in for no less than 3 days (usual period of epithileal healing) Also, was he not expected to sleep, and put drops in at all hours?

 

[Whalebite]

Nope, civilian Dr.

 

[VetteMuscle427]

I'm 20/Pluto right now... anyone ever heard of BDCP students getting PRK at a Navy Hospital while in school? My school is about a stones throw away from National Naval Medical Center.

 

[hobbz]

I'm curious about the 'large pupil issue' a couple of you commented on. My pupils have been described by an eye doctor as 'large' but it's never been the cause of any problems. What issues does it cause for the surgery and/or recovery?

 

[reapergm]

Hobbz - I had the same deal. You can get it, and be fine. The only issue you will have is like mine. It takes alot longer for the glare to go away. But its no worse than contacts you have now. Thats the only bad thing about large pupils.

 

[Whalebite]

Go with the Custom PRK on the S3 (or 4) visx laser, there are 7 variable beam sizes, will take care of anyone but a horse's pupils.

 

[Whalebite]

PS Thats what I had and after the epithilium healed, I never had the slightest bit of halos starburst or glare. It was amasing and worth the extra cost for custom, (although i didnt have regular, so I can't compare) Custom is supposed to take care of glare/halos/ pupil diamater problems, and it worked great for me.

 

[sublime259]

kind of off-topic, but does anyone have any comments on TLC vision in NY (Garden City) I have an appointment scheduled on July 22nd, and im just trying to make sure its a reputable place for PRK. Thanks!

 

[reapergm]

Yeah, I had mine done by TLC vision in Elmwood Park, NJ. They did a good job. Im seeing 20/20. They also have the lifetime guarantee. Thats a plus. It really only takes about 5 mins for the whole thing. They were awesome to me, even when clasping my eye open (that sucked). Where is Garden City? LI? Are you Navy or Marines? I live in Rockland County, NY. Right outside NYC.

 

[sublime259]

cool thanks for the info. yeah Garden City is on LI (exit 39 on the LIE) but I live waaaay out on the eastern end on Shelter Island. Its a good 2 hr drive to the city, lol. How long did it take you to see 20/20? Also how much did they charge for everything? I'm applying to the Navy, but I haven't met with an OSO yet. I'm supposed to go in within a week or two to manhatten to take the test, but im just trying to study all the gouge before i make the trip in, lol.

 

[Jeff29]

The only issue you will have is like mine. It takes alot longer for the glare to go away. But its no worse than contacts you have now. Thats the only bad thing about large pupils.

That's actually not the only issue. The real issue is this: Say you have a pupil diameter of 7.5mm, and the laser that is used to treat your eyes in 5.5mm (not the actual size of the laser, but the size of the area it can treat). When your eye fully dilates, you now have a 1mm ring around your treatment area where light is entering the untreated part of your cornea. In the immortal words of Dr. Raymond Stantz (that's Dan Aykroyd in Ghostbusters), "that would be bad!"

Make sure the doctor measures you pupil with a pupilometer (not making that up). It looks like a little handgun gun and it's the only way to get an accurate measurement. Then make sure the laser he is using can accomodate that -- I mean really make sure. Do your research, don't just believe him when he says, "sure, no problem".

Go with the Custom PRK on the S3 (or 4) visx laser, there are 7 variable beam sizes, will take care of anyone but a horse's pupils.

The VISX S4 only does an accurate wavefront measurement to 6mm. Beyond that it interpolates (i.e. guesses). An upgrade to the Alcon laser was recently approved which allows a larger wavefront measurement. There's also a laser by a company called Allegretto (sp?) that is actually supposed to be better that anything currently on the market (it is used is Europe and currently under investigation by the FDA).