please share your PRK experiences.....

[wildflyin69]

stevew..your first post up here, said that because you were worse than -5.50 that you had to wait 6 months. my eyes are -4.50 and -5.00. does that mean I only have to wait three months to get a waiver?

"Push the stick foward, the houses get bigger; pull back, the houses get smaller... unless you keep pulling back, then they get bigger again."

 

[stevew]

generally speaking, yes you would only have to wait 3 months. However, often because of the nature of the surgery regressing a little bit the surgeon may overcorrect you so that when you regress it goes to 20/20. Therefore they may overcorrect you above the 5.50 mark. I don't know if it goes by what your vision is or what they correct you to i.e in your case would it be 3 months or 6 months. I heard (can't verify) that the reason they make you wait longer for above 5.50 is because they use a different size laser. I hope I was of some help.

-Steve

 

[bvonstein]

I was 20 years old the first time I had PRK surgery done. This was August 2002, my left eye didn't need correction so I only had the surgery done on my right. My vision was within limitations 20/40, but my Astigmatism was out of the diopter limits. The first day after the surgery my vision was 20/100, I was definitally worried at this point. One month after the surgery I was seeing 20/50, 2 months 20/40, 3 months 20/30. The problem now was that they couldn't correct me to 20/20, so now after PRK I was not 20/20 correctable. This went on for another 3 or 4 months, before my doctor decided we should do a "TOUCH UP" procedure. Basically they just perform the procedure again. So, I had PRK again on May 2nd and have noticed my vision is much better than it was one month after the first time I got the surgery. My first day post op checkup My vision was 20/30, will find out what my vision is at during my one month post-op on June 6th. The glare and halos are still present, but I know they will go away with time. Not sure if anybody else out there has gone through the surgery twice, or may need too, so I just wanted to let you know that if for some reason your eye doesn't accept the PRK the first time around there is still hope. I'll keep posting as things unfold.

-Brent

 

[onee]

I didn't do the surgery.
I'm borderline

20/40 correctable to 20/20.
I'm reading books and trying all kinds of exercises to keep my vision steady or better. However, my current job keeps me infront of a computer at least 9 hours a day, and that doesn't help my distant vision much. What happens if I happen to see 20/50 at NOMI?
Any first-hand experiences?

 

[wanaBpilot]

onegembu, I'm in your exact shoes, I tested borderline 20/40 at the local office, I too, am worried about my vision going down when I get the actual flight physical. If you don't get 20/40 or better on your physical, guess what, if you didn't score high enough for NFO, your going ground.

BE CAREFUL, either get the NFO slot backed up, or get the PRK, don't take a chance, unless you don't mind getting ground. Even though I was already selected for SNA, I'm still probably going to do PRK, just to be safe!!

And if your 20/40, you probably only have -1.25 myopia, which means you'll only have to wait 3 months after the surgery, instead of the usual 6 months anyone with more than -1.75 has to wait.

Good Luck!!!

-Every Challenge Could Have Paradise Behind It-

 

[EA-6B1]

Can someone please clarify what myopia ratings need either a 3 or 6 month wait for? I've seen too many differences. Anyone?

"There were many airplanes, but it was the skinny bird that scared us the most."
- Iraqi POW on the AH-1W Cobra -

 

[mimisoko9]

Try this link. My understanding is that -5.50 is the cutoff.

http://www.nomi.med.navy.mil/Nami/WaiverGuideTopics/ophthalmology.htm#lasik

 

[uncledave]

EA-6B1,
I believe that wanaBpilot is incorrect. The policy says that a 6 month wait is needed for applicants with a history of myopia greater than 5.50 before the sugery. Only a 3 month wait is needed if it is under 5.50 diopters.

Dave

"Only those Americans who are willing to die for their country are fit to live." -General Douglas MacArthur

 

[wildflyin69]

WanaBpilot....doesn't getting PRK after you were already accepted disqualify you, meaning that you'd have to re-apply?


"Push the stick foward, the houses get bigger; pull back, the houses get smaller... unless you keep pulling back, then they get bigger again."

 

[wanaBpilot]

I've talked to my recruiter about it, and I think I can get passed for the waiver, since my vision already qualified, to make sure it doesn't get worse. That is what my recruiter told me, I need to look into it more in depth though. And you guys are right, it is -5.50 for myopia, I'm wondering if I saw something about astygmatism instead? Sorry for the bad gouge.

-Every Challenge Could Have Paradise Behind It-

 

[bwilson1703]

I had PRK done a year and a half ago and have had no problems. I never got halos, although I noticed that lights at night had bigger starbursts around them than before the surgery, but this has pretty much gone back to normal.

One thing for those of you prospective SNA's on the borderline visionwise who are considering trying to slide by NOMI without the surgery - think twice about it. If you show up to OCS and fail the vision check for SNA you will generally *not* be redesignated - you will be sent home. When I was at OCS, they were even sending program guys home instead of redesignating them. Just something to consider.

 

[EA-6B1]

Thanks for your response Kokomo. So you had PRK and got the waiver and acceptance? What's your status now? I mean, are you at API, or Primary, or what?

"There were many airplanes, but it was the skinny bird that scared us the most."
- Iraqi POW on the AH-1W Cobra -

 

[wanaBpilot]

I thought OCS's eye exams weren't very in depth, and that it was the actual flight physical that was very strict. My OSO told me I could get my PRK after this first increment of OCS, as its impossible for me to get it before, its in a month. So are you saying that if I get just under the standards for eyes, I'll be sent home? I sure hope not. I've been told I can get the waiver since I've already been designated SNA with 20-40 vision. Hopefully OCS won't send me home, I've been training like mad. Guess we'll see.

-Every Challenge Could Have Paradise Behind It-

 

[FSUMIDN]

Alright guys,

I want to know what my options for PRK are. How long do I have to wait before my Pre-comm. physical with my refraction, ect...? I have distant vision of 20/50 both left and right w/refraction +4.75 S -1.50 CX 081 right, +5.00 S -1.00 CX 088 left: near vision right 20/30 left 20/50. I want to know if I can have surgery done in mid August and still make it in the min. three month deadline before my pre-comm. physical. I saw the UCLA PPT about a month ago and that started me on the idea of it actually being possible for midshipmen to get cut. I'm supposed to be commissioned in SP04 but could put off if it meant pilot or not.


Thanks,
FSUMIDN

 

[bunk22]

I had PRK back in January. I had no problems but I'm a bit sensitive to sunlight. I have
20/12.5 in my right eye and 20/16 in my left. I was 20/80 both eyes prior to the surgery.