Within the Department of Defense a total of 25 warfighter refractive surgery centers (Army: 12, Navy: 7, Air Force: 6) completed more than 312,000 refractive surgery procedures over the past 10 years. Laser vision correction has been allowed for all aspects of military service, including aviation, special operations, and support personnel. It is also approved for NASA astronauts.
The Navy is currently undertaking a study on US Naval aviators at the Naval Medical Center in San Diego and Portsmouth. To date, more than 200 aviators are in the study. Refractive errors up to -7.50 diopters are represented and the results have been outstanding. All procedures were performed with IntraLase and 90% were wavefront-guided; the exact same technology featured at the Laser Eye Center of Carolina for our LASIK patients.
All aviators were able to return to flight status within two weeks after myopic LASIK and within four weeks after hyperopic LASIK. Patient satisfaction was excellent three months after LASIK. One hundred percent were able to achieve 20/20 levels of vision. There were no complaints of significant glare, halos, haze or sharpness of vision. Ninety-eight percent felt that LASIK helped their effectiveness as a naval aviator and ninety-nine percent indicated that they would definitely recommend LASIK to their fellow aviators.
The US armed forces have embraced LASIK as a way to make troops “combat ready”. Over the years vision correction technology has evolved such that LASIK has proven to be a safe and effective procedure. But not all LASIK is equivalent. In order to achieve the phenomenal success illustrated in this latest study, IntraLase and wavefont-guided (Custom-Vue) LASIK is necessary. This premium LASIK comes at an increased cost and the wary consumer should not be lulled into the false notion that inferior, “imposter All-Laser” LASIK can achieve this level of success. Time and time again, large scale, commercially unbiased studies such as those conducted by the US armed forces have demonstrated the superiority of genuine iLASIK over other LASIK technologies.
Maybe you don’t need the type of vision needed to land a plane on an aircraft carrier, but couldn’t you benefit from the superior vision offered by genuine iLASIK in your activities of daily living? Raleigh area LASIK candidates can avail themselves of this “fighter pilot” grade vision at the Laser Eye Center of Carolina. Of course, all medical procedures carry with them some risks and to make sure you are a good candidate for iLASIK you are invited to come in for a free consultation with Dr. Dornic. Dr. Dornic will describe all your options and taylor a treatment plan that is personalized just for you.
Posts Tagged ‘Refractive surgery’
LASIK for Military Pilots
Monday, April 12th, 2010Is Laser Eye Surgery Cosmetic?
Sunday, February 21st, 2010Many people have taken the stance that refractive surgery is cosmetic, similar to a cheek implant, nose job or breast augmentation. The eyes are perfectly fine; a pair of glasses will make everything nice and clear, right? But isn’t this analogous to a patient who needs hearing aids to hear or a cane to walk? The perception that LASIK and other refractive surgeries are cosmetic is perpetuated by individuals who aren’t dependent on glasses. These individuals don’t realize what a burden glasses or contacts are. They may not have experienced how a dependence on visual aids can impact the activities of daily living. This line of thinking is reinforced by the insurance industry. Most plans do not cover refractive surgery. Cosmetic makeover shows typically include LASIK because many patients look better without glasses. But the real benefit of Lasik is not that the patient looks better, rather it is that the patient functions better.
Refractive Errors are a Defect
It is an enigma to me how our myopic ancestors functioned or even survived before the correction of refractive errors were possible. Nearsighted individuals clearly were at a competitive disadvantage. I would not want to be a poorly seeing mid-evil warrior!
Marco Polo brought the concept of eyeglasses back to Europe from the Orient. But eyeglasses and contact lenses are prosthetic devices just as are hearing aids and ankle braces. For many years, man has strived to permanently correct their vision with drugs, eye exercises or surgery. As it turns out, surgery has proven to be the only, permanently successful solution. Over the past 50 years strives have been made to make vision correction more precise and safer. The fact that a much higher percentage of ophthalmologists have had LASIK than the general population is testament to the perceived success of these goals.
Athletes and the Military Undergo LASIK
Scores of professional athletes including football players, baseball players and members of the National Basketball Association have had LASIK. Over 80 professional golfers have had LASIK; Tiger Woods being the most well known. Many athletes feel that being free of glasses or contact lenses improves their game and are not having the procedure performed to improve their appearance. The U.S. Military has seen the advantage of laser vision correction and now provides it for many of their enlisted personnel. Likewise, many active patients find glasses or contact lenses impractical for many activities of daily living.
Not Just for the Rich and Famous
In recent years, the cost of traditional laser vision correction has come down. But the educated consumer should not just search out the lowest price. Doing so means that that the individual may not be benefiting from the improved success rates and safety of such advances as wider treatment zones, smoother treatment surfaces, pupil trackers and wavefront technology. Be sure that you are dealing with an experienced refractive surgeon who makes use of the latest technological advances, that the laser room is environmentally controlled and that strict infection prevention controls are in place.
Don’t despair if your medical insurance does not cover your laser eye surgery. Flexible medical spending accounts and insurance discounts offer real savings. Low or no-interest financing options can help fit laser vision correction into most people’s budget. Vision correction is a recognized income tax deduction. Many patients who have had their vision corrected feel that it was one of the best investments they have ever made. More patients are candidates for vision correction today and success rates are higher than ever. Laser eye surgery is not just cosmetic and there has never been a better time to have your vision corrected than right now.