Lasik/ Corrective Surgery - Top Ophthalmologist Recommendations?

Herman_Snerd

Herman_Snerd

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Are there top doctors within specific physician groups, who are recommended if future pilots wish to have lasik/ corrective eye surgery and fly for the military? Do the academies use military docs or outsource this to anyone specific? Also, generally, is this corrective surgery performed between Junior/ Senior years, or other between Sophomore and Junior years, and if so, why? Other thread advises eyes are still maturing at 18 - that's too soon. I think these details may be helpful for the current/ future board members.

For something this important, I'd be happy for my DS to fly anywhere for the best chance at a successful outcome if needed. But I realize, I don't know where he could travel to, for this purpose (once the pandemic ends). A destination always helps in this type of journey. Also may be a long waitlist for the best groups, so thought I would ask now.

Thanks.
 
Be wary of any recommendations that do not come from an official source for the service you are interested in. Regulations differ by branch. For some specialties LASIK is not allowed/disqualifying and the preferred procedure is PRK.

I don't know about ROTC, but USMA Cadets can get PRK at West Point by military doctors at no cost.
 
For NROTC my DS had lasik winter of junior year...he had to retake commissioning physical 6 months after for pilot slot...he had 20/15 vision the day after surgery. Little did I know at the time that my ophthalmologist referred us to the lasik surgeon who wrote the textbook on lasik and is nationally reknown....he travels the country performing lasik only...4 years later still 20/15 vision. If you have completed during NROTC years you will need approval from CO...my DS received written approval
 
USNA sent my kid to Walter Reed for LASIK after he signed his "2 for 7" contract beginning of junior year.

He's currently a student naval aviator (SNA) at NAS Pensacola.
 
On my first post eye surgery exam my eye doc stood me 20 feet from the Snellen chart and said, "OK, read the bottom most line you can see clearly.

I said, "Made in Chinasnellen-plastic-eye-chart-1240.jpg."
 
Q = Are there top doctors within specific physician groups, who are recommended if future pilots wish to have lasik/ corrective eye surgery and fly for the military? Do the academies use military docs or outsource this to anyone specific? Also, generally, is this corrective surgery performed between Junior/ Senior years, or other between Sophomore and Junior years, and if so, why? Other thread advises eyes are still maturing at 18 - that's too soon. I think these details may be helpful for the current/ future board members.

For something this important, I'd be happy for my DS to fly anywhere for the best chance at a successful outcome if needed. But I realize, I don't know where he could travel to, for this purpose (once the pandemic ends). A destination always helps in this type of journey. Also may be a long waitlist for the best groups, so thought I would ask now. Thanks.

A = The correct answers are:

1. Don't get corneal refractive surgery "just" to be admitted to a Service Academy/ROTC program.
2. Corneal refractive surgery is rarely recommended for someone before age 21 unles ther's a specific medical condition that MUST be corrected and that is highly doubtful.
3. Service academies look at performing corneal refractive surgery on good candidates as juniors and senior for what I said in 2 above. Otherwise your performance corrective surgery on vision that hasn't stabilized yet.
4. A decision to perform corneal refractive surgery , should be a decision between the patient and their surgeon.
 

USNA specifically addresses this.

To sum up the sense of the posts above, especially the Deputy Director, DoDMERB, there is no rush. First things first. He can explore the options and work within the approved system.

At USNA, the mids typically get this done sometime after they take on their service obligation at the start of 2/c year and with enough time for full recovery and vision stabilization before their pre-comm physicals.
 
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