My daughter is currently a 4/c at USCGA who wears contacts, but she is interested in keeping her options open for flight school. She knows that LASIK or PKR are options, and she is already planning to make an appointment with the optometrist to make sure she is a good candidate for one or both of these procedures. She has attended info sessions and talked to some other cadets who have gotten the procedures, and now she is trying to figure out the best time to have the procedure done. She knows she has to get approval to have it done and that she has to have the procedure done on her own time.
She is doing her own research as well, but this post is mostly to get input from others who have had corrective eye surgery while at USCGA.
1) She is currently 19, and it looks like in general the recommendation is to wait til mid-20s for the procedure since eyes can continue to change. Obviously if she is hoping for flight school on graduation she would need to get it done while still at USCGA. When do most cadets have the procedure done? Summer before 2/c year? winter break of 2/c year? Summer before 1/c year? She was thinking about getting it done this summer, but we're wondering if she should wait at least an extra year to make sure her eyes/prescription are stable.
2) When are cadets medically evaluated for flight school? (Just so she knows the latest she could have it done) Is that fall of 1/c year? or sooner?
3) The recovery time is shorter for LASIK, so is there any advantage to PKR? (assuming she is a candidate for both)
4) Are there any restrictions or things that she would no longer be able to do with the Coast Guard if she had corrective surgery?
Appreciate the input.
She is doing her own research as well, but this post is mostly to get input from others who have had corrective eye surgery while at USCGA.
1) She is currently 19, and it looks like in general the recommendation is to wait til mid-20s for the procedure since eyes can continue to change. Obviously if she is hoping for flight school on graduation she would need to get it done while still at USCGA. When do most cadets have the procedure done? Summer before 2/c year? winter break of 2/c year? Summer before 1/c year? She was thinking about getting it done this summer, but we're wondering if she should wait at least an extra year to make sure her eyes/prescription are stable.
2) When are cadets medically evaluated for flight school? (Just so she knows the latest she could have it done) Is that fall of 1/c year? or sooner?
3) The recovery time is shorter for LASIK, so is there any advantage to PKR? (assuming she is a candidate for both)
4) Are there any restrictions or things that she would no longer be able to do with the Coast Guard if she had corrective surgery?
Appreciate the input.