Laser eye surgery booms among troops (The security of Battlefield Vision)

Army Times ^ | William Cole

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HONOLULU

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GNFI

Might seem minor, but like the Lieutenant says, “Going to a foreign country for an entire year,” Harris said, “I guess there’s always that small fear that if you come under attack or something happens at night and you fumble around and lose your glasses, I wouldn’t be able to function or see who’s friendly.”

If you know a soldier going to Iraq, have them consider Laser eye surgery for SAFETY'S sake.

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Soldiers are able to put on their gas masks for the first time without having to worry about their glasses falling out or getting fogged up, they’re able to use night-vision goggles without vision aids, and they can go into the field without having to worry about infections from dirty contact lenses.

[prairiebreeze]

Thanks for the ping! I had LASIK surgery this summer and have been very pleased with the results. It's actually quite remarkable.

Prairie

[american_ranger]

My son is in the infantry, assigned to the 25th, and scheduled for Afghanistan next summer. He had his eye exam on Friday and will get the laser surgery later. Lord, I hope all goes OK.

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My wife had it and has better vision now than I do.

It's an amazing advance.

Especially for our troops.

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Trust in the Lord with all your might and lean not to your own understanding.

All will be well.

[Mini-14]

Anyone who thinks laser eye surgery is a great idea might want to look at this:

http://consumers.lasikfraud.com
http://www.lasikfraud.com/gallery_of_destruction.html

 

[prairiebreeze]

Oh yes I looked at all those websites before I had LASIK. Then I got a referral to an excellent surgeon from the finest medical center in my area and had the surgery.

While nothing in medicine or life is 100% perfect the procedure is being perfected all the time. I made the decision that I could accept the risk. Then I had it done and I've not regretted it.

Interestingly my opthalmic surgeon has done several NFL players eyes. And a couple of MLB players and a local radio talkshow host. And had autographed pictures of all of them.

Prairie

[jim_trent]

When my son joined the ROTC at college, he was told that if he had any kind of lasar surgery on his eyes, he could not join.

[prairiebreeze]

I can certainly appreciate the use of the procedure for the military.

Prairie

[NYFriend]

I remember at time when you could not get into West Point if you had the laser eye surgery.

[AnAmericanMother]

I had the LASIK done while it was still in experimental trials.

Read about all the risks (and they were scrupulous about informing us of them since it was still experimental) and decided to go ahead anyhow. When you're legally blind (13 diopters of myopia in one eye, and 9 in the other) and you like to ride horses and kayak . . .

Surgery was uneventful and successful. At this point I am ten years out -- I am noticing a little myopia returning, about 2 diopters, nothing major. Trying to decide whether to go under the knife again or try the corneal refractive therapy with the contacts you wear at night. My son is too irresponsible for glasses, let alone contacts, so it's CRT for him -- seems to be a success as it's corrected him to 20/20 in three days. Only downside is you have to wear the contacts at night and forever or your vision backslides again -- but it sure beats dealing with contacts while upside down in the Tuckasegee River!

[Nea Wood]

LASIK is one of the greatest inventions ever! Used to be, I couldn't see anything unless it was two inches in front of my face. Now I've got 20/30 and I'm thankful every day.

[hunter112]

I heard way back when I had RK (1983) that the Air Force would not accept it, but I had no intention of flying a fighter jet for them!

I'm glad that this treatment is getting the respect it deserves, I miss my glasses-free days (had to go to bifocals for "old eyes")!

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Tuckaseegee.....You live near Bryson City???

That's where my folks live!!

Just about the most beautiful location on the face of the earth. (Trout fishing at Snowbird, Nantahala, Deep Creek....that's living!!)

[AnAmericanMother]

No, we don't live in WNC, but we frequently camp and kayak there. It is indeed God's own country. The Tuck is my favorite paddling river, I'm an enthusiastic but not particularly expert kayaker. It's got just the right level of whitewater for me, with intermittent pools to rest and recover.

Here my daughter and I are, being silly on the river:

She can roll up every time. I can't! (every time that is - even a blind hog finds an acorn now and then).

[prairiebreeze]

but it sure beats dealing with contacts while upside down in the Tuckasegee River!

Wow, I'll bet! Yes I've read that with time the correction can diminish slightly. I was so sick of wearing glasses and I have (had?) a lot of astigmatism as well as tons of myopia so contacts were VERY expensive. I decided that even if I had to go back to glasses after the surgery I'd still have such a lighter prescription that it would be worth it.

One eye has never been a "team player" so to speak, LOL. And they didn't think they would probably be able to correct to to 20, and they were right, it's probably at about 30. And I have to wear the drugstore glasses for reading and computer work but who cares? It's just amazing to be able to have no glasses or contacts.

I haven't heard about the procedure you describe with the contacts at night but if research and development continues at the pace it has on this type of surgery, who knows what might be available in a few more years. Good Luck!

Prairie

[prairiebreeze]

Yup, I agree

[Elliott Jackalope]

I looked into getting lasik done to my eyes, but finally came to the conclusion that glasses aren't so bad after all. Besides, if the glasses have problems, I can always get another pair. It's not so easy to get another set of eyes.

It's one of those risk/reward equations. The reward? You get to live without glasses. The risk? Your vision, and your quality of life, and the possibility of complications. For me, personally, it just didn't seem to make sense. So I'm stuck with glasses for the rest of my life. Oh well. It could be a whole lot worse....

[shiva]

I'm making an appointment this Thurs. I hope I'm a good candidate for it.