Refractive Eye Surgery Benefits Combat Soldiers

Fox News ^ | 8/15/02 | Jonathan Serrie

[finnman69]

ATLANTA

[finnman69]

An interesting program. I wondered about this and yesterday was just discussing this with my eye doctor.

[lavaroise]

'bout time.

[1Old Pro]

A great program.....a benefit for our deserving soldiers which is also a positive improvement in battle.

[Cogadh na Sith]

I'm just a Nat. Guardsman so I don't qualify for this program... I coughed up the bucks myself to get it done 3 weeks ago.

It's fantastic--20/15 vision--better than perfect. I love it. My shooting is as good or better than ever, no glasses sliding down my nose and no toenail-in-the-eye feeling contacts.

[MissAmericanPie]

Isn't there a new eye surgery that allows humans to have infra-red vision at night? That would be a boon to soldiers.

[JoeFromCA]

It is about time. Wearing glasses prevented me from flying helicopters in Vietnam, although I could be a crew chief and wear glasses. (Actually I tried to fly the damn things a few times and I'm not sure I could ever have gotten the hang of it anyway--they were very unruly).

[Desdemona]

Seriously, a great idea. Taxpayer money well-spent.

[mvpel]

I would have been in the Naval Academy or the Air Force Academy had it not been for my dismal vision back in 1988. (-10 diopters). I had the surgery about a year and a half ago, and it's positively a miracle.

[pittsburgh gop guy]

I am trying to get into the Marines right now - had my physical the other day at MEPS and they made me PDQ: Permanently Disqualified because of my vision, but they recommended me for a waiver. So, I hope that comes through and come January I will be at Quantico for OCC.

I do worry a bit about how bad my eyes are and the effectiveness of them in a combat situation - both are past -.8. BUT, I was a firefighter for 6 years and can say I never really had a problem with wearing contacts. If I get into the USMC, I will always carry a spare pair and always carry solution.

As for the surgery, I have several concerns:
1. I think my eyes are so bad that they might not be able to fix them.
2. If they can operate, they would not guarantee 20/20 anyway, and my night vision might actually be made worse.
3. I have heard that some people that have had this surgery experience temporary blindness at altitudes over 20,000 feet. I want to climb several mountains over 20k - so that might be a problem.

[11th Earl of Mar]

Isn't there a new eye surgery that allows humans to have infra-red vision at night? That would be a boon to soldiers.

And hunters... lol

[Grig]

I thought this surgury drasticly reduced night-vision for a year or so. Is that true? If so, then I sure wouldn't want to be doing night patrol duty right after it.

[ReaganCowboy]

I had this done three months ago, at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. I'm seeing 20/15 now. Great stuff! Sell any stock you have in Lenscrafters, etc., 'cause I don't think anyone will be wearing glasses in about five years.

[alnick]

I had my radial keratotomy in the mid '80s, before they even used laser. The surgeon used a diamond-tipped blade.

Anyway, my surgeon was one of the pioneers of the surgery, Dr. Azar, and he did a wonderful job.

I had 20/20 vision for years after that. Dr. Azar told me at the time that when I reached 40 that my vision would deteriorate, but that it would deteriorate from a starting point of 20/20 as opposed to deteriorating from a starting point of already bad vision. He was right. Last year I had to get glasses, but I will never regret the surgery.

[finnman69]

What does this operation run these days? $1000 an eye or so?

[Judith Anne]

My vision before radial keratotomy was 20/900 in one eye and 20/950 in the other. I was wearing contact lenses and glasses both at the same time, just to see. I never knew what it was like to see without glasses since I was wearing them when I started kindegarten.

Thanks to my surgery four years ago, I have 20/20 in one eye and 20/30 in the other. It is a miracle, every day. Due to the distortion of my glasses, I never even knew what I looked like, myself! I didn't have any difficulty with night vision at all--the stars are beautiful...I didn't have laser, my eye doctor did the surgery...one eye at a time, a week apart (because he said if there were a complication, he didn't want to leave me completely blind...

The world is completely different, when you can see it...

[Nov3]

I was permanantly BLINDED in my left eye by this "wonderful" lasik surgery. You only have one set of eyes and there is no going back. Take my word for it, contacts are a minor irritation compared to a destroyed cornea and subsequent cornea transplant. Go to surgicaleyes.com for other sucess cases. What the doctors consider sucess and good vision are two different things.

I know many have had this surgery and had good results but if something goes wrong it is something you will deal with for every waking moment for the rest of your life

[Faeroe]

Join the Army and see the World!

[Nov3]

I thought this surgury drasticly reduced night-vision for a year or so. Is that true? If so, then I sure wouldn't want to be doing night patrol duty right after it.

There are numerous night vision problems associated with this surgery. Research it thoroughly. As for these soldiers, would you want a VA doctor operating on your eyes.

[Cogadh na Sith]

It depends, there are a lot of places that claim low prices per eye and then nickle and dime you to death for follow-ups, any needed enhancements and so forth.

Where I went, it was $1450/eye, but it was all inclusive--any enhancements, eyedrops, follow-ups... They treated me great and it was worth it--I saved up for about a year to pay for it.