Thursday, April 25, 2013

Can I become an army helicopter pilot if I have lasik eye surgery?

Q. My uncorrected vision is very bad, over 20/200 I believe. I realize that the worst uncorrected vision you can have to become a helicopter pilot in the army is 20/50, but If I get lasik eye surgery which corrects it to 20/20 would I be eligible for flight school?

A. You are correct in that your uncorrected vision is too bad for you to be a helicopter pilot in the Army as is. However, you are also correct in that you can get LASIK surgery and still be eligible to apply if it corrects your vision to 20/20 or better.

The other poster is incorrect when he says that you have to have 20/20 uncorrected and that you cannot wear glasses at all to fly. You can and many people do. Once you finish flight school, your vision can get as worse as 20/400, but must still be correctable to 20/20. See AR 40-501, Standards of Medical Fitness which I have outlined and linked below:

Chapter 2
Physical Standards for Enlistment, Appointment, and Induction

2–12. Eyes

c. Cornea.

(1) Current or history of corneal dystrophy of any type (371.5), including but not limited to keratoconus (371.6) of any degree is disqualifying.

(2) History of refractive surgery including, but not limited to: Lamellar (P11.7) and/or penetrating keratoplasty (P11.6). Radial Keratotomy and Astigmatic Keratotomy is disqualifying. Refractive surgery performed with an Excimer Laser, including but not limited to, Photorefractive Keratectomy (commonly known as PRK), Laser Epithelial Keratomileusis (commonly known as LASEK), and Laser- Assisted in situ Keratomileusis (commonly known as LASIK) (P11.7) is disqualifying if any of the following conditions are met:

(a) Pre-surgical refractive error in either eye exceeds + 8.00 to - 8.00 diopters.

(b) At least 6 months recovery period has not occurred between last refractive surgery or augmenting procedure and accession medical examination.

(c) There have been complications, and/or medications or ophthalmic solutions are required.

(d) Post-surgical refraction in each eye is not stable as demonstrated by—

1. At least two separate refractions at least one month apart, the most recent of which demonstrates more than +/- 0.50 diopters difference for spherical vision and/or more than +/- 0.25 diopters for cylinder vision; and

2. At least 3 months recovery has not occurred between the last refractive surgery or augmenting procedure and one of the comparison refractions.


Does LASIK eye surgery correct your vision?
Q. I am planning on getting LASIK eye surgery next year and I need to know a few things. First off I need to know if it corrects vision. Currently I'm wearing glasses and have a hard time seeing with those, my vision with glasses isn't that bad I just can't read from a far distance and can't see certain things from far away. Would getting LASIK eye surgery correct that? I also want to know if my vision continues getting worse will I be able to get the surgery?

A. The laser surgery does fix vision (assuming you are a suitable candidate for the procedure). You can NOT get it done until your vision has been stable for at least a year (preferably longer) this generally winds up being your early;mid 20's or so. The fact that you can't see perfectly, even with your glasses, suggests that your vision is still changing. Anyway, the places that do it generally give a free initial consultation where they describe the procedure and determine whether it will work for you or not.


What are the recommendations for Lasik eye surgery?
Q. Please help, i would like to know the recommendations for lasik eye surgery! Such as eye health, general health, Ect...

A. I just had lasik last Thursday & would highly recommend it! The first step is to have a lasik evaluation. This exam SHOULD be free at whatever laser facility you choose. It is basically to determine if you are a candidate or not. Your eyes will be dilated that day and they will do multiple tests to check the overall health of your eyes.
The procedure itself was SOOO much better than I thought it would be! The surgeon talks you through the whole thing and its over before you know it!
overall, it was one of the best decisions I have ever made! I was a -7.00 and -7.50 prior to surgery and now I'm 20/20 without any correction :)
Good luck & best wishes to you!





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Title Post: Can I become an army helicopter pilot if I have lasik eye surgery?
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