Approved Corrective Eye Surgery for the USAF
 

Are there any USAF folks out there that could tell me the type of corrective eye surgery that the US Air Force has approved?

Right now, my eye sight is 20/200, which isn't horrible, but it isn't great either. I'd like to get that taken care of ASAP - in other words...when I take my vacation.

Thanks

I would go to the official source on this. www.sg.af.mil then go to links and click on AF Refractive surgery
I don't know if this is something I'd do ASAP unless you are already in the AF. There could be a recruiting limitation on you should you choose this avenue.

Just my thoughts,

Good luck,
Lifter

I'm pretty sure PRK and LASIK are both approved....but check that website and talk to a Flight Surgeon before you do anything.

BTW, when I took my physical (2005) 20/200 was the max waiverable limit, as long as everything else checks out OK. If I remember correctly you could have up to 20/70 uncorrected as long as it was correctable to 20/20, and not need a waiver. From 20/70 to 20/200 as long as everything else checked out you could get a waiver. There is also something in there about refractive error, I believe it was -1.50 to +2.00 w/o a waiver and -3.00 to +3.00 required a waiver.

Just something to think about before you let someone put a laser to your eye!

Goodluck, feel free to PM with any questions.

According to a baseops thread, it appears that refractive error deviations require an Exception To Policy. (ETP)

That could very well be. But when I came through it was almost automatic waiver up to +/- 3.00 and 20/200. Check out this thread and direct questions to Rage:P if needed, he really helped me out in a pinch. P27:17 is also very knowledgeable on medical questions.

Goodluck bro, and NEVER give up, this is the greatest job!

http://www.flyingsquadron.com/forums...=Vision+Waiver

The short answer is NONE! DO NOT, repeat DO NOT go get laser eye surgery on your own -- if you do, you just made yourself permanently pilot disqualified. ONCE you are on in the Air Force, THEN laser eye surgery becomes an option. The Air Force Academy is approving laser eye surgery for cadets on a case-by-case basis and it is accomplished through the Air Force. The same might hold true for active duty. I cannot stress enough to NOT go get the surgery on your own! The ones that are "approved" means the person was already in the Air Force and the Air Force sent them for surgery. If your vision can be corrected to 20/20, I'd avoid surgery all together since you have a more significant risk than advertised of it not going well and then you just f---ed yourself.

Fly,

That was basically the same advice I gave. You just provided it clearer and to the point!!

Lifter

No problem -- I was an Air Force Academy Admissions Liaison Officer for awhile and it was pretty painful to tell some otherwise stellar kid that the eye surgery he/she elected to get in order to "become a pilot" just made him/her permanently pilot disqualified. "Is laser eye surgery okay?" seemed like a very common question at college fairs.

Fly, I think you might be mistaken. To my knowledge USAFA, USNA, AFROTC, and NROTC scholarship applications are all subject to the standard DODMERB physical standards which if you are applying for a flight slot in either service knock out the flight physical as part of the DODMERB physical. DODMERB accepts civilian PRK. I know the Navy does as well. As long as the medical procedures are documented and in line with the waiver guide I really don't think they care where it was done. Chances are(i've had PRK by the way) they are all done with the same machine. I know of two AF guys who had the surgery done prior to AD and one in the Guard. Both are flying.