Lasik for pilots >50
 

I’m a few years over fifty and trying to decide what direction to go concerning my vision correction. I’m nearsighted and currently wearing contacts for distance vision. The last few years I noticed my near vision is starting to get worse and I’m thinking about lasik and using readers for close up. I have tried bifocals but don’t really like them for flying.

I have had this discussion with eye doctors but they don’t really seem to understand the situation, just seem more interested in moving on to the next patient.

My main concern with lasik is making my near vision worse, what say you guys?

If your LASIK procedure goes poorly and damages your eyesight would your company’s LTD policy still cover you, since this is elective surgery?

Most guys I know who got eye surgery were pleased with the results, just make sure you are ok with consequences if you are part of the small percentage with bad results.

I think you - rather than your eye doctors - may be the one that doesn’t understand the problem. As TNKDRVR says, LASIK is not without risks. Not just the 1-2% of procedures (Per eye) that don’t result in the desired correction but an even higher percentage of complications including pain, glare, and decreased night vision.

https://www.webmd.com/eye-health/new...-and-the-risks

https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/...ration-project


And while the overwhelming majority do get good results, if you are in the underwhelming minority you may be months or years getting back to flying, if you ever do. The usual problem at age 50 is presbyopia, a stiffening of the lens that makes it harder for you to focus, not a change in your refraction.

Successful LASIK will change your refraction permanently, but it won’t stop the presbyopia. You will STILL have to wear glasses while flying - either for near or for distant vision, and I guarantee it will take you AT LEAST six months after surgery to get a Class 1 physical if you try to correct one for distance and the other for near - assuming you can ever get your medical back at all. It takes longer to get your depth perception back after doing that than it does if you just lose one eye and the FAA really doesn’t like people doing that. No matter what, you’ll need glasses for flying.

It’s your body but if I were you I’d get progressive bifocals and learn to love them.

That's why I never did it.

Also, you will almost certainly lose at least a little BCVA in the procedure. My vision is outstanding with minor correction, I could lose a line or two and still pass a medical but I LIKE my outstanding vision. If you read right at 20/20 you might not be able to quite get to 20/20 with or without correction after LASIK (or other surgery).

It took me awhile to find something that I was OK with, but my Varilux progressive lenses work well in the airplane. Not cheap, but much better than standard progressives -- way better then simple bifocals.

The point being that there are good lenses out there that do work in our environment. The key is finding a good Optometrist, preferably one who has worked with pilots.

I will also add that I have had surgery in both eyes out of necessity (cataracts). Great results, but I consider myself lucky and would never roll the dice on any type of eye surgery unless there was no alternative. You can lose a medical for outcomes that would be satisfactory in the general population.

Best of luck.