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Old 08-28-2006, 12:34 PM
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NiaWyn
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Default Eye Surgery

Tell me folks, Why do Pilots in the Armed Services get PRK surgery where the procedure is to grind the cornea as opposed to slicing into it ...where the general public are offered the laser..
 
Old 09-05-2006, 09:01 PM
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Originally Posted by NiaWyn View Post
Tell me folks, Why do Pilots in the Armed Services get PRK surgery where the procedure is to grind the cornea as opposed to slicing into it ...where the general public are offered the laser..
Good question. LASIK is disqualifying for most cool military jobs including pilots, divers, and special operations. LASIK involves slicing the cornea to nearly remove it, but when it is re-attached it never quite heals up, it just "sticks" to the eyeball...This creates two problems:

1) A blast overpressure (nearby explosion or slipstream from ejection) is liley to remove the cornea, since it is no longer really firmly attached. This would be bad.

2) Divers, pilots, and parachutists who experience large pressure changes may be subject to nitrogen bubbles forming between the cornea and eyeball...a unique manifestation of common decompression sickness (the bends). This is bad too.
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