LASIK Surgery

[Hermie]

Is LASIK surgery recommended for future wannabes who are too lazy to correct their eyesight naturally.

Are their any side effects ? Will Airlines still take you in after they've found out you went for the surgery ?

Thank You, For Replying(for those who replied)

Cheers Matey !!

[long final]

Hermie

It all depends on your existing condition, I believe for most short sighted operations the caa is fine with lasik correction as long as the condition hasnt deteriorated over a specific period.
For other conditions, e.g. astigmatism there has not been enough long term data for issue of class 1 medical, but its all down to the individual condition.

have a look at http://www.srg.caa.co.uk/

my advice would be to drop them a mail and someone will get back to you quickly and discuss your situation, i wouldnt want to go through all the trouble to find out its unacceptable - like I nearly did!

Good luck

[BigTimeWannabe]

Don't forget you have to give it a year after your LASIK surgery before you can get your CAA Class 1 medical.

[Pandora]

LASIK is fantastic - Mr Pandora has had it and raves about how good it is.

BUT - As mentioned CAA requires stable condition of eyesight for one year after surgery before reissue of Class 1, and all surgery carries some risk. In the case of eye surgery the biggest problem is halo effect at night. So LASIK is probably better off used as a last resort.

[JetAgeHobo]

Just ran across this article on Lasik and high altitude. Something to think about, may not affect the commercial types with pressurized cabins, but PPL's without pressure cabins might want to take note.

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Mountain climbers who have had their vision corrected through laser surgery may want to take their glasses along on the ascent anyway. New research shows the thin air of high altitudes may blur surgically corrected vision.

When researchers lowered the oxygen supply to the eyes of 40 study participants, they found that the 20 who had undergone LASIK surgery "shifted'' toward near-sightedness. LASIK, or laser in situ keratomileusis, corrects poor vision by removing a thin layer of tissue from the cornea. But, according to a report in the March issue of Ophthalmology, the procedure may weaken the central cornea enough to blur patients' distance vision in low-oxygen environments.

This should be of greatest concern to mountain climbers, skiers, pilots and others who spend long periods of time at high altitudes, according to researchers led by Dr. Mark L. Nelson of the Madigan Army Medical Center in Tacoma, Washington.

LASIK surgery is a recently approved technique for correcting poor vision. The procedure is particularly popular among young people who want to be free from glasses during activities such as hiking, climbing and skiing, according to Nelson's team. What might happen in thin-air conditions after the surgery is unknown. The authors note there is evidence that low-oxygen conditions blur vision in patients who have undergone a related procedure called radial keratotomy.

In their study, Nelson and colleagues simulated thin-air conditions with a goggle system that cuts oxygen to one eye, while feeding normal oxygen levels to the other eye. While all the study participants showed certain changes in their oxygen-deprived corneas, the LASIK patients showed a significant ''shift'' to near-sightedness.

However, these findings do not mean high-climbing adventurers cannot undergo LASIK, according to the researchers. In a statement, co-author Dr. Lawrence J. White said, "I expect people could climb Everest after LASIK, but they might carry some glasses to help with any significant near-sightedness encountered.''

SOURCE: Ophthalmology 2001;108:542-544.

[eject]

Had lasik. Have JAA Class 1. Vision tremendous. Wasn't planning to climb Everest or ascend beyond 8000' or equivalent anyway. Word of advice to anyone considering Lasik; research the subject in depth. Success depends v much on skill of surgeon. There are no guarantees. Avoid bi-lateral (having both eyes done on the same occasion)