RAF/AAC Opinion of Laser Treatment

[rob_frost]

If you have laser eye treatment to improve your vision, is it possible to pass the RAF medical?

I think I saw somewhere on the AAC site that laser eye treatment for pilots was not allowed, so is it the same for the RAF?

Thanks

Rob

[Speedbird 2946]

Sorry to have to be blunt but I was told the following by an RAF Board Officer:
"Please don't have laser treatment on your eyes. The military will never touch you if you do."

Sadly the RAF has many applicants and can fill spaces (well, perhaps they are a little short of line pilots) without dropping their eyesight regs.

Civil airlines will take you though as long as your eyesight is okay after the surgery and you wait one year!

GOOD LUCK

SB 2946

[inverted flatspin]

Stay away from laser surgery for the moment, a much better treatment is not too far away It is called corneaplasty and in trials is much more succesful and predictable than Lasik, with fewer risks and side effects. It should be coming to the market within 2 or 3 years.

for more info try this link

http://www.supervisioncenter.com/future_corneaplasty.htm

[inverted flatspin]

Also try this link. This is the guy who is conducting the clinical trials.

http://www.eyeimprovement.com/services.html

[aerostude]

The RAF will not touch you for aircrew if you have had laser surgery, simple as that.
I don't know about the army air corps but I would imagine that they have a similar policy.

[eject]

I really wonder sometimes at the basis for the opinions on offer here. "Stay away from laser..." "a much better treatment is not not too far away". Who conducted the trials? What is your background, Flatspin? You say Corneaplasty is much better than laser. On what evidence have you reached that conclusion. There are a number of laser treatments; are you saying all are inferior to Corneaplasty? Lasik, for instance combines 40 or so year old surgical techniques with laser methods in use for over 20 years.
I am not employed in the field of opthalmology and have no axe to grind in this regard. However, I would like to see a little more in the way of informed opinion on this subject. I am reasonably well informed having gone through lasik over two years ago. I also got my initial JAA class 1 a few months ago and was totally up front about my lasik.

[liquidhockey]

i actually asked the RAF careers officer myself if i can have any kind of laser treatment on my eyes. i was told rather bluntly NO because they say that it hasn't been around lonmg enough to be proven safe.
sorry mate i was gutted when i heard this too but now i have my heart set on civil aviation.
Sorry and all that
Dave

[ravenx]

Eject, looks like you and I were some of the last people to be given Class 1 Jar medicals after having PRK then. I was told by the Dr's at gatwick they closed the door on it just after I got mine