Laser treatment and medical class I

[Heading270]

Hello forum! I had PRK on both eyes 3 years ago and I got my medical class I 2 months after the operation. I didn´t tell them that I had laser treatment and the doctor didn´t realise.
Now I have a bad conscience because I didn´t tell the truth and when I will go to the next check I have to lie again. It is actually not possible to see the treatment without topographical scan but I don´t know if they will send me to complete assessment by a specialist when I am telling them. I am a little bit afraid of that.
Now I am searching for pilots who made the same way like I did and what experiences they had with annualy med checks.
Does anybody know how the FAA handles such pilots? I plan to get my US ATP also but I want to tell them about my laser treatment. Do I have a chance to get the US medical I?
Are there JAA/FAA doctors who support this operation to get the license?
Thanks in advance. H270.

[Bomber Harris]

the FAA have no problem about it whatsoever. If you have the procedure while active class 1 holder you just get a form filled out by the eye surgeon about 6 weeks after the op to say everthing has settled down then your back on line. It should be no problem at all if you have had the op before your first class 1. A lot of info on the FAA website.....hard to sift through but it is there.

I'm not sure how the CAA would react if you told them you lied to them. The fact you hold the class one means that there are no technical problems with your eye and you have proven that by actively flying. I suspect your problem is more a political one with regard to how you approach them and they react.

I would suggest not doing anything at all....leave what's well alone. However, if you have some demons in your head telling you to go to the CAA, then I would suggest calling Doctor Perry for a consultation first. He is pro pilots getting medicals and is on the medical board so he would be able to advise on how to break the news. See him in his private practice in his capacity as a GP rather than a CAA rep if you get the gist of what I'm saying!

Best of luck whatever you do.

[Bomber Harris]

ooooops sorry, just realised you were in Germany from the profile. Forget about doc perry. Hopefully some gives you the name of a German doc who is pro pilot.

[Golden Monkey]

Yeah, the FAA and pretty much everyone apart from the Brits have no problem with laser surgery. There are a lot of pilots flying commercially with sliced eyes.

I was considering this myself a while ago and consulted the doctors at the CAA - they said they categorically didn't allow it, and couldn't forsee a time when they would change their minds. It wasn't up for review. It looks like they will continue to apply the most stringent standards in the world for quite some time to come. Unfortunately for some of us.

From your post I presume it wasn't a CAA medical you were referring to? - I was told the CAA tests could detect both forms of laser surgery. If it wasn't, I guess you shouldn't really be worrying?

[Dirk]

Hello
As far as I know refractive surgery is now acceptable to the JAA/CAA for class 1.
Subject to a 12-month waiting period and stable results.
Go to www.srg.caa.co.uk (http://www.srg.caa.co.uk) and check out the FAQs under the medical section.
Regards
Dirk

[eject]

I had lasik 3 yrs ago. It is not detectable using conventional methods commonly used in UK aeromedicals as far as I am aware. However, prior to my class 1, I visited an optition I had met through aviation circles to see whether he could detect anything. I kept it quiet initially until he remarked that my eyes displayed characteristics of myopia; they were a little longer than normal - a clear give away apparently. Corneal topography is used by the US military to screen for laser treated eyes.
I'd be a little more concerned about the fact you mislead the doctors than about the quality of your vision. I don't think you will easily be able to reverse back up the road you've gone down. You have my sympathies, however. Most of my pilot friends told me to go for the medical and say nothing. I chose instead after much mulling over, to hold tight and wait for the requlations to change. Hope it all works out.

[jj7]

Both FAA and JAA approve refractive surgery.FAA has been approving surgery for years and JAA only recently after the JAR-FCL Medical Subcommittee meeting in June
2001 where NPA (notice proposal amendment)
was published.Some JAA states have been approving refractive surgery for longer times (UK), but now it is officially approved in all JAA member states.

Although it is not yet written in JAR-FCL 3 Medical Requirements, you can apply for special waivers, because there is published NPA out which accepts refractive surgery for initial Class 1 applicants on case by case basis if:

-PRK or LASIK has been performed(no other methods)
-pre-operative refraction was less than -5.0 dioptres
-satisfactory stability of refraction has been achieved
-glare sensitivity is not increased
-mesopic contrast sensitivity is not impaired
-assessment by the AMS not earlier than 12 months after surgery
(all above from Central JAA)

-correction of long-sight is not acceptable*
*from UK CAA : http://www.srg.caa.co.uk
(check medical information)


As far as i know refractive surgery is very hard to detect by microscope and any other conventional methods, but it can be detected
by corneal topography.So i don't think that they can find out about the surgery if you don't tell them.And my advise is not tell them, coz you will only get yourshelf in trouble for nothing.

I know this very well coz i had PRK surgery 5 years ago and applied 3 years ago for initial 1st class medical which was denied due PRK.(i did tell that i have had the surgery, otherwise they wouldn't have a clue ) Then i had to fight for my 1st medical in Courts and finally won the case in Supreme Administrative Court which after the case was send to JAR-FCL Medical Subcommittee for advise and finally after
June meeting i was given JAR-FCL 1st class medical certificate.
I can say to you that you did a very wise thing not to tell them about the surgery i just wish that had done the samething and saved myself for all the trouble i have seen.

Good luck !


:D :D :D

[ 31 July 2001: Message edited by: jj7 ]

[Heading270]

Hi folks,

thank you very much for all your good advises, I got my new annual medical in May so I still have time to think about all of that.

I hope that the next medical runs like that before, but next year I have to go to the oculist. I hope there is no topographical scanner.

Otherwise I try to get the FAA ATP and try to search an american employer. :rolleyes:

Write more informations if o have some, I´ll be happy for everything.

H270