cabin crew and laser eye surgery

[bluestars]

hi

im considering having laser eye surgery done and am wondering if any of you guys have had it done and what effect it has had on your eyes when flying?

are your eyes any dryer than when wearing contacts or the same and do you regret having them done or has it been the best decision you ever made?

i do know several people that have had laser surgery done however none are cabin crew, all are ground staff so i would appreciate any advice given here.

thanks everyone....

[ditzyboy]

bluestars -
I worked with a guy who was 'talking up' laser eye surgery. He had already been flying for 8 years with contacts and one year without. Apart from the standard 'risks' associated with that type of surgery (those that apply to everyone) he said it was all for the better. Certainly said nothing of adverse affects re. the flying.

The reason for my lack of exact detail is that I was the only FA on the trip without eye issues. These people talked about it for the entire three days... So I listened enough for me to gather there was no 'danger' or extra risk for aircrew.

Hope this helps!

[bluestars]

hi ditzyboy

cor that must have driven you crackers for three days... is there really THAT much to talk about laser eye surgery for 3 days i wonder!!!

anyway thanks for the info....

bluestars

[sirjfp]

I had it done a while back. I couldn't wear contacts in flight due to the irritation caused by the dry atmosphere.

My prescription was -3 . I would say that it was the best money I have spent.

Just go to someone reputable and discuss the type of surgery options available as some are more suited to some people.

I don't think you will regret it. The recovery is quick, You can get the done one at a time , or both together as I did while on 4 weeks leave,


I hope this helps.

Oh, initially you may feel a little dryness, but no where near the type of discomfort that contacts can provide when dry. This doesn't last for long though.


Let us know if you have it done . I would be interested to hear .

cheers

[ozskipper]

I considered having it done and almost went through with it....

I had a chat to the CASA medical branch who said that they would rip my pilot's licence off me quicker than you can blink if there were any complications.... Kinda burst my bubble a little bit so i didn't go through it (I'm only -.75 which makes me a clarity junkie apparently)...

I thought it was well worth it, but the thought of losing my flying ticket was all a bit much!

[aunt Mary]

Hi, I had my eyes lasered in feb of last year at Optimax in Birmingham and i have to say its the best thing i have ever done.

I used to wear glasses just before my op and was fed up with getting them knocked off when i was doing the demo. I tried contacts but my eyes got dry and irritated, so i went back to glasses and although they suited me in general i was fed up wearing them. I was -2.75 so it wasnt too bad but i wanted to be free.

I would totally recommend Optimax they were very professional.

As for the after effects i had about a week off but actually could have gone back to work after 2-3 days.

The effects are immediate and amazing....... go for it !!!!!!!!

[Tudor]

I had my eyes done at Optimax in Brum as well - I'd certainly recommend it. I wasn't flying when I had them done so I can't compare 'before and after' but I've not experienced any problems with them. I never felt confident wearing glasses and always found contact lenses uncomfortable so for me it's probably the best grand I've ever spent!

[bluestars]

hey

thanks everyone for your comments on this. its quite a scary thing for me to do.... as im sure it was for all you guys too.

the thought of losing an eye and not being able to fly at all has crossed my mind on more than one occassion... a little dramatic i know!!!!

it has come to a point where i have done so much research im back to square one of being majorly scared..... so many scare stories on the bloody web....!!

anyway i think i will get through my training and then take it from there..... i know my eyes will be ok in contacts as they always are...even after a 20 hour flight .... thank god!!!

i cant help but agree with you tudor... i clam up and become a wall flower when i have my specs on... i also dont feel 'dressed' when i have them on.... its weird!!!

i will keep you posted if i do get them done... maybe a xmas present to myself!!!!

cheers guys

bluestars

[Hawk]

this topic has been covered in the Medical and Health forum..might be worth doing a search over there as well.
cheers