diver eyesight

[kendall]

am i correct in thinking that you cannot be a DMO if you have had laser corrective surgery (LASIK)? i think i read somewhere that the navy now accepted PRK surgery, but PRK is not nearly as good as LASIK.

kendall

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[ddmo]

I don't know about the corrective surgeries, DD will have to fill you in on that. But, in the mean time, here is a question I asked him about eyesight and his response.


quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ddmoore54 wrote on 12-31-2003 01:17 AM:
DD,
Are there eyesight limitations for dive school? I have always ruled that route out because I wear glasses and didn't see how it would be possible while diving. However, I thought I would ask. Thanks.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



There are limitations, but they are very generous, I can't recall the exact limits off the top of my head, but as a DMO it's at least 20/200 or maybe even worse, +/- 8 diopters or something equally horrible. I had 2 classmates with truly awful vision and they didn't even need a waiver. Don't let your vision stop you. I wear glasses. The guys with really bad vision bought masks with custom inserts. Plus, once you area DMO, as a diver you get number one priority for PRK vision correction, so the Navy will fix your eyes for nothing. DMO is a great way to go, I've had a great time.

 

[iwakuni_doc]

I can't speak too much about the dive-side of the house, but as for PRK vs LASIK, I can tell you what I know from the aviation-side:

PRK has as good as, if not actually better, results than LASIK in post-surgical visual acuities. The big issue within the operational community is the flap that is created during LASIK & it's questionable stability in high-pressure/low-pressure/high-g/hypoxic environments.

The real reason that LASIK has taken off in the civilian side of the house, rather than PRK, is the fact that it is relatively pain-free & you have practically immediate improvement in visual acuity - as opposed to the VERY painful (per my friends) PRK which can take several weeks to reach the improved visual acuity.

 

[kendall]

so, do you have to have the prk surgery done within the navy? what if you have had the procedure before joining? could you request to have it done while still in school as an hpsp student?

 

[JA_Perez]

Do one ophthalmology clerkshipand and you will possibly get it for free. Just one of the attendings if you get to know him well.

 

[moniagrl]

i heard that when u r active duty u can get it for free. not sure if that is current still. and there are things u can get a waiver for with both Lasik and PRK but there r more things u can get a waiver for with PRK because they are worried about the flap created by Lasik. i wanted 2 know the same thing. whether i can get it as an HPSP student and that is the info i found so far

 

[Navy Dive Doc]

PRK vision corection is OK for entry into Diving Duty in the Navy, and therefore OK for DMOs. You can get in prvately and as long as it is not botched, no problem. LASIK is a disqualifier for diving duty due to the flap issues already mentioned. I would imagine that will change, and the prior waival approving CAPT used to allow waivers (I know of several that made it through). However, the new DMO at BUMED (Bureau of Medicie and Surgery) is not allowing waivers. I'd recommend skipping LASIK if you haven't already had it done. If done, you can try for a waiver but I would do that VERY early, as in 4th year HPSP or July 1st of internship.

There is a priority system for PRK, with operational people with a real reason to not wear glasses (aviators, Divers including SEALS/EOD/Deep Sea, some others) rating a category 1. That now means a 1-2 month wait. Others are wainting much longer, the wait list used to be 2-3 years but I think we're down to a year or so. As a DMO, you are category 1. As an HPSP rotator, you'd be somewhere incredibly low on the food chain. You'd be out of the rotation for a week recovering, then need to make a 2 week follow-up, etc. Not likely, though certainly try. It would take one hell of a nice attending/Dept. Head. PRK is definitely painful. I am unfortunately one of the 2% or whatever who is not a god candidate, so I'm still a bit blind when I dive. ALmost any eyesight is waiverable for DMO, but not LASIK without a fight.

DD