Eye center puts mission in perspective

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Nicole Leidholm
  • 60th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  Airmen who are sick of living day to day with their glasses and contacts have an opportunity to leave them all behind.

The Warfighter Refractive Surgery Center at Travis' David Grant USAF Medical Center has no waiting list and is looking for new Airmen to get refractive eye surgery.

This is a great opportunity for those who have waited to have their vision corrected since, in years past, there have been wait lists up to a year long.

According to Lt. Col. (Dr.) David Simon, Cornea and Refractive Surgery chief, any member on active duty over the age of 21 may have a consult to see if they qualify and are a good candidate for the surgery. Airmen must have six months retainability, one year for members of the Navy and Marine Corps and 18 months for Soldiers.

Though laser eye surgery has been around since the '80s, the military didn't support the idea until about 15 years ago.

"Up to 50 percent of military members wear glasses or contacts," Simon said. "The military supported the idea as a readiness enhancer relieving patients from spectacles and contact lenses."

Over the past 15 years, the military has increased the effectiveness of warfighters by virtually eliminating issues members face when deploying with glasses, Simon said.

The center offers two types a refractive surgery: Laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis and photorefractive keratectomy. Both surgeries reshape the cornea and change the way images are focused on the retina in order to reduce dependency on glasses and contacts.

Individuals must have a commander's authorization, and will be non-deployable for at least 31 days for those who choose LASIK and as long as four months for PRK patients, Simon said.

"Although both procedures use the same laser to reshape the cornea, there is a major difference between LASIK and PRK," Simon said. "LASIK requires the creation of a surgical flap in the front portion of the cornea, while PRK does not. The reshaping of the cornea in LASIK is done under the flap, while in PRK it is done on the front surface of the cornea. One may think of LASIK as 'flap and zap' and PRK as just 'zap'."

Because there is a potential weak-point in the cornea after LASIK, it is not recommended for individuals who are likely to be in hand-to-hand combat, which is why PRK has been the procedure of choice for most of our military members, Simon said.

The recovery time of the two procedures varies as well. The recovery time for LASIK is about one week with minimal discomfort, while PRK patients usually have a longer recovery time with more discomfort.

"Three months after surgery, patient outcomes are the same for both PRK and LASIK," Simon said. "95 percent of our patients have 20/20 or better vision at three months, regardless of their procedure of choice."

After his recent laser-eye surgery, Senior Airman Jeremy Daniels, 60th Maintenance Squadron inspection section, said the whole process was quick and painless.

"I noticed a difference in my vision right away," he said.

Travis has state-of-the art in laser equipment and latest versions not get available at other bases.

"Our center has a flap-creating laser, the Intralase iFS femtosecond laser, which helps improve accuracy in creating the flap during LASIK surgery," Simon said. "Our cornea reshaping laser, the VISX S4IR excimer laser, allows CustomVue treatments, which truly enables us to customize the treatments for the unique characteristics of each eye."

"I love that I got the surgery," Daniels said. "I would do it again in a heartbeat no questions asked. It was definitely one of the best things I have done."

For Airmen interested in making an appointment to be evaluated for surgery or more information, call 423-3146.