<p>Hey all, I recently just went to my orthopedic doctor and was informed my eyesight uncorrected is 20/400. Ouch..so I guess my pilot dreams are out the window or is a PRK waiver still in the picture?</p>
<p>Last I heard, PRK was being given to those who wished to pursue a career in aviation. Not sure if there's a limit on how much they can correct it to, though.</p>
<p>But whatever you do, don't get any type of visual surgery if you're applying to the Naval Academy. Let the military handle everything, or you may be disqualified.</p>
<p>definitely what Simayan said. don't get surgery before you go!
i know at WP they will pay for the appropriate surgery after cow commitment, and i think someone else has posted in the affirmative that USNA does the same.</p>
<p>As everyone has said do not get any type of corrective surgery before entering the Academy. You are permitted to get corrective surgery (PRK only in the case of USNA) in you 2/C year at the Academy. For Service Selection, it doesn't matter what you vision is when you enter the Academy, all that matters is your vision during you physical before Service Selection. So, your dreams of being a pilot are not out the window. If you vision stabalizes (ie does not get worse for several years) I'm sure you will be an excellent candidate for PRK. I'm in the same boat as you, my uncorrected vision is right around 20/400.</p>
<p>I'm still waiting for a vision waiver. Have you gotten one yet?</p>
<p>The real issue is whether your vision is correctable to 20/20. This, in turn, [and I am not opthamologist] is somewhat dependent on the number of diopters of correction that your vision needs.
I'm reasonably sure that USNA's limit is 6 diopters of correction [If it is not exactly this, it is close.] for admission. This is probably close to the limit for surgery also.</p>
<p>So . . . you need to determine the amount of correction your vision needs. [Determinable from your prescription.] This will indicate whether you are eligible for PRK surgery and, therefore, eligible for aviation.</p>
<p>As with all advice, consult DODMERB and other official sources to narrow down correctness of the above.</p>
<p>I was at app. 20/400 in both eyes. Got PRK, however, I was on the upper limit. Maybe even a little bit past it. The look at your prescription and not your vision. As of a few years ago, the limit was -5.5 diopters with a change of no more than 0.5 diopters from the time of your DODMERB.</p>
<p>I talked to some 1st year cadets from WP and USNA about this too. Both of them received corrective surgery and said that most eligible were allowed to get it at the expense of the gov regardless of service request. I was also told by an AFROTC recruiter that they had the same deal...He was a recruiter though ;)</p>
<p>I was told that in ROTC you have to pay for corrective surgery b/c you are considered Reservists during ROTC and not active duty like you would be if you went to a Service Academy.</p>
<p>no i haven't gotten anything yet..i'm still waiting to go to my dodmerb exam..i just went to a regular checkup..but he said that my vision didn't get any worse nor better..so i guess its starting to stablize..how would i know if my vision is correctable to 20/20?</p>
<p>^^^</p>
<p>Ask your doc.</p>
<p>another thing to keep in mind for a few years down the road... The Navy has been talking about allowing pilots to wear contacts in the plane so that they don't need to be 20/40 or better</p>
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<p>It would surprise me if they did so. Also, not sure I would go along with it for myself even if it were legal. Surgery is a much better option.</p>
<p>^^^^^
The Navy's vision requirements have changed again and are more liberal now that laser eye surgery has become acceptable. From the USNA catalog:</p>
<p>
[quote]
Eyes and Vision Disqualifi cations</p>
<p>Below is a listing of those eye and vision disqualifi cations that are the most prevalent. This listing, while comprehensive, does not contain all possible disqualifi cations for eyes and vision.</p>
<p>1) Vision not correctable to 20/20 in both eyes is disqualifying. Refractive error exceeding + or ?6.00 diopters and astigmatism exceeding 3.00 diopters is disqualifying.</p>
<p>2) Substandard color vision is disqualifying. Requests for waiver of the color vision standard are normally not considered. Color vision is also retested on Induction Day.</p>
<p>3) Many chronic eye diseases/conditions such as keratoconus, glaucoma, optic atrophy, uveitis and retinal degenerations are disqualifying. A waiver is normally not considered.</p>
<p>4) Procedures to change the refraction (refractive surgery) including but not limited to: Lamellar and/or penetrating keratoplasty, radial keratotomy and astigmatic keratotomy is disqualifying. Refractive surgery performed with an Excimer Laser, including but not limited to, Photorefractive Keratectomy (PRK), Laser Epithelial Keratomileusis (LASEK), and Laser-Assisted in situ Keratomileusis (LASIK) is disqualifying if any of the follow conditions are met: the pre-operative refractive error exceeded +6.00 or ?6.00 diopters (spherical component only) in either eye, pre-operative astigmatism exceeded 3.00 diopters, at least six-month recovery period has not occurred between last refractive surgery or augmenting procedure and accession medical exam, there have been complications and/or medications or ophthalmic solutions required and post-surgical refraction in each eye is not stable.</p>
<p>5) If you wear glasses or contact lenses, take them with you to your DoDMERB eye examination. If you wear soft contact lenses, do not use them during the three days preceding your examination. Do not use hard or gas permeable lenses for 21 days before your examination. If you are undergoing orthokeratology or other forms of corneal refractive treatment, do not use your rigid lenses for 90 days.
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<p>Eye surgery prior to entry into the Academy is still a disqualification for aviation. Not sure about Spec Warfare.</p>
<p>they are pretty flexible about vision when it comes to qualifying for PRK...my roommate's eyesight technically is too bad for PRK, but the doctor signed her up anyways. Now anemia...there is something they are sticklers about.</p>
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<p>Laser eye surgery prior to entry into the academy is a DQ for appointments, period. Eye surgery is permitted after Midshipmen have entered their 2/C year.</p>
<p>USNA69: As far as contacts go, the Academy told us that they Navy had already decided to allow waivers for contacts that corrected to 20/20. This was in August of '06. However, I think the Navy backed away from the program in early '07. I actually had a friend who couldn't get PRK, but ended up selecting pilot in November only to find out on the day of service assignment night in mid feb that the Navy was no longer allowing waivers for contact lenses.</p>
<p>Wow..so if I make it to my 2/C year then I'll be able to get surgery despite how bad they are now? But I'd agree with USNA69, I'd rather get surgery than contacts. What if they fall out during a night carrier landing? Yikes!</p>
<p>Worse yet, as Aircraft Commander, responsible for your crew, you ditch or crash into the water, and due to losing your contacts can find neither your crew nor the hoisting hook when rescue arrives.</p>
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<p>That's not how I read your own post. Only disqualifying if "any of the follow conditions are met". Not that I would recommend it to any candidate under any conditions.</p>
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[quote]
Refractive surgery performed with an Excimer Laser, including but not limited to, Photorefractive Keratectomy (PRK), Laser Epithelial Keratomileusis (LASEK), and Laser-Assisted in situ Keratomileusis (LASIK) is disqualifying if any of the follow conditions are met: the pre-operative refractive error exceeded +6.00 or ?6.00 diopters (spherical component only) in either eye, pre-operative astigmatism exceeded 3.00 diopters, at least six-month recovery period has not occurred between last refractive surgery or augmenting procedure and accession medical exam, there have been complications and/or medications or ophthalmic solutions required and post-surgical refraction in each eye is not stable.
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