Lasik / flying?

I did it. best money I've EVER spent.

I was a medical person, and already flying, when I underwent the
surgery. I was VERY cognizant of the risks... maybe a little TOO
cognizant.. but it IS our eyes we are dealing with here.

I did two freebee screenings at two different places months apart until
I got the nerve to do it.. went someplace that was able to explain not
only that I was a good candidate, but WHY I was a good candidate: things
such as corneal thickness, zone of correction, slope of the cornea.

I had mild side effects that cleared within 2 weeks. If I understand
correctly, most people have some sort of side effects immediately after
surgery (starbursts, halos, shadows, night "blindness" and it clears..
only in the odd/rare chance that it DOESNT clear is it considered a
complication.

I was self grounded 3 weeks. I went to my surgeon and he said that he
had done other pilots before.. so i kinda relaxed..

Then after two weeks went back to him (after followups) with a
boilerplate statement I needed him to put on a letterhead so I could
send it to the FAA (AOPA Medical website has good guidance on this)..
and he had a cow and was clearly unprepared to sign what I had brought
(certifying absense of side effects, etc.. nothing untoward..).

He waited one more week, then I sent a copy off to OKC and resumed
flying without any probs. Reported on my next medical app as "previously
reported" and no probs since. That was 5 years ago. I'm still 20/20.
from a previous 20/200 to 20/400.

My Advice. If you do it, get the language of the statement you need the
surgeon to sign in advance from AOPA, and show it to your surgeon before
you consent to the procedure so that he understands what you require of
him/her.

Dave

gatt wrote:
Anybody had lasik surgery?

My vision is stable, correctable to 20/20, but things like pollen or the
neighbor mowing his yard can bother my contact lenses. Glasses suck and
contacts aren't good for your eyes over time, so my wife is encouraging
lasik. The #1 facility in the region is half a block away from my workplace
and they have a deal with our company which is why I know so many people
who've had it, but I'm still undecided.

Everybody I've known personally who has had it done raves about it, no bad
experiences at all...but none of them fly.

Thoughts?
-c