FACT: LASIK Has Been Approved for All Flight Activities
There is no reason to be concerned about flying after LASIK, as a passenger or as a pilot. Airplane air is dry, so it is helpful to bring artificial tears with you when you fly, especially during the first 6 months after surgery.
An extreme example of LASIK flap safety while flying may be found in the experience of a naval flight officer who ejected from his F/A-18F Super Hornet at 13 000 feet at a speed in excess of 400 miles per hour. His 7-year old LASIK flap was unharmed, and vision the next day was 20/15. [1]
Another study showed that 88% of pilots who land on aircraft carriers at night found their night vision to be better after LASIK with no glasses than they did with their glasses before surgery. [2]
Title: Extreme LASIK flap stability
Article: “Laser in situ keratomileusis flap stability in an aviator following aircraft ejection.”
Authors: Christopher J Richmond MD, Patrick D Barker MD, Edgar M Levine MD, and Elizabeth M Hofmeister MD.
Précis: A 28-year-old male F/A-18F Super Hornet naval flight officer ejected from an aircraft at 13 000 feet at a speed in excess of 400 miles per hour 7 years after LASIK. His LASIK flap was unharmed, and vision the next day was 20/15.
Abstract: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jcrs.2016.10.001
Full reference: Richmond CJ, Barker PD, Levine EM, Hofmeister EM. Laser in situ keratomileusis flap stability in an aviator following aircraft ejection. Journal of Cartaract & Refractive Surgery. 2016;42(11):1681–1683. doi:10.1016/j.jcrs.2016.10.001.
Keywords: LASIK, Refractive Surgery, Flying, Safety
Article: LASIK in naval aviators
Authors: “Laser in situ keratomileusis in United States Naval aviators”
Précis: Amongst 633 active-duty naval aviators who were treated with modern LASIK, 99.6% would recommend the treatment to others and 95% stated that LASIK had helped them be more effective at their job. Uncorrected vision was 20/20 for 98.3% of nearsighted and 95.7% of farsighted eyes by 3 months after surgery, and more than 1 in 3 gained at least 1 line of vision while just 0.4% (2 eyes) lost any vision. Night vision after LASIK was reported to better than pre-surgery with glasses by 88% amongst these pilots whose job requirements include landing on aircraft carriers at night.
Abstract: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23664357
Full reference: Tanzer DJ, Brunstetter T, Zeber R, et al. Laser in situ keratomileusis in United States Naval aviators. J Cataract Refract Surg. 2013;39(7):1047-1058
Keywords: LASIK, Safety, Refractive Surgery
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