NASA and Military Making Good Use of LASIK and iLASIK

Good vision is vital and no where is it more vital than in the armed forces. More and more enlisted personnel are turning to LASIK for not only improving vision, but also to qualify for placement in positions that wearing glasses and contacts may have prohibited them from previously participating.

The use of LASIK and PRK has become increasingly common among armed forces ophthalmologists who now have access to several different types of refractive surgery to help improve the vision of military personnel. Among the highest use of this procedure has been for Navy and Air Force pilots.

Although a pilot's vision may be correctable with glasses or contact lenses, they are seen to be an extreme disadvantage in combat situations. As rapid advances have been made in the realm of laser eye surgery, the military has begun to approve various methods to help more and more military personnel qualify for this procedure. Even NASA has now approved the use of iLASIK which is a completely blade-free procedure that is gaining popularity among laser eye surgeons.

The physical and visual requirements for astronauts are extremely strict and individuals that were qualified to be astronauts on all levels except vision are finding the iLASIK procedure is enabling them to pursue their goals of working with NASA through having their vision corrected through laser eye surgery.

When LASIK first debuted, it originally used a high speed vibrating razor blade to do the cut in the cornea which although essentially painless to the individual having the surgery would still be invasive and require a short recovery time with a risk of infection. Currently, most laser eye surgery is done with high powered lasers and no blades used whatsoever. Although the antibiotic drops are still used after the procedure, there is a much less chance of infection.

Several years ago RK surgeons were in the minority of eye care professionals, now with the demand and high success rate of modern LASIK procedures, in present day the majority of comprehensive ophthalmologists are trained in and perform refractive surgery to some degree.

Previously, the military and NASA had resisted offering traditional LASIK to its enlisted personnel as the results and outcomes were considered to varied and unpredictable. With the new technology, including the bladeless iLASIK, both the US Military as well as NASA are embracing this procedure and recommending it to personnel that need corrective vision to perform their duties or for career advancement that vision issues previously denied them.

If you're considering LASIK surgery for yourself, ask your doctor about getting the iLASIK procedure. The bladeless procedure means a faster recovery time, less chance of infection and this procedure has carried a very high success as well as satisfaction rate.