Corneal haze

[Guest Viperfixer]

I have a few ROTC buddys who had PRK but were just DQd becasue of "corneal haze". After I get back from FT I am going to get PRK as well. What exactly is it? Is there anything I can do now to prevent it? is it common? I am hearing so many FC1 tragities it seems getting a slot is only half the battle

[Guest doctidy]

This is very uncommon. The number who have been DQ for corneal haze is less than 10 total.

The cornea is very clear...but after any surgical procedure there is some scarring. Some have it worse than others. I'm not an ophthalmologist, but I believe steroid eye drops are used to help keep it clear afterwards.

Recommendations:

1 - you get what you pay for

2 - talk w/ the ophthalmologist who is going to do your procedure. Ask if he has heard of post operative corneal haze and what he does to prevent it. (answer should be steroid eye drops)

3 - get wavefront PRK

[Login Name]

rage, what's wavefront? i had prk a couple years ago. never heard that there are multiple types of prk. luckily my waiver was approved! now i just need to pass brooks when i eventually get selected.

[Guest doctidy]

Wavefront is just a type of PRK which results in a higher percentage of people attaining 20/20 vision followoing the procedure. Additionally, it has the potential of getting one better than 20/20...perhaps as low as 20/8.

[Guest Apollo]

Yes, it is a mapping of the eye resulting in a total custom lense being made for your eye. Consider it like getting a head mold for a helmet.

The #1 thing you have for haze is to follow your drop instructions. The use of the medicated contact to cover your fresh surgery and steroid drops is what has gotten rid of most of the bad problems associated with PRK.

[Guest 055-NOS]

Here's my case -

Background (you can probably skim through most of this - just wanted to provide as much info as possible):

I got wavefront PRK done late August 07. Paid for one of the best surgeons in Southern California. Unfortunately the young inexperienced follow-up doctors were my down fall - they told me I was pretty much good to do anything I wanted after 2 weeks including surfing (apparently this and skiing are the worst activities for a PRK recovery) as long as I was out for no more than an hour at a time, sports were fine, etc. They saw the haze all along but dismissed it as dryness or normal recovery effects. So I was getting monthly check ups for a good 4-5 months where they said I was "just fine, making a normal recovery" all while the haze was getting worse. (The surgeon has since split from this office to start his own practice)

I saw a different Ophthalmologist about 5 months out from the surgery who was shocked at how bad the haze was. It was severe effecting an area slightly above both pupils, large enough to scatter light (starbursts) when my pupils were dilated. The Opthalmologist told me to go see the follow up docs right away - he wrote a note about the haze. I went back and saw the follow-up docs and they came to realize that it was corneal haze after all and put me on ocular steroids (pred forte). After about of month of the Pred Forte the follow-up doc said that the effected area had gotten a lot smaller. I eventually saw the surgeon who had performed the surgery and he said the hazing was now only over a small area and said that though it was still significant, it was in an area (still above the pupils, but smaller and farther away) that it shouldn't effect my vision.

I'm about 6.5 months out from the surgery, just received an AFROTC pilot slot, and will be visiting Brooks sometime in the near future (though I'm guessing no less than about 6 months from now since I still need that 1 year of clearance on the PRK waiver).

Questions:

1. When I go to Brooks are the flight docs going to take a look at my eyes, see the hazing and DQ me on the spot? Or will they take note of it and then test me to determine whether or not it will effect my vision before determining whether or not to approve me. In short does my status ride completely on the tests, or is it in the hands of the examiner?

2. Should I be messing around with ocular steroids, or other healing drugs and procedures this long after the surgery and this close to Brooks? (I'm about 6.5 months out from the surgery and hopefully no less than 5-6 months away from Brooks) Or can the fact that I am taking ocular sterioids (or whatever else) this close to Brooks DQ me?

Thanks,

nos

PS. I'm going to see some specialists over the next two weeks and will probably be able to produce pictures and topography charts if any of the flight docs on this forums would be interested in taking a look.

Edited March 12, 2008 by 055-NOS

[Guest P27:17]

Here is what the specialist will look at...

"He has to be off of steroids 3 months prior to going to Brooks City Base. But, they do pay close attention to people that have been on steroids a lot longer than the normal. It usually means they have a lot of haze and it is something they pay close attention to. I know they will disqualify people with significant haze. Hopefully it will clear up soon for him."

[Guest 055-NOS]

Guess I just gotta wait it out and see what happens.

Thanks P27!

Here is what the specialist will look at...

"He has to be off of

steroids 3 months prior to going to Brooks City Base. But, they do pay close

attention to people that have been on steroids a lot longer than the normal.

It usually means they have a lot of haze and it is something they pay close

attention to. I know they will disqualify people with significant

haze. Hopefully it will clear up soon for him."

[Guest bohanny]

Anybody know?:

If a student pilot selectee who has had PRK goes to MFS and is DQ'd because of haze, glare, or ghosting, etc., but it is determined that there's a good chance to fix the eye problem with a PRK enhancement surgery, will the Air Force work with you and hold your pilot slot for you until your eyes are corrected to standards and you can pass MFS?

Thanks.

[slo_goin]

Anybody know?:

If a student pilot selectee who has had PRK goes to MFS and is DQ'd because of haze, glare, or ghosting, etc., but it is determined that there's a good chance to fix the eye problem with a PRK enhancement surgery, will the Air Force work with you and hold your pilot slot for you until your eyes are corrected to standards and you can pass MFS?

Thanks.

I doubt you would get that far? I had an FC1 done, and as part of that the ophthalmologist does an exam and sends out for the waiver. If you have corneal haze it would should have appeared by then... By the time they let you get to MFS you should be tight and right (assuming you passed the FC1 already).

Correct me if I'm wrong?

[Guest P27:17]

Anybody know?:

If a student pilot selectee who has had PRK goes to MFS and is DQ'd because of haze, glare, or ghosting, etc., but it is determined that there's a good chance to fix the eye problem with a PRK enhancement surgery, will the Air Force work with you and hold your pilot slot for you until your eyes are corrected to standards and you can pass MFS?

Thanks.

If you have enhancement surgery and it is successful, you will have to wait 3 to 6 months before you can apply (locally) for a waiver reconsideration. I don't know about "holding" a pilot slot...

[Guest 055-NOS]

Just thought I'd post an update my situation since I received a PM about it.

I went to Brooks for my FC1 a couple of months ago. Did decent on the PRK tests (the broken circles were super tough for me though). The doctor who was taking pictures of my eyes took note of the the haze I had in my right eye. He said that it was definitely an abnormality but that the haze was small enough and in a position (just above my pupil) where it shouldn't affect my vision. He told me that the Ophthalmologist (?), who is person at Brooks who makes final decisions on whether or not a PRK waiver is recommended for approval (only AETC makes the final approval), would make their yes/no decision based on the pictures, test results, etc.

Just got my paperwork back about a week ago and I had the stamp of approval! My PRK waiver was approved and I passed my FC1.

So to answer my own question that I posted a while back:

You can get your PRK waiver approved with corneal haze as long as the corneal haze does not negatively impact your vision. If its in a good spot and not too severe, and you perform up to standards and the PRK tests then you're probably good.

If you're getting PRK its easy to avoid this crap altogether. Find a good surgeon, follow the advice of your follow up docs, ask lots of questions, check-in frequently, do your own research on what it takes for a good recovery. The PRK surgery itself is not the dangerous part, its the sensitive recovery process that can mess things up - which is completely in your hands.