All things LASIK surgery (aircrew/other -- merged)

[Inch]

http://army.ca/forums/threads/17651/post-83632.html#msg83632
http://army.ca/forums/threads/18111.0.html

Here's two threads on it. The short answer is no corrective means whatsoever, including laser eye surgery. Sorry but that's the way it is.

 

[jwwood]

For those of you looking for more specific information visit the website below. It is a statement of the visual requirments for aircrew, including pilot.
http://www.toronto.drdc-rddc.gc.ca/medical/visreq_e.html

 

[Spooks]

I suppose this should be on the recruiting forum, but this one is here.

What is the period you have to wait after your operation/procedure before you can enlist. My brother has V4 and needs a V3 or higher to get into the combat arms (Sapper) and was wondering. I had no clue myself.

-Spooks

 

[combat_medic]

It depends on the type of surgery you have. Call your local recruiting office if you want to get specific details, but I think it's around a year at least.

 

[FredDaHead]

Last time I inquired (might have changed since then) it was 6 months minimum for LASIK, but it could be longer depending on how well your eyes had healed. But like combat_medic said, you should call your recruiting office.

 

[OatmealSavage]

I was very close to getting Laser Eye surgery about a year ago but decided to wait because the doctor told me I need to go throught at LEAST two months of little to no extreme physical activity because any sweat that enters they eyes will likley lead to infection.

Get a new doctor, that one is incompetent. The cut closes up in a day or so, and they ask that you to refrain from wrestling for a couple weeks until the cut completely heals. I was told the army (reg force anyway) expects you to wait a year for your vision category to stabilize. What I did, since I was in the Comm Res, is just get it done and tell them about it later. The only reason I told them is because I was looking into re-badging.   If you haven't joined yet and your eyes work and they don't specifically ask, don't tell.

 

[Sapper6]

Thanks for the help guys. Now to plan B(pray that they change the no laser eye surgery rule).     But if they don't change the rule, Il'l go through RMC and join an Engineering Corps. O well dreams are still dreams.

Whoa there tiger!   As a combat engineer, we only want the best.   So, if your heart isn't in it don't bother applying to the Engineers.

Ubique.

S6 Out

 

[Hansol]

hey all, just figured i'd add my two cents.

If you want to be a pilot, and your eyes need ANY sort of correction, you are fucked. Simple as that.

I got my eyes lasered for the specific reason of being able to join the infantry. It is a six month wait if you do get em zapped, but after, if you want to join, submit your application about 3 months into your waiting period. Because of our recruiting incompetance, by the time your medical comes round, you will have completed your 6 month wait. Just so people know, the medical officer in the recruiting building will give you a form to fill out that states the type of surgery you had, a few lines that the doc has to fill out that basically says there were no complications in the surgery and your eyes are healthy, and then the doc signs it saying you are good to go. You hand that in at your medical exam, and you are set. (Just pray they don't loose that when they send it out to borden)

If there are any other questions, fire em my way. I'm going through all this nonsense right now, so i have some first hand experience in the matter.

And for something interesting: on the front page of the National Post a week back, there was an article on the Canadian forces recruiting problems. Supposedly, the whole process should take about 7 weeks. wouldn't that be a dream come true.... Cheers -Cameron

 

[combat_medic]

Hansol, is that 6 months for Lasik or PRK surgery?

 

[GINge!]

For those of you looking for more specific information visit the website below. It is a statement of the visual requirments for aircrew, including pilot.
http://www.toronto.drdc-rddc.gc.ca/medical/visreq_e.html

Thanks for that link... I failed my Aircrew medical (AirNav) due to laser eye surgery in 1999. Seems they revoked the restriction shortly after!

 

[combat_medic]

This seems to sum it up:

"Laser refractive surgery will continue to be medically disqualifying for either entry into or retention in the Pilot classification."

 

[Hansol]

from what i got from my both talking to the medical officer and phoning in my questions, the wait for LASIK might be as soon as three months, but don't bet the farm on that info. The RCMP and such have a waiting period of 3 months, and the army might be moving in that direction. PRK and LASIK I assume would be the same. If you are debating about which type of surgery to get, try for LASIK, as there is less of a burning sensation after the operation is performed. Cheers -Cameron

 

[combat_medic]

Hansol: I would be very surprised if the wait time was only 3 months for PRK as the healing time from that type of surgery is substantially longer than with LASIK.

 

[Bucksnort]

Enough already, the question has been answered. In short, the military only covers procedures that the civilian population are covered for under their provincial health insurance. Laser eye surgery is not! Go pay for it if you want, but be warned, if something bad happens, ie.infection, which BTW, happen about 5% of the time, you are screwed. Also, laser eye surgery weakens the cornea, so under certain conditions, where alot of pressure may occur, ie. diving, flying, as in a pilot, you could blow an eyeball, nice eh. Look, just join the infant-ry, suck it up, and carry on, you sorry sack of monkey shit! :-X

 

[Strike]

I can't believe after all this one answer has not yet been given.

You can have less than perfect vision (not sure what the exact measure is) to become a pilot IF you are transfering over from another trade.  I know more than a few people who have come over from AirNav, Mars, CELE, and such that wore glasses.

No matter what, the AF is still out on eye surgery for pilots.  There are still questions over night vision impairments.

 

[Cliffy433]

I'm gonna try to answer several points raised in this forum in one post:

1. I had LASIK in Dec 99, at the time the Temp Cat for ALL eye surgery was a minimum 6 months.  But, since I had applied for and been accepted into a posn on ROTO 7, and the CF was considering dropping the wait time for LASIK to 3 months, and every eye test I had had since the procedure was 20/15 (slightly better than perfect) in both eyes, I got my full cat back at V1 in 3 months.

2. I was -6.5 in one eye, and -6.75 in the other - couldn't read the big fricken "E" on the chart...

3. If considering surgery - DO YOUR RESEARCH!!  Stay off the 'Net!  There's a wealth of mis-info.  Visit SEVERAL clinics and remember - the words "DISCOUNT" and "LASER EYE SURGERY" do NOT belong in the same sentence - this is your vision you're messing with. 

4  According to a Time Magazine article I read in 1999, the biggest learning curves and subsequent reductions in "complications" numbers occur at 600 and 800 procedures.  My surgeon had over 3500 procedures (PRK and LASIK) before I saw him, so many, they didn't even differentiate.  His complication rate was less than the organization's AVERAGE of less than 1 in 1000.  However, it should be noted that where I had it done - they consider a complication after surgery as: "chronic dry eyes", which is so common as to not register as a complication in most places.  The average for "discount" places: 1% - or, God forbid, more - (remember, they don't always count the common things).

5.  I loved my surgery, and the clinic I went to - PM me and I'll give you the low-down on where I had it done - I don't think it's appropriate for me to do it publicly. 

A little food for thought.  As for what trades require what vision category - your recruiter can tell you that - and yes, that is the MINIMUM for getting in from the recruiting ctr - some trades make allowances if you've already got time in - but I don't know who would have that info.

tlm.

 

[kincanucks]

Hi, and greetings from the USA. My current and main goal is to be a soldier. I would like to join the United States Marines, however, there is a problem... My eyesight is very poor. It is -9.0 in my left eye, and -8.0 in my right. I am getting laser eye surgery within a few months, but the US military does not take anyone with eyesight worse than -8.0 points in any eye, even if you have surgery to correct it to 20/20 vision. So, I figured, if plan A doesn't work, I'd move up north, become a legal resident, and join the CF. So far it looks good, since I haven't seen anything that would prevent me from serving in Canada. I have not seen any policies regarding LASIK for enlisted members, and I don't think that they have a policy where LASIK automatically disqualifies you from entry if your vision meets acceptable standards after surgery. This is all based on educated guesses though, and I would like concrete answers. Is there anyone here that knows official CF Army policy torwards LASIK, and if there are any waivers required. It's not asked on the application if you've had LASIK (I checked), and I have not found any policies, anywhere that would bar me from entry, but again, I really want to hear answers from someone who had "been there, and done that". Recruiters won't answer me over email, or tell me where to find info, so do any of you know. Thanks alot, and the help is really appreciated...

You will have at least three years between the LASIK and applying because that is how long it will take at a minimum for you to become a Canadian citizen.

"I'd move up north, become a legal resident, and join the CF."  NOPE.

 

[Cliffy433]

You will have at least three years between the LASIK and applying because that is how long it will take at a minimum for you to become a Canadian citizen.

"I'd move up north, become a legal resident, and join the CF."   NOPE.

Can you ref the 3yr info - there are often extenuating circumstances (direct descendant of Cdn Citizen, etc).  Plus, can someone confirm current Policy - when I joined non-residents could join with landed immigrant status, but only the PRes - they then have 3 yrs to get citizenship or get out.  Could he not come up, get landed immigrant status, put in 3 yrs in the Mo while getting his citizenship and then do a Component Transfer to the Regs.

The landed immigrant thing was still in place when I worked at CFRC Winnipeg in Spring of '02 - it was the only PRes engagement that wasn't "Indefinite" at the time.

tlm.

 

[kincanucks]

Can you ref the 3yr info - there are often extenuating circumstances (direct descendant of Cdn Citizen, etc).   Plus, can someone confirm current Policy - when I joined non-residents could join with landed immigrant status, but only the PRes - they then have 3 yrs to get citizenship or get out.   Could he not come up, get landed immigrant status, put in 3 yrs in the Mo while getting his citizenship and then do a Component Transfer to the Regs.

The landed immigrant thing was still in place when I worked at CFRC Winnipeg in Spring of '02 - it was the only PRes engagement that wasn't "Indefinite" at the time.

tlm.

The minimum to become a Canadian citizen is three years after obtaining landed immigrant status but that can be confirmed through immigration.  However, to join the CF an applicant must be a Canadian citizen.  The website does mention the following:

Citizens of another country who have landed immigrant (Permanent Resident) status in Canada may also be considered for enrolment when the CF has need of their skill, when the position cannot be filled by a Canadian citizen, and if the national interest would not be prejudiced. However, only under exceptional circumstances will authority be granted to enrol a citizen of another country.

And we, in recruiting, have been told that this is never likely to happen.

 

[HItorMiss]

I will freely admit that I know squat about the RMC application process, but what I do know about is that it is possible to have your Vision status changed by retaking the eye test. Now you might say well how would I get a better score and I have the answer for that as well, the answer is laser vision correction, and now everyone here including Mr Changs might say that Laser correction is not supported by the Army and they would be right. However like Mr Chags would know is that what you don't tell them they don't know, there are currently to my knowledge 4 people on tour right now that had Laser correction done and had there V state changed without telling the army that the procedure was done.

this is of course a back door and no it is not truthful, do you want to start your career as an Officer in Her Majesty's Canadian Forces with a little lie or omission thats your call, but if you want Cbt Arms and you think it could make a difference then you might think about it.

Now Mr. C, I shall sit here and receive my dressing down for inputing my oppinion in matter above my pay grade   ;D