LASIK or laser vision correction is a very popular way to remove glasses in the masses and more than 30 million people have achieved freedom from glasses worldwide in last 20 years with Lasik. But this was not true for Armed forces as till some years ago armed forces like Army, Navy and Air force (pilot) didn’t allow these procedures as there were concerns about after-effects of the surgery on its soldiers, many of whom routinely face physically rigorous field or combat conditions. Hence, people who had undergone these surgeries were not allowed to join the armed forces.
The things have changed now and long term safety of lasik is well established. Taking excellent outcomes of Lasik surgery in civilians into note, Army determined there was good reason to expect safe results in prospective soldiers as well and allowed post lasik candidates to join armed forces in India. With the changed rules, people are increasingly opting for laser vision correction procedures like PRK, LASIK, Femto Lasik, and SMILE Lasik before joining the army. Even the active duty soldiers, sailors, pilots, airmen and marines are getting their vision corrected with laser eye surgery without a worry about Lasik surgery affecting their careers.
Actually if we really see soldiers tend to benefit from Lasik a lot. They perform duties in a wide variety of environments that are poorly suited to wearing glasses or contact lenses. Operating complicated sighting systems, wearing protective masks or night vision goggles, working in rain, mud & sand present challenges to those dependent on corrective lenses.
The goal is to minimize or eliminate the need to wear corrective eyewear (glasses) and increase combat effectiveness & overall confidence to perform the mission.
But a word of caution: any surgical procedure involves risk & laser vision correction is no exception. Therefore it is extremely important to get a proper pre-LASIK evaluation done prior to the lasik procedure to determine suitability and safety of long term vision.
Pramod is a 22 year old man who has done BE in electrical engineering and is planning to join Army. He has worn glasses with since childhood and now his number (glass power) has been stable for last 3 years at -5/5.5. He is starting currently under training in Army and will soon get posted at the border area in Siachen Glacier after a fitness test. He wanted to get rid of his contact lenses and came to Centre for LASIK surgery at Advanced Eye Hospital and Institute in Navi Mumbai, India. During conversations beyond lasik, he was absolutely charismatic and full of wonderful stories. However, when Pramod told me about his usage pattern for contact lenses and that got me worried. He was sometimes wearing contact lenses during training for days together with no time to remove them. These harmful practises can be extremely dangerous and cause serious eye and vision problems. Pramod underwent a detailed pre-LASIK evaluation and was fortunately found to be suitable for laser vision correction.
He opted for Relex SMILE lasik surgery and successfully got it done.
When armed force professionals like Pramod opt for laser vision correction, there are several things that needs to be kept in mind-
- Speak to the doctor or the coordinator at the Center for Lasik Surgery before hand for proper planning, type of LASIK suitable as per your function profile, to understand the do’s and don’ts and timely scheduling
- You need to be off contact lenses for 2 weeks prior to planning LASIK
- A detailed pre-LASIK evaluation should be done to ensure suitability and determine the type of procedure most suitable for you
- Schedule the surgery when atleast 2 weeks are available for proper pre-lasik evaluation, laser vision correction procedure itself and post operative follow up visits and recovery
- If you are likely to be in combative situation in future then you should opt for flapless bladeless lasik like Relex Smile Lasik. Given the nature of activities in Armed forces, the possibility of an injury is much higher than in the regular population
- Flap based procedures like LASIK, Femto Lasik predispose to a slight risk of flap displacement in future combative situations and that can cause a sudden fall in vision and may put one’s life at risk.
- Better to opt for either surface ablation like PRK or for the newer generation laser vision correction procedure like Relex Smile LASIK.
In Relex Smile Lasik no flap (flapless lasik) is created and tiny (2-3 mm) hole is created by femtolaser in the periphery of the cornea (bladeless lasik). The same laser beam also creates a tiny disc of the corneal tissue. This disc is then removed from the tiny incision, thus changing the form of the cornea and correcting the eye power.
SMILE Lasik is actually a fantastic option and best lasik for soldiers:
- As no flaps are created, there are no chances of flap displacements
- Thanks to the minimal invasiveness and minuteness of the hole created, chances of infection and other complications are highly reduced.
- No loss of productivity in terms of precautions and restrictions.
- Quick and easy healing and recovery.
- Since it is completely bladeless, chances of complications in the future are greatly reduced.
- Since no flap is created, cornea stays biomechanically stronger, a great advantage for soldiers
To sum it up, a proper planning, pre-LASIK evaluation, opting for safer and best procedures like PRK or Smile LASIK and ensuring good post operative recovery is the way to go for soldiers wanting freedom from glasses.
About Centre for Lasik Surgery:
Welcome to the Center for Lasik Surgery at Advanced Eye Hospital and Institute (AEHI).
Why should you pick the Centre for Lasik Surgery at AEHI?
The Center for Lasik Surgery is the only Center in Western India to offer all the latest types of Lasik eye surgeries under one roof
- Custom Wavefront Lasik
- Femto Lasik (Bladeless / All laser Lasik)
- ReLEx SMILE (Bladeless and flapless Lasik)
- Lasik Xtra (For those with thinner corneas)
“I was in and out of the laser operation theatre in ten minutes”
“It felt like I was part of some sci-fi movie. (It) did not seem like a surgery at all!”
Patients who have undergone laser eye surgery at the Center for Lasik Surgery invariably comment on how unbelievably simple the whole process turned out. To ensure that your experience is quick, safe and gentle during and after lasik surgery, Advanced Eye Hospital team puts in a lot of hard work before.
No patient is hurried into going in for any type of laser eye surgery unless our Lasik surgeon is thoroughly convinced that he / she is safe for laser refractive surgery. Hence, we spend a good 1-2 hours screening your eyes before our Lasik surgeon declares you fit to undergo lasik and this checkup is done on a separate day giving you enough time to think before Lasik surgery:
- Pre-Lasik Evaluation: Your eye’s cornea thickness, cornea surface, pupil diameter, dryness, exact spectacle power etc. are thoroughly evaluated. Know More about the 7 eye tests that are done to know if Lasik Surgery is safe for you
- Lasik Consultation: Dr Vandana Jain is known as one of the best Lasik surgeons in Mumbai and Navi Mumbai because of her emphasis on safety, ethics and personal care given to each patient. Dr Vandana Jain will analyse the results of your Pre- Lasik evaluation and guide on choosing which lasik surgery is best for you.
At AEHI, we believe in offering personalised care to all our patients. You will be pleased to find a doctor who actually pays heed to all your concerns, supporting staff that attentively responds to every need of yours and an environment that makes you feel at home.
About Dr Vandana Jain:
Dr. Vandana Jain, MS (Gold Medalist), DNB, MNAMS, FLVPEI, FICO (Harvard USA), MBA (Stanford USA) is a Cornea, Cataract & Lasik Surgeon. She is the Director & Co-founder of the Advanced Eye Hospital. She has more than a decade of experience in Ophthalmology apart from exhaustive training and a vast number of research publications to her credit.
Videos
Watch Dr Vandana Jain, Cornea and Lasik Specialist perform SMILE Lasik – the most advanced and the best laser vision correction surgery in the world.
Watch Dr Vandana Jain, Harvard trained Cornea & Lasik Surgeon at Advanced Eye Hospital and Institute (AEHI) in Navi Mumbai, India answer frequently asked questions on SMILE laser vision correction surgery
Dr Vandana Jain, Cornea and Lasik Surgeon, Mumbai, India 