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Laser vision correction proves safe, satisfying for aviators
The U.S. military has performed the surgery on more than 224,000 eyes since 2000.
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Laser vision correction has yielded strong visual outcomes and high patient satisfaction among naval aviators, according to a study presented at the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery meeting.
“The military has unique, demanding visual requirements,” said David J. Tanzer, MD, director of the U.S. Navy Refractive Surgery Program.
Active duty personnel must be able to fly high-performance aircraft, land on aircraft carriers at night, dive and jump from airplanes. Service men and women wear night vision goggles and use weapons systems equipped with special optical devices, he said.
Wearing contact lenses is prohibited in military personnel who are deployed in places such as Iraq, Afghanistan and Korea.
 David J. Tanzer |
To meet strict visual demands, laser vision correction has been performed on more than 224,000 eyes since the inception of the Warfighter Refractive Eye Surgery Program in the military in 2000.
Dr. Tanzer pointed to tangible results of laser vision correction on the battlefield, such as a reduced risk for casualties.
“We can now deploy our fighting force without the need for glasses or contacts in the very hostile environments around the world,” he said.
The U.S. Department of Defense operates 20 refractive surgery centers: eight for the Army, seven for the Navy and five for the Air Force. Of the 224,000 laser vision correction procedures performed to date, 100,000 have been performed in the Army, 73,000 in the Navy and 51,000 in the Air Force.
“We’ve proven time and again the safety and efficacy of laser vision correction in the military,” Dr. Tanzer said. “The impact of this is that laser vision correction is approved now for all aspects of military service, including aviation and special operations.”
In a survey of military refractive surgery patients, the average age of military patients was 34 years; civilians averaged 37 years. Military patients were 82% men and 18% women. The civilian patient population was about 50% men and about 50% women. Dr. Tanzer attributed the gender disproportion to a majority of active military personnel being men.
Also, refractive error among military patients ranged from +6 D to –13 D, he said.
Safety, efficacy and satisfaction
Dr. Tanzer said only one in 112,500 military patients (0.009%) have had to leave active duty because of laser vision correction. An active duty member has a 1.6 times higher probability of dying in a car accident than having to leave active duty because of laser vision correction.
To date, the U.S. military has conducted more than 45 studies and clinical trials on the safety and efficacy of laser vision correction, 15 of which were performed in conjunction with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Dr. Tanzer said.
“Our goal in the military is an independent evaluation of safety and efficacy of laser vision correction, specifically as it relates to military operations: quality of vision, visual recovery, specific environments that we place our operators into,” he said. “We’re also keenly interested in studying the safety and efficacy of expanded parameters of laser vision correction and the latest technology.”
One study of 30 class II aviators from the Navy and Marine Corps (24 men and six women) focused on safe return to flight status. The aviators were aircrew staff, not pilots, Dr. Tanzer said.
Among the patient group, 51 eyes were myopic, four eyes were hyperopic and five eyes had mixed astigmatism. All patients underwent wavefront-guided LASIK using a femtosecond laser and underwent weekly follow-up examinations for 4 weeks.
All eyes had obtained 20/20 uncorrected visual acuity by 2 weeks after surgery; 93% of eyes had best corrected visual acuity of 20/12 or better by 4 weeks postop.
Low contrast visual acuity had improved at 4 weeks, Dr. Tanzer said.
All 30 aviators were eligible to resume flight status by 1 month after surgery, and 95% of the patients said laser vision correction had helped their effectiveness as naval aviators.
“Laser vision correction has been overwhelmingly successful in the military,” Dr. Tanzer said. “Satisfaction is incredibly high.”
For more information:
- David J. Tanzer, MD, can be reached at Department of Ophthalmology, Naval Medical Center, 34800 Bob Wilson Drive, San Diego, CA 92134; 619-532-6702; fax: 619-532-7272; e-mail: david.tanzer@med.navy.mil.
- Matt Hasson is an OSN Staff Writer who covers all aspects of ophthalmology. He focuses on regulatory, legislative and practice management topics.