NIGHT DRIVING

I would be surprised if the police medical examiners have these devices and will rely on documentation from his/her Consultant Ophthalmologist confirming their postoperative fitness to resume to firearms duties as I previously mentioned.

Worrying.

Devices that check this information are seen from the Custom Vue Wavefront WaveScans.

I have just discovered my cornea is far from flat after laser surgery at OE, and that I was treated with small optical zone treatment which has now led to High Order Aberrations in both eyes due to Laser surgery carried out by the surgeon.

In lay men terms, this means when my pupil dilates (in dark areas or at night) it overlaps the untreated optical zone which leads to Halo, star burst and glares.

Now I have question for OE, why does OE state on my patient notes my cornea is clear, my lids are clear, when In fact I have irregular cornea shape, which is caused by Laser, overseen by the OE surgeon and that I have developed the case of MGD after laser surgery.

Strangely enough no one at OE has ever mentioned anything about aberrations!

More strangely, these so called trained professionals state my lids are clear when I suffer from a chronic eye condition called MGD which has developed after laser.

Hmmmm interesting.....

What's other people's feedback, anyone in the same boat?

There are devices that measure internal and corneal aberrations and can provide useful information including a simulation of patient's starbursts and halos. Agree these are not "standard' eye tests whatever that means, each group has its own minimal "standards". The suggestion on this thread is that halos and glare might be common. This is not the case if surgery is done properly with appropriate investigation and analysis by a specialised surgeon who is well versed in laser refractive surgery. Appropriate technology and use of is also vital.

NO standard eye test will show a patient's subjective problems such as seeing starbursts etc...

And considering high street clinics will ignore patient complaints of debilitating side effects and tell them, "Congratulations, you have 20/20 vision", then "documentation from his/her Consultant Ophthalmologist confirming their postoperative fitness to resume to firearms duties" is not at all reassuring.

2003 - Laser eye surgery was approved for use on the armed forces, police and fireman.


Below is an excerpt from
www.met.police.uk/foi/pdfs/policies/heal...esight_standards.pdf

Laser Surgery
The position in relation to firearms officers and laser surgery has been amended to reflect the
advances in laser eye surgical procedures.
Existing AFOs are permitted to have laser eye surgery (other then Radial Keratotomy or
Acute Keratotomy, corneal grafting). Following the laser surgery, the officer will be required
to obtain documentation from his/her Consultant Ophthalmologist confirming their post
operative fitness to resume to firearms duties. The officer must then forward the report
through their line manager to the designated Occupational Health Advisor (OHA) who will
assess their fitness to resume to firearms duties.
Alternatively, if the report from the treating Ophthalmologist is not easily available, the officer
will need to be referred by their line manage, through the OHA for an assessment by the MPS onsultant Ophthalmologist. On receipt of a Consultant Ophthalmologist’s report, the officer
can be given approval by the designated OHA to resume firearms duties.
Officers who have had laser eye surgery must not consider resumption to operational firearms
until a period of four weeks has elapsed since their operation. Prior to resumption of
operational firearms duties the officer must undergo an eyesight test with OH.

An Indian pilot posted on a forum that he suffers from starbursts, and was asking if he could get specialist contact lenses to fix his vision. Worrying or what !

I am most definitely not safe to drive at night.

I have to lower my eyes to avoid being dazzled by headlights and would not dare drive on a motorway at night since surgery!

I wonder how many accidents have occurred as a result of someone being dazzled by starbursts!

Nor would I feel safe to fly on a plane if I knew the pilot had undergone laser eye surgery

MR STEVE SCHALLHORN - CHIEF MEDICAL DIRECTOR OPTICAL EXPRESS - Advocated LASIK for US AIrforce TOP GUN Fighter Pilots!!!!!

Who is right ???

This may be open for debate but should prospective patients not be FULLY INFORMED of the conflict of opinion....if they are not then they CANNOT GIVE INFORMED CONSENT !!!

Perhaps the US Airforce will be advised to avoid nighttime war conflicts!!!

WORRYING!!!!

I found this article from the BBC


BBC London Laser Eye Surgery Watchdog Healthcheck 12.07.99


New scientific research from Germany shows that seven out of ten patients are left with defective vision after laser surgery. Poor night vision, nyctalopia, is caused by the eyes inability to respond quickly enough to changing levels of light, causing glare, ghosting, halos and starbursts. This is corrected in most patients by glasses. However, if you've had laser surgery, the condition may be untreatable. At Hertfordshire Police HQ, Louise Mahon answers 999 calls. She wanted to be a policewoman but her eyesight wasn't good enough. Louise hoped laser surgery would get her in to the Police Force but, by the time she had the procedure, it was too late. The Home Office had issued new guidelines that no one who has had laser surgery should join the police. It is not just the Police Force who have adopted these rules. The Fire Brigade, Lifeboat Service and the Civil Aviation Authority have also decided not to recruit laser eye patients. The CAA says "laser procedures may produce side effects of glare and distortion of vision .... the long- term effects are unknown and laser surgery is not recommended for aircrew."