The Wall Street Journal Online
Friday, September 21, 2007
Hot on the heels of the US Navy and Air Force changing their eyesight standards to allow US Navy and Marine Pilots to undergo Lasik, NASA for the first time will consider applicants who have undergone LASIK and PRK eye surgery. Read the article by Rhonda L. Rundle.
LASIK surgery involves creating a thin flap on the front surface of the eye (cornea) that is then lifted back and preserved. Next, a cool beam excimer laser sculpts the underlying cornea into a new shape to correct the refractive error. The flap is then repositioned and adheres on its own without sutures. Although LASIK was once considered a risk due to the extreme conditions possibly dislodging the flap, lengthy studies by, doctors have found that the flap is stable and is only at risk of being moved by direct manual pressure on the eye.