Spangdahlem Airmen to gain access to vision correction Published Feb. 10, 2011 By Staff Sgt. Kali L. Gradishar 52nd Fighter Wing Public Affairs SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, Germany -- For years, the Spangdahlem Air Base Optometry Flight has been reluctant to offer refractive surgery opportunities for servicemembers stationed here; but a recent change in operations is opening the door for Airmen interested in improving their eyesight. In January, the optometry clinic began seeing patients wishing to be considered for the U.S. Air Force Refractive Surgery program. Those who qualify may receive either LASIK or PRK surgery. The clinic offers pre- and post-operative appointments, as well as assistance with the paperwork required before being approved for the surgeries. "It's not a new program, but it is to this base. We're just opening the door for Spangdahlem Airmen to be able to get refractive surgery," said Maj. (Dr.) Michael Bogaard, 52nd Optometry Flight commander. We expect to be busy with it, but that's OK. The word is spreading, and that's how I envisioned it. Just by word of mouth, I knew it would spread quickly." The clinic here now offers pre-operative exams, referrals to the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, and post-operative exams to those who qualify. Though the surgery is now available for Spangdahlem Airmen, it's important to note that the surgery is not for everyone and not everyone qualifies. "Active duty servicemembers, to include active Guard and Reserve members, are eligible for the surgery; but it's not an entitlement - it is an elective surgery, so just because you're in uniform doesn't mean you automatically qualify. If someone decided they wanted to get the surgery on their own, they still have to get permission from their commander and the TRICARE benefits advisor because the Air Force refractive surgery registry needs to know about it," said the optometrist. The first step is to schedule an eye exam so the optometrist can determine if the patient might be a good candidate for the refractive surgery. The patient must have a stable prescription, not be scheduled to deploy or and not plan to make a permanent change of station within six months of the date of surgery - that's essentially one year from the initial appointment, explained Dr. Bogaard. If those pre-requirements are met, the optometry clinic provides the patient with paperwork to acquire their squadron commander's authorization, along with endorsement from the unit deployment manager and supervisor. The program is split into two basic classifications - the warfighters and the aviators. The average warfighter can expect to be away from the duty section "for at least a week. If you're an aviator, then you're (put on the duties-not-to-include-flying list) for ... typically at least a month," said the optometrist. "Then, depending on the type of surgery - either PRK or LASIK - there are different post-op treatment regimens." The procedure will require qualified patients to be out of their duty sections for the surgery and pre- and post-operative appointments. While the time it takes to return to normal duty after surgery is one to two weeks, the benefits the procedure provides to the servicemember can be outstanding. "It's a quality of life issue. I understand the huge benefit it offers because I had surgery myself prior to joining the Air Force," said Dr. Bogaard. "I'm no longer dependent on glasses or contacts, which is a huge bonus ... It's been a nice freedom to not be dependent on some kind of crutch to help me see." The benefits also extend far beyond the personal level. "It's also a battlefield advantage to not have glasses. The idea behind it is not necessarily because the Defense Department is trying to be nice in offering this great service. It's because you're not allowed to deploy in contact lenses; and if you're in your (glasses) and they're fogging up and you can't see where you're going or they fall off you might be in trouble," explained the optometrist. Because of the nature and popularity of the surgery, the Spangdahlem Optometry Flight expects to get busier as news spreads about availability of refractive surgery. "Right now there's not a big waiting period because it's new, but we anticipate that there might be," Dr. Bogaard said. There was discussion as to what effect offering the surgery would have "on the number of dependents and other patients we would see here... but I thought the negative impact was minimal and the positive outcomes are potentially really great. "We're anxious to get it underway and hopefully have a smooth running program here where we can get people qualified, surgically corrected and happy," he said, "because a happy patient is the best kind." For questions or more information about refractive surgery, call the Spangdahlem Optometry Flight at DSN 452-8425.