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Eyesight
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chunky from york
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- Location: york, england
After the best part of a years training three of us from 'B' Sqdn 23 passed selection. One was Charlie Bowles who wore glasses and had no problems at all, even parachuting, all he did was wear a piece pf para cord from one side to the other round the back of his neck.
Chunky from York
I may not be the man I was, but I was
I may not be the man I was, but I was
I wonder if it makes a difference if you have always worn glasses.
I wear glasses now, but didn't need them until 10 years after I came out the Paras. To see somebody with glasses was quite rare although I have seen a lad jump with them taped to his head.
The point I was going to make was I would find it very difficult to have done my job in certain conditions ie rain, snow and sweating a lot ,wearing
glasses.
The other thing is, to the older generation take heed, I went to see about my eyes when the crossword squares seemed to be harder to find.I went for a test and after the results the optician said "I hope you didn't drive here sir"
I wear glasses now, but didn't need them until 10 years after I came out the Paras. To see somebody with glasses was quite rare although I have seen a lad jump with them taped to his head.
The point I was going to make was I would find it very difficult to have done my job in certain conditions ie rain, snow and sweating a lot ,wearing
glasses.
The other thing is, to the older generation take heed, I went to see about my eyes when the crossword squares seemed to be harder to find.I went for a test and after the results the optician said "I hope you didn't drive here sir"
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Bruce McDonald
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- Location: Canberra, Australia
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Mr Grimsdale
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- Location: Kingston
I'd steer clear of laser surgery. My optician works at Moorfields eye hospital in London and he's said that several of the leading eye surgeons have decided not to perform anymore laser operations due to the long term effects, i.e. growth of scar tissue.
The next generation of laser eye surgery will be non-invasive, i.e. it won't involve cutting the surface of the eyeball. The laser light will apparently penetrate the outer tissue and do its work inside without the need for scalpels. Sounds preferable if you ask me. Mind you you're going to have to wait for about 6-7 years for the process to become available.
The next generation of laser eye surgery will be non-invasive, i.e. it won't involve cutting the surface of the eyeball. The laser light will apparently penetrate the outer tissue and do its work inside without the need for scalpels. Sounds preferable if you ask me. Mind you you're going to have to wait for about 6-7 years for the process to become available.
I think you've got your wires crossed.
If you're having scalpels used on your eyes then it's not laser surgery is it? I think that was a process that was used prior to laser surgery - a famous example was that Russian operating ship that used to sail round the world performing eye ops -they used to cut the eyeball then pull the skin tight to remove the abboration and stitch it back up.
Laser surgery works by identifying the corrupt areas of your eye and burning them off with a laser - as such there is no need for any cutting of the eyes surface.
Unfortunatly no one really knows the real long term effects of eye surgery as its only really been in widespread use for the last 10 years (prior to that it was prohibitivaly expensive for the majority of people).
As far an experts opinion - what use is that? They tend to change their minds depending on who they work for at the time.
If you're having scalpels used on your eyes then it's not laser surgery is it? I think that was a process that was used prior to laser surgery - a famous example was that Russian operating ship that used to sail round the world performing eye ops -they used to cut the eyeball then pull the skin tight to remove the abboration and stitch it back up.
Laser surgery works by identifying the corrupt areas of your eye and burning them off with a laser - as such there is no need for any cutting of the eyes surface.
Unfortunatly no one really knows the real long term effects of eye surgery as its only really been in widespread use for the last 10 years (prior to that it was prohibitivaly expensive for the majority of people).
As far an experts opinion - what use is that? They tend to change their minds depending on who they work for at the time.
Nuisance
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Mr Grimsdale
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Laser surgery still involves the outer layer of the eyes tissue being cut.
The original procedure used something akin to a pastry cutter to remove a circular section of tissue from the centre of the eye. The laser then operated on the lens underneath. Apparently this left the patient feeling like they had grit in their eyes for a few days.
The improved version used an automated blade that sliced off a flap of the tissue and pulled it back allowing the laser to operate on the lens. The flap of tissue was then flapped back into place. The patient is left feeling they've got grit in their eyes for a day at the most.
Either way I don't fancy it and won't be going for it until the non-invasive procedures are perfected.
The original procedure used something akin to a pastry cutter to remove a circular section of tissue from the centre of the eye. The laser then operated on the lens underneath. Apparently this left the patient feeling like they had grit in their eyes for a few days.
The improved version used an automated blade that sliced off a flap of the tissue and pulled it back allowing the laser to operate on the lens. The flap of tissue was then flapped back into place. The patient is left feeling they've got grit in their eyes for a day at the most.
Either way I don't fancy it and won't be going for it until the non-invasive procedures are perfected.
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liverpoolirish
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The story AFAIK is no laser eye surgery allowed on HM Forces personnel. Full stop. No one without uncorrected S1/S1 vision allowed in the SAS/SBS. Full Stop.
Not sure if that holds for the rest of the group, ISTR that the boys over at Thorney Island are allowed glasses as long as it's corrected to S1/S1 (which is the norm throughout the forces ISTR).
Bryn
Not sure if that holds for the rest of the group, ISTR that the boys over at Thorney Island are allowed glasses as long as it's corrected to S1/S1 (which is the norm throughout the forces ISTR).
Bryn
Hhhhmmm, I still think theres an element of confusion here regarding the ins and outs of the operation. You mention that your mate works in Moorfields eye hospital, are you able to check just what exactly he does? the reason I ask is because the procedure you describe bears no relation to the general form of laser surgery used to fix short sightnedness.
It may be that your mate is workig in a specialised section of the hospital - it sounds that the people being operated on have a lot more wrong with them than just plain old short sightedness.
Or is it because the equipment they are using is older than that available through commercial outlets these days?
FYI i have undergone laser eye surgery to fix short sightnedness and I did not experience anything cutting the surface of my eye at all, given that I was conscious at the time I think I would have noticed - just a few short blasts from the laser is all I experienced.
Can you find a bit more info from your mate?
It may be that your mate is workig in a specialised section of the hospital - it sounds that the people being operated on have a lot more wrong with them than just plain old short sightedness.
Or is it because the equipment they are using is older than that available through commercial outlets these days?
FYI i have undergone laser eye surgery to fix short sightnedness and I did not experience anything cutting the surface of my eye at all, given that I was conscious at the time I think I would have noticed - just a few short blasts from the laser is all I experienced.
Can you find a bit more info from your mate?
Nuisance
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Mr Grimsdale
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Well, gash-hand I bow to your personal experience here. If you didn't go under the knife then there shouldn't be any of the problems I was told about. I'm just a bit surprised as my optician knows his stuff and his connections with Moorfields are quite strong.gash-hand wrote:Hhhhmmm, I still think theres an element of confusion here regarding the ins and outs of the operation. You mention that your mate works in Moorfields eye hospital, are you able to check just what exactly he does? the reason I ask is because the procedure you describe bears no relation to the general form of laser surgery used to fix short sightnedness.
It may be that your mate is workig in a specialised section of the hospital - it sounds that the people being operated on have a lot more wrong with them than just plain old short sightedness.
Or is it because the equipment they are using is older than that available through commercial outlets these days?
FYI i have undergone laser eye surgery to fix short sightnedness and I did not experience anything cutting the surface of my eye at all, given that I was conscious at the time I think I would have noticed - just a few short blasts from the laser is all I experienced.
Can you find a bit more info from your mate?
The guys name is Christopher Kerr, he's my optician not a mate. Saying that I've been seeing him since I was a kid and have taken his advice over this because of my flying, all I know is what he told me and that was that there are surgeons who until recently performed the operation that are no longer performing laser surgery because they feel uneasy about the long term effects and that the incisions made can lead to all sorts of unpredictable scar tissue growth.
Phew, that was quite a sentence. I think I need to lay down now.
Mr Grim,
No problem, I wasn't trying to trip you up on anything but I get the feeling you optician isn't quite as up to date as he thinks he is. Either that or his mate at moorfields is carrying out operations that are using old equipment, or perhaps experimental ops.
as with most of these things theres a million ways to skin a cat, and i guess at some point someone has got to take the chance on it working. I'd have thought that moorfields being as world renowned as it is would be carrying out laser ops on people that that have been denied this operation through the normal commercial outlets - as with most things if you have the money anything is possible.
No problem, I wasn't trying to trip you up on anything but I get the feeling you optician isn't quite as up to date as he thinks he is. Either that or his mate at moorfields is carrying out operations that are using old equipment, or perhaps experimental ops.
as with most of these things theres a million ways to skin a cat, and i guess at some point someone has got to take the chance on it working. I'd have thought that moorfields being as world renowned as it is would be carrying out laser ops on people that that have been denied this operation through the normal commercial outlets - as with most things if you have the money anything is possible.
Nuisance
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Mr Grimsdale
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What you say is interesting. I'll have a chat with him next time I see him.gash-hand wrote:Mr Grim,
No problem, I wasn't trying to trip you up on anything but I get the feeling you optician isn't quite as up to date as he thinks he is. Either that or his mate at moorfields is carrying out operations that are using old equipment, or perhaps experimental ops.
as with most of these things theres a million ways to skin a cat, and i guess at some point someone has got to take the chance on it working. I'd have thought that moorfields being as world renowned as it is would be carrying out laser ops on people that that have been denied this operation through the normal commercial outlets - as with most things if you have the money anything is possible.
...won't be for a couple of years though. I spent so much on glasses I'm not about to go for laser surgery just yet, regardless of the exact procedure.
Whereabouts did you have your op? How much did it cost?
I had my eyes done at a place in north London called 'Optimax', they were doing a "two for the price of one" deal at the time 
I kid you not.
Think it cost me £800 quid all in. They do your weak eye first and then 6 months later do your master eye. i was recommended by a RM so I didn't feel quite so nervous about it.
I kid you not.Think it cost me £800 quid all in. They do your weak eye first and then 6 months later do your master eye. i was recommended by a RM so I didn't feel quite so nervous about it.
Nuisance
The problem with laser surgery is this.
PRK (PhotoRefractiveKeptochopny) Is the old form of surgery. Basically a laser is fired at your eye leveling off the front of it. It used to produce a halo effect around your sight picture, like looking out of a dirty windscreen in the rain. They fixed that by using wider angle lasers. It can affect your night vision for at least a year if not perminently. And it raises the internal pressure of the eye, so if you go up a mountain your eyesight reduces! A fact proven by a rich Yank who had it done then climed everest and didnt tell his guide or party. He ended up at base camp with his old pre-op eyesight and no glasses. When he went bact down it reverted to the corrected sight. Waste of $25000!
Lasic is the new type, the cut a small disc in the front of your eye, peel it back and wammo! Zap you with the laser. Reduces healling time from 6months/1 year as with PRK to about a week! Big improvement. Down sides are numerous, the flap can move before its healed and oppps you'r blind!
The MoD does not like either types. It used to down grade you if you had it done. Now it doesnt, mainly due to the US Seals, who paid for all of thier ops to have it done, and the USAF who are pioneering a new version to enable piolts to fly to a greater age limit.
Do they allow it in the SAS, well, if you have had it done over 2 years ago it is almost imposible to detect. Then you lie and say you have never had it done, join, be one of the 5% that pass, get posted to a war somewhere, and go up a mountain like in Afganistan and then put the rest of your mates lives in danger cos you cant see.
If you want to know if they would accept you, contact them, ask for a joining pack, read what it says (they have just changed thier policy) and decide for your self if its a good idea to lie or not. If your not yet a reg, contact 21 or 23.
Again it says in the 21 pack that you cannot ware glasses, so as per the post above with your man jumping in specs, well, they didnt stop people doing that in the Para's. But it does say no glasses.
PRK (PhotoRefractiveKeptochopny) Is the old form of surgery. Basically a laser is fired at your eye leveling off the front of it. It used to produce a halo effect around your sight picture, like looking out of a dirty windscreen in the rain. They fixed that by using wider angle lasers. It can affect your night vision for at least a year if not perminently. And it raises the internal pressure of the eye, so if you go up a mountain your eyesight reduces! A fact proven by a rich Yank who had it done then climed everest and didnt tell his guide or party. He ended up at base camp with his old pre-op eyesight and no glasses. When he went bact down it reverted to the corrected sight. Waste of $25000!
Lasic is the new type, the cut a small disc in the front of your eye, peel it back and wammo! Zap you with the laser. Reduces healling time from 6months/1 year as with PRK to about a week! Big improvement. Down sides are numerous, the flap can move before its healed and oppps you'r blind!
The MoD does not like either types. It used to down grade you if you had it done. Now it doesnt, mainly due to the US Seals, who paid for all of thier ops to have it done, and the USAF who are pioneering a new version to enable piolts to fly to a greater age limit.
Do they allow it in the SAS, well, if you have had it done over 2 years ago it is almost imposible to detect. Then you lie and say you have never had it done, join, be one of the 5% that pass, get posted to a war somewhere, and go up a mountain like in Afganistan and then put the rest of your mates lives in danger cos you cant see.
If you want to know if they would accept you, contact them, ask for a joining pack, read what it says (they have just changed thier policy) and decide for your self if its a good idea to lie or not. If your not yet a reg, contact 21 or 23.
Again it says in the 21 pack that you cannot ware glasses, so as per the post above with your man jumping in specs, well, they didnt stop people doing that in the Para's. But it does say no glasses.
