DR. JOSEPH DELLO RUSSO

In early November, the Navy allowed, for the first time, to four of its aviators to undergo LASIK surgery with the IntraLase method. Although LASIK is not yet officially approved in the U.S. military aviation community, this is a first step in that direction. In the past, concern about the harsh aviation environment has prevented the use of LASIK as a method to treat the eyes of military pilots, Dr Dello Russo explained. High altitude, dry air, and wind blast are just some of the extreme conditions that these pilots encounter, but years of LASIK trials on non-aviation personnel encouraged the Bureau of Naval Medicine. 

The first Navy aviator who underwent the LASIK procedure was Marine Capt. Michael Oginsky, an FA 18/D weapons and sensor officer with VMFAT 101 at U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Miramar. Within just four hours, Oginsky’s vision became 20/20. At the 24-hour mark, his vision exceeded 20/20. There are four additional aviators scheduled to take part in the first step of the program. 

According to Capt. Steve Schallhorn, Navy Program manager for Refractive Surgery, “While LASIK has been around for many years and is a common elective procedure; this is a significant first in the aeromedical field. Wavefront guided LASIK using the IntraLase Method represents the best-of-the-best and is a truly exciting advancement for critical Navy personnel whose sight is of utmost importance in their military duties.”

EDITOR’S NOTE: Readers of this blog will remember that the Intralase laser was first introduced by the pioneering Dr Dello Russo of New York and Dr Christenberry of North Carolina in February of 2002. These two doctors were instrumental in establishing the laser as safer as well as superior to a $25 blade to make the flap in lasik. They pioneered the advantages and wrote in publications and spoke at national professional meetings of the safety of the Intralase technology. ”It took a good two years for the tide to turn against the blade and here we are almost five years later with 40 % of all flaps now being made without a blade, with the number growing”, says Dr Dello Russo. Dello Russo also noted that “it is becoming the standard of care so much so that even the very conservative military services finally prefer the Intralase over a blade.”