Minor annoyance at home could mean danger in war zone Published May 31, 2008 By Master Sgt. Kimberly Yearyean-Siers 59th Medical Wing Public Affairs LACKLAND AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- As I walked out of an air conditioned building into the hot, humid afternoon sun, my glasses immediately fogged up. Like so many times before, I was unable to see. This was just a minor annoyance that day in south Texas, but could be a potential life-threatening situation in the desert of Iraq. Once I could see again, the answer was right before my eyes...the Joint Warfighter Refractive Laser Eye Surgery Center at Wilford Hall Medical Center. The center offers the most advanced technology for both Laser-Assisted in situ Keratomileusis, or LASIK, and photorefractive keratectomy, or PRK, to any active-duty member. I had long considered laser eye surgery, but had always talked myself out of it because I was concerned about the safety and the pain involved. A little research and the information provided by the staff at the refractive surgery center answered my questions and addressed my concerns. "Refractive Surgery is actually one of the safest surgeries ever performed. Recent world-wide literature reviews demonstrated that more than 95 percent of patients are extremely satisfied with their surgery. That figure is the highest ever found for any surgical procedure," said Lt. Col. (Dr.) Charles Reilly, consultant to the Air Force Surgeon General for Refractive Surgery. "We have also found that the risks of refractive surgery are actually less than the cumulative risk of contact lens use over time." That was just the information I needed to motivate me to take the next step and go through the screening process. About two weeks later (the average wait time), I was having PRK surgery. I anxiously waited my turn. While I waited, my eyes were prepared with numbing drops. I was escorted into a treatment room for more numbing drops, checking and double- checking the settings on the laser and, in about 10 to 15 minutes, I was done. The healing process was already beginning and, for the first time in 26 years, I could see the clock on the wall clearly without my glasses. After one week of convalescent leave, with only minimal pain (similar to a dirty contact), I was back to work and able to focus my camera. The pain of the surgery varies, but for PRK patients the average pain on a scale of 0 to 10 (0 being no pain and 10 being extreme pain) is 1.38 for the center's last 1,300 patients, according to Dr. Reilly. May 1 marked one year since I had PRK on my eyes and I happy to report that my vision is 20/20.