Soldiers Get LASIK to Save Lives

June 23, 2006

Military soldiers deploying to Iraq and Afghanistan are rushing to get LASIK eye surgery to save their lives, improve performance, and reduce the risks of contact lenses and glasses on the battlefield.

In 2000, the military approved the refractive eye surgery procedure for active servicemembers. Since then, 35,000 soldiers have undergone LASIK and said goodbye to their glasses.

The Army estimates that about 150,000 soldiers, or one-third of its active-duty force, are eligible for laser eye surgery. With more and more soldiers opting to get the procedure done, approximately 10,000 to 12,000 servicemembers will be treated a year, according to Jaime Cavazos, U.S. Army Medical Command's spokesman.

Air Force Maj. Kurt Andreason said that LASIK is necessary for many servicemembers who may risk their lives and the lives of their team on the battlefield if their glasses break.

However, breaking or losing glasses is not the only factor that can hinder a mission. Glasses can easily fog up and make tasks more time consuming when every second count.

While many servicemembers wear contact lenses, the military prohibits them due to the dirty and dusty conditions of the battlefield. In 2003, during the first several months of the Iraq war, 60 military soldiers were airlifted out of the region due to serious corneal ulcers caused by contact lens use.

A soon-to-be published survey of 300 military soldiers conducted by military doctors, found that 90 percent of the soldiers felt more confident deploying to Iraq after LASIK surgery, 94 percent felt the procedure made them more effective soldiers, and 91 percent believed the procedure increased their ability to successfully complete a mission.

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