Using the Freiburg Acuity and Contrast Test to measure visual performance in USAF personnel after PRK.

Purpose: Photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) may be an alternative to spectacle and contact lens wear for United States Air Force (USAF) aircrew and may offer some distinct advantages in operational situations. However, any residual corneal haze or scar formation from PRK could exacerbate the disabling effects of a bright glare source on a complex visual task. The USAF recently completed a longitudinal clinical evaluation of the long-term effects of PRK on visual performance, including the experiment described herein.

Intraocular lens and corneal status following aircraft ejection by a USAF aviator.

Prior to 1967, military aviators who developed visually significant cataracts that affected visual performance were grounded. Those that ultimately required surgical removal were permanently grounded because of significant optical effects post-operatively. With the advent of contact lenses, a limited number of aircrew were returned to the cockpit because of improved optical factors provided by contacts post-cataract surgery.