The simple asnswer is that we don't know, but more healing time is better.
Just because someone dives without incident a month after Lasik, doesn't
mean that is the safest for you.

Lasik does involve a corneal incision, and we know that incisions are still
undergoing the final stages of healing even 1-2 years later. DAN's
recommendation aboout a broken leg is easier to explain - anything that
changes the normal blood supply patterns (such as a healing fracture) will
likely increase the odds of a DCS "hit" at the injury site. The cornea is
avascular (no blood vessels) - but we just don't know what the DCS risks
are. (If I remember my diving history, wasn't the first demonstration of DCS
gas bubbles in the eyes of snakes?)

Anyway, I'd give it three months - why take a change on screwing up the
results of the surgery and/or permanaently damaging your eyesight by a
premature return to a recreational activity.
	Martin

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Antonia Barnhart [mailto:abarnhart@ho*.co*]
> Sent: Friday, January 28, 2000 9:17 PM
> To: quiglem@ib*.ne*; simonm@ho*.co*.za*; techdiver@aquanaut.com
> Subject: Re: Laser eye surgery
>
>
>     I would like to know why you recommend waiting three months after eye
> surgery before resuming diving. I am curious because last year I broke my
> leg and ankle and was told by DAN to wait an additional ten weeks (the leg
> took ten weeks to heal) before diving. They could not give me a reason why
> other than to say that "doubling the recovery time is conservative". No
> studies or statistics were offered to suport their
> recommendation. Needless
> to say, I have been taking diving medical advice with a huge grain of salt
> since, and I am interested on what you base this recommendation.
>     Thanks for your time,
>         Toni Barnhart
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Martin M. Quigley <quiglem@ib*.ne*>
> To: simonm@ho*.co*.za* <simonm@ho*.co*.za*>;
> techdiver@aquanaut.com <techdiver@aquanaut.com>
> Date: Friday, January 28, 2000 4:35 PM
> Subject: Re: Laser eye surgery
>
>
> >You might be interested in the following URL:
> >
> >http://www.gulftel.com/~scubadoc/diveye.htm#Diving After Eye Surgery
> >
> >RK (radial keratotomy) is permanently disqualifying for Navy Divers - my
> >guess is that they'd feel the same about Lasik.
> >
> >Realistically, from a diving complication perspective, I'd wait 3 months
> >after surgery before resuming diving.
> >
> >(In addition to being an active cave diver, I'm a physician trained by
> >NOAA in Diving Medicine).
> >
> >--
> >Send mail for the `techdiver' mailing list to `techdiver@aquanaut.com'.
> >Send subscribe/unsubscribe requests to `techdiver-request@aquanaut.com'.
>
>

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