88th Medical Group Warfighter Laser Surgery Center

  • Published
  • By Myra Saxon
  • 88th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
WRIGHT-PATTERSON AFB, Ohio --  The 88th Medical Group's Warfighter Laser Surgery Center at Wright-Patterson AFB performs refractive surgery for active-duty members.
The clinic's focus is to enhance the readiness of members who deploy.
Refractive surgery is the term used to describe surgical procedures that correct vision problems to reduce a person's dependence on prescription eyeglasses or contact lenses, according to allaboutvision.com.
The clinic now performs bladeless or all-laser LASIK with a machine that has biometric scanning capabilities that customize each patient's treatment.
"We're in the business of warfighting, and when you're deployed to locations such as Balad, Iraq, it's a dusty environment," said Lt. Col. Derrick Montgomery, director of Warfighter Laser Surgery Center. "Having glasses or contact lenses is not compatible. If you're in a hostile environment and you lose your contact lens or break your glasses, you're putting yourself as well as your fellow Airmen at risk because now you can't perform your duties because you can't see."
The wear of contact lenses is prohibited during deployments due to unpredictable, austere and unhygienic environments inherently found in field conditions or combat theaters, according to Department of Defense policy.
Although the surgery is a non-mandatory procedure, it is mandated for Air Force Academy pilot candidates who have greater than three diopters of myopia and are required to have a certain amount of visual acuity in order to get into the pilot program. 
"That's why our mission is so important, it's more than just a cosmetic procedure," said Dr. Montgomery. "In Balad, the contact lens-related infections were high and the members ended up being taken out of theater and flown back to Landstuhl, Germany. They had to leave and someone else had to deploy to replace their slot."
The surgery is a same-day procedure and is available to active duty members of all military branches.
The clinic's average customer base is approximately 1,000 procedures per year with more than 15,000 procedures completed since 2001.
In an effort to speed up processing time, the clinic has automated their scheduling system. Active-duty members can now schedule and inquire on the procedure electronically by emailing perfectvision@us.af.mil.
Dr. Montgomery, who is also dual-hatted as one of the lead ophthalmologists in the facility's regular eye clinic, directs a staff made up of a clinical director, one optometrist and four civilian technicians.
For more information contact the Ophthalmology clinic at 937-257-2020.