LASIK and Indian Army, LASIK and Indian Airforce, LASIK and Indian Navy

The armed forces lay down criteria for eyesight. It means that people who have higher than a particular refractive error cannot gain admission into the armed forces. It is important to understand what these criteria are, and whether LASIK corrective eye surgery can be done to gain admission into the armed forces.

The good news first-LASIK is accepted by the Indian Army and Indian Air Force. However certain criteria and standards are laid down. The principal criteria are that the individual must be older than 20 years before undergoing LASIK, and that LASIK ought to have been done 6 months or 1 year before the medical examination. Axial Length of the eye has to be less than 25.5 mm (or 26 mm). Residual Corneal Thickness after the procedure cannot be less that 450 microns. Candidates who have undergone LASIK surgery and meet the above criterion may be considered for the following posts in the IAF- Pilots flying transport aircraft and helicopters and all officers in the technical field, Aeronautical Engineers, basic Air Staff, Non-Technical staff, Ground Duties Officers, Security officers and Meteorology officers and officers in the medical field of the IAF.

NDA does not allow LASIK or any other corrective eye surgery.

The army requires your refractive error to be less than -2.5 D in each eye, and each eye should be correctable to 6/6 with glasses. The Navy accepts a stricter standard of only -0.75 D. In both cases, colour blind and night blind individuals are disqualified.

The airforce does not permit any error-it requires 6/6 uncorrected.

As for as the Indian Army is concerned (also the Navy):

Candidates’ who have under-gone or have the evidence of having undergone Radial Keratotomy to improve the visual acuity will be permanently rejected : also candidates who have undergone Laser Surgery for correction of refractive error will be considered for commission in Army if they fulfill following criteria :-

• Uncomplicated stable LASIK/Excimer (PRK) laser procedure done for Myopia or Hypermetropia, with stable refraction for a period of six months after the procedure.
• A healthy retina.
• Corrected vision should be 6/6 in better eye and 6/9 in worse eye, with maximum residual refraction of ± 1.50 in any meridian for myopia or hypermetropia.
• Axial length within permissible limits, i.e. > 26 mm.

At New Vision Laser Centers, we have treated several patients who were then accepted into the Indian Army and Navy. At New Vision Laser Centers, we also offer  bladeless LASIK, which is the criteria adopted by the U.S. Airforce for admission.

We would be happy to provide our patients more details regarding the exact eligibility criteria.