JBER eye care center offers permanent vision correction options Published Oct. 20, 2014 By Ronald Ross 673d Medical Group Eye Center JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska -- The eye center at the Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson hospital provides state-of-the-art corrective laser eye surgery for active-duty members. As of Oct. 1, the clinic has performed more than 920 treatments; 96 percent of those patients have 20/20 vision and now no longer require glasses to correct their vision. The refractive surgery program offers two types of corneal refractive surgery: LASIK and photorefractive keratectomy, known as PRK. Surgery is available to active-duty personnel 21 and older who require distance-vision correction. Laser eye surgery reshapes the cornea to eliminate refractive error, reducing or eliminating the need for glasses and contact lenses - leaving service members fully capable of the mission without needing corrective lenses or gas mask inserts. The effects are considered permanent, although a few patients may need an enhancement or 'touch up' at some point in their lives due to variability in healing. The wait time for an appointment at the Warfighter Eye Center is one or two months, and all branches of service are scheduled equally. The center has a designated operating room suite where Army and Air Force surgeons perform 15 to 20 refractive surgeries a week. Staff at the center evaluate about 45 to 50 candidates every month. The center also hosts the "out of town" program which allows active-duty patients from all over the western Pacific, Asia, and state of Alaska to come to JBER for refractive surgery, often on permissive temporary duty. The clinic ensures all required care is completed within a week. A commander's authorization letter is required for surgery; for a complete application packet, visit www.jber.af.mil/hosp/refractive.asp For more information, call the Warfighter Eye Center at 580-5523.