Primarily for general aviation discussion, but other aviation topics are also welcome.
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By Flyin'Dutch'
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1840463
UV wrote:
I very occasionally see halos, but only when I think about it.

It’s a great shame the CAA do not approve it, maybe just for private flying.


Think you have answered your own question there.

No doubt things have improved but early studies identified that 25% of Multifocal IOL users had such bad night vision that they could not drive anymore.
By MikeW
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1840506
Flyin'Dutch' wrote:
MikeW wrote:Would cataract surgery automatically require one to go from a PMD to a class 2?


Why?


Because it would be recent surgery.
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By Rob P
#1840570
For that matter, what is the definition of 'surgery'?

The ten minute, local anaesthetic only, cataract op is minor stuff compared to a dentist doing root canal work or an extraction

Rob P
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By PeteSpencer
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1840583
Rob P wrote:For that matter, what is the definition of 'surgery'?

The ten minute, local anaesthetic only, cataract op is minor stuff compared to a dentist doing root canal work or an extraction

Rob P


I don’t think the ophthalmic surgeon would agree with you :wink:

Edit: for over 25 years every Wednesday morning I did an operating list in the theatre next to my colleague, an ophthalmic surgeon.

During the gaps between customers we would nip into each other's theatres and have a gentle joshing session:

He about the relative amount of blood on display (none in his case, ankle deep in mine).

And me coveting his multi million pound kit and begging for his cast offs .
(I did actually get his cast-off fine operating tools when he renewed his stuff-true :wink: )
Last edited by PeteSpencer on Thu Apr 15, 2021 12:41 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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By akg1486
#1840644
Rob P wrote:The ten minute, local anaesthetic only, cataract op is minor stuff compared to a dentist doing root canal work or an extraction

PeteSpencer wrote:I don’t think the ophthalmic surgeon would agree with you :wink:

I would think the CAA would be more concerned with the patient's recovery time than with the duration of the surgery or the skill needed by the surgeon. Or the price of the equipment. :D

I'll be asking my AME what to expect when I have my yearly appointment in a month or so: I'm not planning any surgey at the moment, but good to know how long I can be expected to be grounded if I have it.
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By flybymike
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1840699
Had an ingrowing toenail removed a while ago.
Technically surgery I suppose. :roll:

The sooner they sort out the PMD debacle the better.
By santon
#1841134
I've got early stage cataracts in both eyes. My optician suggested that eventually they will need to be done but said that the NHS wait for them to be bad before operating.

So does that mean there will be a period where I can't fly but they are not bad enough to remove?

Is it easy to get them done on the NHS these days or do you need to go private and what sort of money are we talking please?
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By Rob P
#1841140
@santon

I found it easy to have done on the NHS, the wait for me was a couple of months from decision to first procedure. And as lockdown came around it was the ideal time.

Off the record, my High Street optician colluded a bit "You aren't quite bad enough for me to refer you, so let's do the test again... and don't try too hard"

I think that £3,000 per eye was a figure mentioned when I Iooked at the cost of private treatment

These are the chaps that did mine, very slick, highly professional specialists

https://www.newmedica.co.uk/?gclid=Cj0K ... fVEALw_wcB

Rob P
User avatar
By Rob P
#1841162
Yes they did. Not a penny changed hands

NewMedica appears to be some form of franchise operation, the ultra-modern clinic I went to was in Ipswich and the surgeons were known to the High Street Ophthalmologist from West Suffolk Hospital.

Rob P
User avatar
By akg1486
#1841404
Rob P wrote:I found it easy to have done on the NHS, the wait for me was a couple of months from decision to first procedure. And as lockdown came around it was the ideal time.

Good timing! Do you know how long you would have been grounded because of the procedure if lockdown hadn't already taken care of that?
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By Rob P
#1841452
As I am currently on a PMD and I judged myself fit to drive within a week I'd say seven days grounding would have worked. I have just been to the optician for a four week check, no requirement to wear spectacles for distance work at all, so I'm guessing that had Class 2 been available then this four week grounding would be about the full extent of it.

Of course eight weeks in total as the right eye was done four weeks previously

Rob P