http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=1195579
Canadian soldiers in line for laser eye surgery
Defence department aims to better equip troops for combat
Tom Blackwell, National Post
Published: Monday, January 19, 2009
Canada's military is moving toward surgically enhancing the vision of its soldiers, sailors and airmen, hoping to better equip them for combat and other demanding jobs -- without the hassle of eyeglasses or contact lenses.
The Department of National Defence recently issued a tender for contractors to develop a detailed laser eye surgery program, noting that corrected vision is particularly important in certain military trades.
The operation would give troops in the field an advantage over having to wear spectacles or contacts, said Dr. Walter Delpero, who was the Canadian Forces' chief of opthalmology until he retired from military service in 1996.
"The big question is, what happens if you lose your corrective vision," said Dr. Delpero, who is now in private practice and teaches at the University of Ottawa.
"How would you manage without your appliance? You've hurt yourself, you've fallen, you've been involved in a scuffle, whatever the case is, and you lost your contacts. How would you be able to take care of yourself, take care of your crew?"
The navy is particularly interested in the treatment, as a splash of seawater over a sailor's glasses can significantly reduce his or her visibility, he said.
In fact, most other NATO countries have already started offering the surgery, said the opthalmologist.
Dr. Delpero said Canada has taken its time studying the procedure and its side effects, a "prudent" approach designed to ensure the operation would do no harm to troops.
A National Defence spokeswoman stressed that the department has made no final decisions on whether to offer the surgery, which carries a price tag for civilians in the range of $3,000 to $6,000, and would not comment on the project.
However, the tender documents suggested a decision had already been made, following a 2005 recommendation by the Forces' surgeon-general, and approval by two key internal bodies: the armed forces council and standard-of-care committee.
"It was felt that refractive eye surgery would elevate certain serving members to an enhanced operationally fit status, eliminating some of the drawbacks that corrective eye wear has in an operational setting," said the posting.
The tender calls for development of a program that would cover everything from choosing appropriate candidates to dealing with any complications or liability issues.
It is unclear whether the procedure would be performed only on those in combat-type roles, or offered more widely.
Dr. Delpero said it would likely be rolled out first to those at the "sharp end of the stick" -- troops most likely to be operating in the field.
But if it turns out instead to be a perquisite available to any member of the Forces, that would be a questionable use of money, suggested one retired army officer and military critic.
"If this is to be done for operational reasons, why not? If this is going to give someone bionic vision to kill a Taliban a hundred miles away, do it," said Michel Drapeau, an Ottawa lawyer and retired infantry colonel. "But if it's going to be a discretionary benefit, where anybody (can get it) ... I have a problem with that."
Laser-eye refractive surgery is most commonly used to correct vision problems like near-sightedness, far-sightedness and astigmatism: distorted vision at any distance.
Surgeons use a laser to make permanent changes to the shape of the cornea, which plays a major role in the eye's ability to focus.
Complications, including infection, night glare, under- or over-correction and scarring, are known to occur in less than one per cent of cases, said Dr. Delpero, who does not perform the surgery himself.
The U.S. Army launched its "Warfighter Refractive Eye Surgery Program" about seven years ago, seeing it as a way to improve "combat readiness," Colonel William Madigan, an army spokesman, was quoted as saying in 2002.
"If your glasses steam up or fall off, you've become a liability," Col. Madigan told The Washington Post at the time. "You're no longer part of the solution - you're part of the problem."
Still, the program is voluntary for soldiers who have less than perfect vision, and is not an attempt to create an "Uebermensch," or superman, Col. Madigan said.
