ANDREWS AFB, Md. –
The staff of the 79th Surgical Operations Squadron's Ophthalmology Clinic is on a mission to ensure that the eye care needs of all Airmen, retirees, and their dependents under and over the age of 65 are met.
"We are privileged to care for active duty, retirees and their dependents of all ages," said Maj. Karen I. Dacey, 79th Surgical Operations Squadron element leader and staff ophthalmologist. "We're actively seeking patients who may be in need of cataract surgery."
In addition to performing cataract surgery, the Ophthalmology Clinic currently performs upper lid blepharoplasty (excess skin removal) and muscle imbalance surrgery for all DoD beneficiaries. Additional surgical services include pterygium removal. For patients seeking surgical eye-care at Malcolm Grow Medical Center, please call the eye clinic at 240-857-4929. No consult is needed.
In the near future, the Malcolm Grow Medical Center will see an upgrade in vision care with the opening of a War Fighter Refractive Surgery Center in late 2008.
The new facility will fall under the Joint Task Force, National Capital Region Medical Command and will be the third refractive surgical center in the Washington D.C. area, joining National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, Md. and Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, D.C.
"This facility will provide corneal refractive surgery to active duty members to reduce their dependency on glasses or contact lens by reshaping the cornea with state-of-the-art equipment," said, Col. August C. Pasquale, III, 79 MSGS commander. "We will be more than happy to provide the eye surgery for our Airmen who need it and meet the qualifications. It's really a win-win situation, because it provides the member with decreased dependence on glasses or contact lenses and enhances the member's wartime and deployment related functions without having to worry about glasses or gas mask inserts."
"More than 96 percent of refractive patients are free from the need to wear glasses or contact lenses to see clearly," said Major Dacey.
For our patients seeking corneal refractive surgery at this time, the preoperative evaluation and post operative care is given at Malcolm Grow.
The Air Force ophthalmologist who evaluates the patient will perform the laser surgery at the National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda - that is until the center is up and running in late 2008."
For anyone contemplating corneal refractive surgery, informational briefings are held the third Friday of every month from 11:30am to 12:30pm at the Family Practice Clinic in the Aerospace Medicine building conference room, building 1075. The briefs are required prior to making appointments for refractive surgery.