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Flight Medical Questions

BravoMyles

Applicant
I'm wanting to go talk to a Navy OCS Recruiter in December, since I should finish undergrad in spring. I had an aviation approved medical on file before, when I had talked to the Marines, but my grad date wasn't going to work out for what was planned so it is now past the expiration date (2 years I believe?).

Since that exam, I've had an internal sphincterotomy and a pneumomediastinum (no pneumothorax, just air that reabsorbs). Would this possibly DQ me from the aviator approval? From what I can find online, neither of these have any lasting effects, but better safe than sorry.

Side note, would the one exam expiring possibly hurt anything? Or would it just be an "oh okay, we'll just do another" type thing? I was planning on talking to the Navy before it expired, but more graduation delays pushed it back past the date in May 2015.
 

TimeBomb

Noise, vibration and harshness
Side note is easy. No. An expired physical won't hurt you.
For the other, your interim history is going to raise questions. Be prepared, and get all medical records that are relevant to the incidents, including operative reports. You may well be disqualified, depending on what precipitated the surgery and the pneumomediastinum, and any residual effects. The real question is whether or not big Navy will want to give you a waiver, first for commissioning and secondly for flight. Two separate questions.
R/
 

Hammer10k

Well-Known Member
pilot
Side note is easy. No. An expired physical won't hurt you.
For the other, your interim history is going to raise questions. Be prepared, and get all medical records that are relevant to the incidents, including operative reports. You may well be disqualified, depending on what precipitated the surgery and the pneumomediastinum, and any residual effects. The real question is whether or not big Navy will want to give you a waiver, first for commissioning and secondly for flight. Two separate questions.
R/

I needed a waiver for knee surgery to get cleared by MEPS. Will I need to present this again to the flight surgeons?
 

BravoMyles

Applicant
The procedure was done for acute anal fissures. Nothing super major, and nowadays just the occasional hemorrhoid. Actually picked up the records for it today.

The pneumomediastinum was caused by a respiratory infection that stemmed from a sinus infection. As far as I've gathered, there shouldn't be any lasting problems. I go to the doc in the morning for a follow up though, so I'll ask there to make sure. Should I go ahead and get records for that as well?

Also, with having an expired exam, would I still need paperwork for the already cleared things or do they keep it on file? I'm gathering it anyways, but just wondering.
 

TimeBomb

Noise, vibration and harshness
Not sure about whether or not NAMI retains flight physicals on non-accessions. Probably best to treat it as though this was your first time through the system, and pull everything together again. My experience isn't very current though; perhaps one of the recruiters on the site would be better able to answer that question.
R/
 

TimeBomb

Noise, vibration and harshness
Hammer10K,
MEPS has nothing to do with NAMI. You will need to submit your paperwork for a waiver for special duty (i.e. flight) to NAMI for their recommendation.
R/
 

BravoMyles

Applicant
Can I pay for my own laser eye surgery if I'm somehow out of regs?

I believe so, yes. My eye surgery was done on my own bill before I had a flight approved Navy medical (the one that expired). All I had to do was submit paperwork from the procedure and the followups.
 

Jublov

Play Top Gun Til' the VHS breaks
I believe so, yes. My eye surgery was done on my own bill before I had a flight approved Navy medical (the one that expired). All I had to do was submit paperwork from the procedure and the followups.

Thanks
 

Demi Durkin

OCS Applicant
Hey, any update on this and did you pursue going to OCS after this? Moreso, did you pursue an aviator/nfo spot and get a flight physical? What did NAMI say on your pneumomediastinum? I went to my flight physical last week and passed everything PENDING NAMI's review of my pneumomediastinum from 2013. I was medically disenrolled from Army ROTC 5 months before commissioning because of it, so I'm not particularly hopeful. Would love to hear your experience and some insight.
 
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