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Spontaneous pneumothorax

RobLyman

- hawk Pilot
pilot
None
My son just had a spontaneous pneumothorax at age 14. He was treated with surgery. A quick search (I'm on my phone and TDY) seems to indicate this may be disqualifying. Is this true?
 

Flash

SEVAL/ECMO
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
According to the Aeromedical Reference and Waiver Guide a waiver can be considered if it is only a single episode:

Spontaneous Pneumothorax: Primary spontaneous pneumothorax is CD. A waiver can be considered based upon the guidelines below. A subsequent occurrence of spontaneous pneumothorax is CD. No waiver will be recommended unless surgical or chemical pleurodesis has been performed.

Applicants:

  •  Single episode of spontaneous pneumothorax: The applicant may be considered for waiver of standards one year after the resolution of the pneumothorax if treated solely with chest tube reinflation. High resolution CT scan must prove no pathology (blebs or underlying parenchymal disease) and pulmonary function tests must be within normal limits. If treated surgically or chemically, a waiver may be considered six months following resolution, provided the required studies are normal. All applicants must first be granted a waiver for commissioning before an aviation waiver can be considered. The commissioning waiver document must be submitted to NAMI with the aviation waiver request. Altitude chamber runs are not required for disposition and/or waiver recommendation.
 

RobLyman

- hawk Pilot
pilot
None
That's awesome news. I was afraid a dream had been crushed. At least there is still a chance.
 

exNavyOffRec

Well-Known Member
My son just had a spontaneous pneumothorax at age 14. He was treated with surgery. A quick search (I'm on my phone and TDY) seems to indicate this may be disqualifying. Is this true?

Much will rest on how the doctor puts in the notes, I have dealt/seen with this a few times (not all were my applicants), we had one person that had 2 and N3M said PDQ they won't waiver 2 or more, the other 2 cases were each single occurrences, one was cleared by N3M the other was not, since the one that was not cleared was not my person didn't get too involved but the doctors notes evidently didn't give the N3M docs a warm fuzzy.

I would see if after several months the doctor would write in the medical documents something that indicates he seems fine and the doctor believes this was indeed a random occurrence and would not expect this to happen again. I am sure TB could give the actual "doctor speak" terms.
 

joe dirt

Well-Known Member
pilot
I had a collapsed lung as a result of a motorcycle accident when I was in college and really had no issues at all. I've got a waiver, but it was fairly straightforward. There's a guy who just left my squadron who had it happen to him in swim qual at API...twice, and he just got stashed for 9 months or so each time and was able to continue.
 

RobLyman

- hawk Pilot
pilot
None
Much will rest on how the doctor puts in the notes, I have dealt/seen with this a few times (not all were my applicants), we had one person that had 2 and N3M said PDQ they won't waiver 2 or more, the other 2 cases were each single occurrences, one was cleared by N3M the other was not, since the one that was not cleared was not my person didn't get too involved but the doctors notes evidently didn't give the N3M docs a warm fuzzy.

I would see if after several months the doctor would write in the medical documents something that indicates he seems fine and the doctor believes this was indeed a random occurrence and would not expect this to happen again. I am sure TB could give the actual "doctor speak" terms.
I appreciate the info. I'll keep that in mind for follow-ups.
 

sevenhelmet

Low calorie attack from the Heartland
pilot
I had a collapsed lung as a result of a motorcycle accident when I was in college and really had no issues at all. I've got a waiver, but it was fairly straightforward. There's a guy who just left my squadron who had it happen to him in swim qual at API...twice, and he just got stashed for 9 months or so each time and was able to continue.

So he had a collapsed lung in the pool... twice? Wow- that's frightening. And I thought my dislocated shoulder in the pool was the craziest swim-phys injury ever. I assume his doctor fixed the glitch, since we have to do swim phys every 4 years...
 

joe dirt

Well-Known Member
pilot
Yeah, he's fine now. I think I would've thrown in the towel (pool joke) after the 2nd one. But somehow he tolerated being stashed in the MOC for 2 years.
 

nittany03

Recovering NFO. Herder of Programmers.
pilot
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
Yeah, he's fine now. I think I would've thrown in the towel (pool joke) after the 2nd one. But somehow he tolerated being stashed in the MOC for 2 years.
Yeesh. And I thought 11 months of NAMI waiting hell was bad.
 

Gatordev

Well-Known Member
pilot
Site Admin
Contributor
Yeesh. And I thought 11 months of NAMI waiting hell was bad.

You have no idea. Although you may have me beat on total number of designators assigned by one. Actually, my two augments may have caught me up.
 

RobLyman

- hawk Pilot
pilot
None
Mods...can we change the name of the thread to the correct spelling of pneum0thorax, in case someone searches for it?
 

Gatordev

Well-Known Member
pilot
Site Admin
Contributor
Only if you promise you speeled it right the second time. (changed/updated)
 

sevenhelmet

Low calorie attack from the Heartland
pilot
O negative? We are judging people by blood type now? Makes sense, we might as well find more reasons to divide the herd. :cool:
 
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