To Anyone that might know....
I have a deviated septum that needs to be fixed in a few months - just booked the surgery.
I'm trying to get ahold of the Doc for his estimate before I'm back in the air - but I was curious if anyone else has gone through this and when they were back flying.
I've found there's always a bit of a spread between a conservative estimate from a doc, and when you're actually ready to go.
Thanks for any info.
Cheers
Nose Surgery
Moderators: North Shore, sky's the limit, sepia, Sulako, lilfssister, I WAS Birddog
Flying After Surgery
Before you get too far along the surgery path, I would call the regional Doctor for Transport in your area.
I just had a conversation with Dr. Danford (I am in Prairie Region) yesterday as I need to book something surgical for later this year.
His comment was that I should expect to be grounded for six weeks.
Why six? That was his guess, could be more, could be less - but that was his best estimate based on similar files and based on his reasoning that if it ended up being only four and not six you would be happy, but if it was the full six weeks you wouldn't be surprised either. (Apparently medicine is an imprecise science.)
More importantly, was the process he outlined to get back into the air:
1) Was to get copies of the surgical reports from your surgeon as these need to be reviewed by your aviation medical examiner and sent to Transport;
2) Go back to your aviation medical examiner to have a consultation (i.e. mini medical);
3) Submit all the paperwork to Transport and see what they had to say about it.
I just had a conversation with Dr. Danford (I am in Prairie Region) yesterday as I need to book something surgical for later this year.
His comment was that I should expect to be grounded for six weeks.
Why six? That was his guess, could be more, could be less - but that was his best estimate based on similar files and based on his reasoning that if it ended up being only four and not six you would be happy, but if it was the full six weeks you wouldn't be surprised either. (Apparently medicine is an imprecise science.)
More importantly, was the process he outlined to get back into the air:
1) Was to get copies of the surgical reports from your surgeon as these need to be reviewed by your aviation medical examiner and sent to Transport;
2) Go back to your aviation medical examiner to have a consultation (i.e. mini medical);
3) Submit all the paperwork to Transport and see what they had to say about it.
Last edited by JAHinYYC on Mon May 02, 2016 10:01 am, edited 1 time in total.
I have had this surgery done. Although I was not in aviation at the time it is by far the best medical thing that I have had done. As far as down time, I felt excellent from the moment they pulled the packing out. No Pain, bleeding or anything else. And I could breathe thru my nose immediately. and all this after a long line of sports injuries. Why I waited so long is beyond me. I hope yours goes as well as mine.
If am not sure what the technical procesure is called but back at the begining of my career I had some reconstruction done. I could breath out the right side of my nose properly so they had to basically pull my nose back, reach up there with a hammer like device and break a couple bones and reset the bones. I think i was off work MAX 2 weeks if i remember correctly. I wasnt that long. I am not sure what surgery it is that you are getting done but considering what they had to do to me it would probably be in the same boat. And they sure can stuff a lot of gauze up your nose.
When I was a kid I was in a car accident where I was not wearing a seat belt. I went flying face first into the seat in front where by my nose got pretty mangled. Before I was flying (17) I underwent a septoplasty to correct a deviated septum.
My experiences don't match the other posters here, I found it quite painful, and it took me longer than two weeks before I was back to regular non flying job. It took a good month before I would say I would be ready for pressure changes associated with flying. I had quite a bit of swelling so I was plugged up for quite a while, no taste for a few weeks.
If you need it you should get it done, I breath far better and have no pain now, but everyone reacts to things differently and I just wanted to give you another perspective.
And ya, they do put a lot of gauze up your nose, remember the scene in Total Recall when Arnie pulls out the tracking beacon from his nose...........
My experiences don't match the other posters here, I found it quite painful, and it took me longer than two weeks before I was back to regular non flying job. It took a good month before I would say I would be ready for pressure changes associated with flying. I had quite a bit of swelling so I was plugged up for quite a while, no taste for a few weeks.
If you need it you should get it done, I breath far better and have no pain now, but everyone reacts to things differently and I just wanted to give you another perspective.
And ya, they do put a lot of gauze up your nose, remember the scene in Total Recall when Arnie pulls out the tracking beacon from his nose...........
f-16
Thanks to Everyone that replied.
It's something that has been bothering me for the last number of years. I actually had the surgery scheduled 3 years ago, but cancelled it because I got offered the job I wanted and could no longer afford the time off.
I'm really looking forward to breathing properly through my nose, and not feeling stuffed up all the time.
However, outside of my normal flying job I do consulting as well which causes me to fly a lot - so I'm not thrilled to be out of action for too long.
I appreciate the experiences passed on.
I've heard about all the guaze as well - is it true that you end up looking like you have black eyes?
I have to get some cutting done, and the lobes in the nasal passages burned down. Should be fun, unless I chicken out...
It's something that has been bothering me for the last number of years. I actually had the surgery scheduled 3 years ago, but cancelled it because I got offered the job I wanted and could no longer afford the time off.
I'm really looking forward to breathing properly through my nose, and not feeling stuffed up all the time.
However, outside of my normal flying job I do consulting as well which causes me to fly a lot - so I'm not thrilled to be out of action for too long.
I appreciate the experiences passed on.
I've heard about all the guaze as well - is it true that you end up looking like you have black eyes?
I have to get some cutting done, and the lobes in the nasal passages burned down. Should be fun, unless I chicken out...
Kick the tires and light the fires...
Broken twice, surgery once, never had the black eyes despite doctors warnings. There may be a strange crackling sound during the healing period after the cast comes off (depending on how it's broken) if you continue with contact sports, but that will disappear.
I think they use all of the gause on the ward as a rule. It looked like an anaconda coming out. One day after they removed it, I discharched a clot the size of a large jellyfish from each nostril, then no more blood until injured again.
Have fun.
I think they use all of the gause on the ward as a rule. It looked like an anaconda coming out. One day after they removed it, I discharched a clot the size of a large jellyfish from each nostril, then no more blood until injured again.
Have fun.
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Arctic Icarus
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Well I had Sinus surgery a few years ago and the surgeon said I could go back to work in 2-3 weeks. I ended up having my medical about 2 weeks later and the MOT doctor wanted much longer. I was off about 5 weeks or so before I headed back to work.
Need to make sure everything is healed up before you get back to the pressure changes.
All the best with the surgery.
Need to make sure everything is healed up before you get back to the pressure changes.
All the best with the surgery.
