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Old 11-30-2019, 15:33   #3
ender18d
Quiet Professional
 
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Join Date: May 2004
Location: Pineland
Posts: 168
Quote:
Originally Posted by FishOnHisHead View Post
I have a REP-63 contract and just finished basic training. During the last weeks of BCT I developed an inguinal hernia. I decided to push through it until AIT because I knew during my recovery time at AIT I would have access to my phone and access to a gym to properly heal. I also didn’t want to risk being chartered in BCT. I am currently in hold before my AIT starts (88m) and awaiting my consultation with the surgeon to hopefully get my surgery scheduled and over with. Today I was told that I will need a waiver to pass my airborne physical before being shipped to Benning. I was curious if anyone has had any experience with this type of issue or if anyone has any insights.

Respectfully,
Fish on his head.
Relevant Section of 40-501
g. Abdominal wall. Hernia, including inguinal, and other abdominal hernias, except for small asymptomatic umbilical hernias, with severe symptoms not relieved by dietary or medical therapy, or other hernias if symptomatic and if operative repair is contraindicated for medical reasons or when not amenable to surgical repair

So yes a symptomatic inguinal hernia would not meet medical standards for Airborne, but if repaired successfully it would be a fairly easy waiver, and given the relative wiggle room in the language of the regulation possibly even something that could be filed "information only." (IE not even requiring a true waiver). A successfully-repaired inguinal hernia does not even require a waiver on a flight physical, so I doubt the waiver authority at Benning would feel much differently.

Your surgeon is probably going to want you on a dead-man's profile for +/- 6 weeks or so after the repair, and then a gradual return to activity. Anticipate the surgery and subsequent convalescence to take more out of you than you would expect. I would not plan on going to selection or any other strenuous events requiring your best immediately after you come off profile. Additionally, a sensible doc is not going to fire off your flight physical until you're both off profile and passing a PT test.

Inguinal hernia repairs are a common surgery that has a relatively low rate of complication or failure. Discuss the various options with your surgeon but as a general rule go with whatever approach/technique your surgeon uses most often.

-Your friendly neighborhood flight surgeon
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