Originally Posted by
rickair7777
At that age if there's no documentation that you ever knew about it, you have plausible deniability. Might be safer to report it now in case you ever have related issues and the medical paperwork reveals the past surgeries. FAA might get upset if they assume you did know and didn't report it. If you just report it now with an explanation that you didn't remember childhood treament they can't fault you for that.
Might want to talk to AMAS though, just to be safe. Also to make sure the tubes won't be a certification problem.
History of tubes is not a certification problem. In fact tubes aren't much of a certification problem. Stuka pilots in North Africa in WWII got prophylactic ear drum holes +/- tube placement because of the frequency of ear blocks dive bombing with an unpressurized aircraft.
From the AME Guide:
Pathology of the Middle Ear
Pathology of the middle ear may be demonstrated by changes in the appearance and mobility of the tympanic membrane. The applicant may only complain of stuffiness of the ears and/or loss of hearing. An upper respiratory infection greatly increases the risk of aerotitis media with pain, deafness, tinnitus, and vertigo due to lessened aeration of the middle ear from eustachian tube dysfunction.
When the applicant is taking medication for an ENT condition, it is important that the Examiner become fully aware of the underlying pathology, present status, and the length of time the medication has been used. If the condition is not a threat to aviation safety, the treatment consists solely of antibiotics, and the antibiotics have been taken over a sufficient period to rule out the likelihood of adverse side effects, the Examiner may make the certification decision. The same approach should be taken when considering the significance of prior surgery such as myringotomy, mastoidectomy, or tympanoplasty.
Simple perforation without associated symptoms or pathology is not disqualifying