Inquiry Regarding FAA Surgery Approval
12-08-2023, 04:23 AM
#1
New Hire
Thread Starter
Joined APC: Apr 2023
Position: Aspiring
Posts: 5
Inquiry Regarding FAA Surgery Approval
I am reaching out as I embark on a journey towards a career in aviation. However, I find myself at a crossroads regarding the FAA Class One Medical certification, specifically in relation to corrective eye surgery.
To provide some context, my vision is not optimal, but it is correctable with glasses. The challenge lies in the fact that I experience double vision, and while I've been informed that correction is unlikely, I am exploring all avenues to pursue my dream. My research has led me to conflicting information online regarding the FAA's stance on corrective eye surgery.
I am eager to hear from individuals who have navigated similar concerns or have insights into the FAA's approval process for corrective eye procedures. Are there specific criteria or guidelines governing the acceptance of such surgeries, or is it a case-by-case evaluation? Any firsthand experiences or reputable sources would be immensely appreciated.
I understand the significance of the FAA Class One Medical and the strict standards associated with it. Therefore, I am committed to gathering accurate information to make informed decisions about my aviation aspirations.
Thank you in advance for your time and expertise. I look forward to some constructive dialogue within this knowledgeable community.
Best regards,
Dylan
To provide some context, my vision is not optimal, but it is correctable with glasses. The challenge lies in the fact that I experience double vision, and while I've been informed that correction is unlikely, I am exploring all avenues to pursue my dream. My research has led me to conflicting information online regarding the FAA's stance on corrective eye surgery.
I am eager to hear from individuals who have navigated similar concerns or have insights into the FAA's approval process for corrective eye procedures. Are there specific criteria or guidelines governing the acceptance of such surgeries, or is it a case-by-case evaluation? Any firsthand experiences or reputable sources would be immensely appreciated.
I understand the significance of the FAA Class One Medical and the strict standards associated with it. Therefore, I am committed to gathering accurate information to make informed decisions about my aviation aspirations.
Thank you in advance for your time and expertise. I look forward to some constructive dialogue within this knowledgeable community.
Best regards,
Dylan
12-08-2023, 06:55 AM
#2
Prime Minister/Moderator
Joined APC: Jan 2006
Position: Engines Turn Or People Swim
Posts: 39,319
If you have AOPA, you could consult with them.
Otherwise you might use an aviation medicine consulting service, they could tell you up front what the FAA would go for, and what the process would be to ultimately get certified. AMAS is one such service, they are used by the largest pilot union, and there are others as well.
Otherwise you might use an aviation medicine consulting service, they could tell you up front what the FAA would go for, and what the process would be to ultimately get certified. AMAS is one such service, they are used by the largest pilot union, and there are others as well.
12-08-2023, 08:00 AM
#3
Disinterested Third Party
Joined APC: Jun 2012
Posts: 6,043
The FAA does accept certain types of procedures for vision correction, or more accurately, certain types of surgerical procedures, but cautions that such procedures are not always successful and can lead to complications that might (among other things) impair the ability to hold a FAA medical. If you have a vision condition which already precludes holding a medical certificate, then obtaining surgery that improves your quality of life may be more important. In that case, if you can't meet the medical qualifications, then having surgery to improve your vision isn't creating a barrier to certification, as you can't meet the medical requirements to beginw with. Logically, the only thing applicable to your question, then, is whether surgery is available to move your vision to an acceptable standard.
The procedures that the FAA does authorize or recognize for vision correction are:
Radial Keratotomy (RK)
Epikeratophakia
Laser-Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis (LASIK), including wavefront-guided LASIK
Photorefractive Keratectomy (PRK)
Conductive Keratoplasty (CK)
https://www.faa.gov/ame_guide/app_pr...ch/et/31-34/rp
The FAA cautions about complications associated with these medical practices, such as corneal scarring, because someone who might otherwise be able to hold FAA medical certification by correcting vision with glasses, could end up impairing their ability to hold medical certification due to scarring, damaged night vision, halos, rings, and so forth.
The FAA looks at the recency of the procedure. If done within the last two years, then medical documentation that there are no disqualifying side effects, wil be required. If older than two years, the FAA will accept the aviation medical examiners testing of the applicant for his or her medical certificate (the regular exam) and a statement by the applicant that there are no adverse side effects or complications. In other words, for an older procedure (2 years or longer), if you can see and pass the medical exam, then unless you hear otherwise after the fact from the FAA, you should be fine.
Certain procedures are not permanent, and the vision condition may regress, or is expected to regress over time; these carry waiting periods, and require special issuance of medical authorization. A special issuance is an exception issued by the FAA that acts as a kind of waiver; if you have a condition outside the normal medical certification standards, in some cases a SI, or special issuance, can be given for a period of 6 months or longer, that allow you to fly. These may come with specific conditions, such as wearing of a continuous glucose monitor fo a diabetic. In the case of vision, CK surgery (conductive keratoplasty) has a 6-month waiting period, after which a SI can be issued. These are issued on a case-by-case basis, and may require re-examination on an ongoing basis or may be approvals that don't need to be revisited, depending on the decision of the medical board.
When you seek a FAA medical, you visit an AME (aviation medical examiner): a doctor authorized by the FAA to perfor medical exams and issue FAA medical certificates. Not all AME's are experienced in, or work to help airmen through special cases. You want to ensure that you begin with thorough research, and it's best to do that with the assistance of a group or physician that has experience dealing with your specific condition. Rickair777 mentioned above a couple of examples of services that help. Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association has consultation services that can help assist, and a number of airman and unions use AMAS (aviation medical advisory service). The latter will charge a fee for an email consultation, or a slightly higher fee for a phone consultation to discuss your matter, and can give you guidance from there. I believe AMAS charges 70.00 for a phone consult. Email consultation is fifty bucks; both buy you two days, with follow-up questions allowed in that time period.
https://www.aviationmedicine.com
So far as double vision, if you're experiencing a misalignment of the eyes, there are medical standards which represent the FAA limits, and the FAA's position on misalignment (heterophoria) is because of things that you might not consider in day-to-day life. For example, exposure to lower pressure and oxygen levels at higher altitudes, leading to hypoxia (reduced blood oxygen) can aggravate heterophoria, leading to double vision or worsening vision. Certain medications can also affect vergence (misalignment between eyes), aggravating the problem. The FAA limitations on heterophoria are six prism diopters of esophoria (convergence: eye turning inward) or exophoria (divergence: eye turning outward). Both those conditions are normally correctible with glasses in minor cases, in which the FAA's position on medical standards is that you can meet medical standards with vision corrected to 20/20 distance, and 20/40 near. Depending on the condition, esophoria or exophoria are often treated with glasses and/or therapy, as opposed to surgery, but again, the ability to meet medical standards is an individual thing. Before you go in for a FAA medical exam, where your condition becomes subject to official record, it's better to address it confidentially through a service like AMAS to get guidance on how to proceed.
I don't work for AMAS or have an affiliation from them, and am not advertising for them (or AOPA, et al); my comments here are from the peanut gallery and strictly words of caution. Once you go to the FAA aviation medical examiner, you throw your case into the hands of the FAA, and risk rejection or a long process, if not approached correctly. Sometimes you're better off going in armed with all the information you can, and a game plan, if you know you may have a condition with complications. In the world of pilots who rely on the ability to hold a FAA medical certificate for work or to fly, caution is generally encouraged when presenting your case to the FAA. It's for that reason that various pilot groups and unions have medical consultation services (eg AOPA, AMAS, etc) that can advise you confidentially. The services do cost, but you also create a legal relationship with the service when you retain them for whatever fee they charge, which is in your interest, and theirs, that does not exist in say, an online public web board.
This is a little difficult to read, especially if you're on a small screen like a phone, but it's an FAA brochure on vision wihich gives a synopsis of various conditions and their standards, and the reasons for them, in a nutshell: https://www.faa.gov/pilots/safety/pi...0be%20exceeded.
The procedures that the FAA does authorize or recognize for vision correction are:
Radial Keratotomy (RK)
Epikeratophakia
Laser-Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis (LASIK), including wavefront-guided LASIK
Photorefractive Keratectomy (PRK)
Conductive Keratoplasty (CK)
https://www.faa.gov/ame_guide/app_pr...ch/et/31-34/rp
The FAA cautions about complications associated with these medical practices, such as corneal scarring, because someone who might otherwise be able to hold FAA medical certification by correcting vision with glasses, could end up impairing their ability to hold medical certification due to scarring, damaged night vision, halos, rings, and so forth.
The FAA looks at the recency of the procedure. If done within the last two years, then medical documentation that there are no disqualifying side effects, wil be required. If older than two years, the FAA will accept the aviation medical examiners testing of the applicant for his or her medical certificate (the regular exam) and a statement by the applicant that there are no adverse side effects or complications. In other words, for an older procedure (2 years or longer), if you can see and pass the medical exam, then unless you hear otherwise after the fact from the FAA, you should be fine.
Certain procedures are not permanent, and the vision condition may regress, or is expected to regress over time; these carry waiting periods, and require special issuance of medical authorization. A special issuance is an exception issued by the FAA that acts as a kind of waiver; if you have a condition outside the normal medical certification standards, in some cases a SI, or special issuance, can be given for a period of 6 months or longer, that allow you to fly. These may come with specific conditions, such as wearing of a continuous glucose monitor fo a diabetic. In the case of vision, CK surgery (conductive keratoplasty) has a 6-month waiting period, after which a SI can be issued. These are issued on a case-by-case basis, and may require re-examination on an ongoing basis or may be approvals that don't need to be revisited, depending on the decision of the medical board.
When you seek a FAA medical, you visit an AME (aviation medical examiner): a doctor authorized by the FAA to perfor medical exams and issue FAA medical certificates. Not all AME's are experienced in, or work to help airmen through special cases. You want to ensure that you begin with thorough research, and it's best to do that with the assistance of a group or physician that has experience dealing with your specific condition. Rickair777 mentioned above a couple of examples of services that help. Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association has consultation services that can help assist, and a number of airman and unions use AMAS (aviation medical advisory service). The latter will charge a fee for an email consultation, or a slightly higher fee for a phone consultation to discuss your matter, and can give you guidance from there. I believe AMAS charges 70.00 for a phone consult. Email consultation is fifty bucks; both buy you two days, with follow-up questions allowed in that time period.
https://www.aviationmedicine.com
So far as double vision, if you're experiencing a misalignment of the eyes, there are medical standards which represent the FAA limits, and the FAA's position on misalignment (heterophoria) is because of things that you might not consider in day-to-day life. For example, exposure to lower pressure and oxygen levels at higher altitudes, leading to hypoxia (reduced blood oxygen) can aggravate heterophoria, leading to double vision or worsening vision. Certain medications can also affect vergence (misalignment between eyes), aggravating the problem. The FAA limitations on heterophoria are six prism diopters of esophoria (convergence: eye turning inward) or exophoria (divergence: eye turning outward). Both those conditions are normally correctible with glasses in minor cases, in which the FAA's position on medical standards is that you can meet medical standards with vision corrected to 20/20 distance, and 20/40 near. Depending on the condition, esophoria or exophoria are often treated with glasses and/or therapy, as opposed to surgery, but again, the ability to meet medical standards is an individual thing. Before you go in for a FAA medical exam, where your condition becomes subject to official record, it's better to address it confidentially through a service like AMAS to get guidance on how to proceed.
I don't work for AMAS or have an affiliation from them, and am not advertising for them (or AOPA, et al); my comments here are from the peanut gallery and strictly words of caution. Once you go to the FAA aviation medical examiner, you throw your case into the hands of the FAA, and risk rejection or a long process, if not approached correctly. Sometimes you're better off going in armed with all the information you can, and a game plan, if you know you may have a condition with complications. In the world of pilots who rely on the ability to hold a FAA medical certificate for work or to fly, caution is generally encouraged when presenting your case to the FAA. It's for that reason that various pilot groups and unions have medical consultation services (eg AOPA, AMAS, etc) that can advise you confidentially. The services do cost, but you also create a legal relationship with the service when you retain them for whatever fee they charge, which is in your interest, and theirs, that does not exist in say, an online public web board.
This is a little difficult to read, especially if you're on a small screen like a phone, but it's an FAA brochure on vision wihich gives a synopsis of various conditions and their standards, and the reasons for them, in a nutshell: https://www.faa.gov/pilots/safety/pi...0be%20exceeded.
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