Question about Deviated Septum

Thelaman99

5-Year Member
Joined
Aug 11, 2015
Messages
76
Hello all,

Quick question if you don't mind. Today an ENT confirmed that I have a deviated septum and that the only way to correct is through a septoplasty. I am currently in 11th grade and have aspirations to apply to USAFA. Would getting this surgery potentially disqualify me or have any other implications?


Thank you,
Liam
 
I had this same situation. I had surgery this summer before DoDmerb to correct it, and I only had to prove that I had it corrected. It wasn't a big deal, I'm medically qualified.
 
I had the same thing! Plus about a million other sinus issues... Nonetheless, I sent DoDMERB a letter from my ENT explaining that I was healthy (if not healthier than before), and everything worked out fine.
 
Make sure you keep documentation on the procedure along with documentation from your doctor that everything has been corrected and no further treatment is necessary. You may not need the paper work but it will help you fill out your medical history.
 
I forgot to mention one thing regarding sinus issues. That is, if your doctor feels comfortable given his/her expertise and your circumstances, ask them to include a line about having no difficulties with pressure differentials/changes, i.e. the sort a pilot might experience in flight. Even though such an addition might not be worth all that much, if you're interested in aviation, it could perhaps prove helpful one day.
 
I had this exact issue regarding a deviated septum. I did get medically disqualified when applying; however, I got the surgery to fix it and all was fine. They actually were in the process of trying to get a waiver approved, but I figured it would be better to fix the problem and not have to worry. I will tell you that having surgery on my nose was TERRIBLE for the first few days, so just a warning. But it was definitely worth it.
 
So ultimately you couldn't apply due to your surgery?
No, I applied and got disqualified medically. So I got the surgery and became qualified. I don't know about the waiver process because I went ahead and got the surgery. I'm now a cadet here, so don't worry- I finished applying and got in.
 
I had two surgeries on mine. Baseball crushed it in high school. Do it as soon as you can. It's a miserable few days but I would get it over with as soon as I could. Good luck
 
It's also far nicer to recover at home than it is at the academy. So if you have the opportunity to correct it at home before USAFA, it would be a good idea to do so.
 
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