Is surgery after getting the medical exam allowed?

[collegestuff123456]

If deemed elective by Navy medicine, it's a challenge to get those kinds of things done when in a strictly regimented training pipeline, such as a Service Academy, and after graduation, on sea duty (Surface Warfare officers go straight to their ships) or in aviation, submarines or other training pipelines. Your SA summers will be filled with training and about 3 weeks leave (vacation).

The only window I see to get it once admitted to USNA is immediately after graduation, when many grads take leave and then return to USNA in a "stash" job doing special projects or working in various departments around USNA, while waiting to report to various schools later in the same calendar year. Of course, if military medicine determines your condition merited surgery because of injurious effects on shoulders or spine, or other legitimate medical issues, then the landscape changes.

There could be other windows created during summer training, which is a mix of required, elective and leave blocks. That would depend on current policy, and support from Brigade medical and your chain of command, with concurrence by training staff.

I do urge you to get info direct from DODMERB, the primary source, on how surgery affects medical qualification status.

You are smart to gather info now, before going ahead with the procedure, to understand the implications.

In the meantime, invest in quality support garments professionally fitted to address your comfort. I know it's not a laughing matter.

Please remember these are just my opinions, based on what I have observed over the years. Nothing is a substitute for primary sources and current policy.

I will reach out to DODMERB to see what my options are. Thank you again for all your help.

 

[Capri120]

My DS has his applications in to USAFA, USMA and USNA. Both his regular dentist & his orthodontist highly recommended he get his wisdom teeth out and referred him to an oral surgeon. In September, we made an appointment with the oral surgeon for an evaluation during the first week of Christmas Break (Dec.21) with an appointment for surgery the next week (Dec. 28th) so it wouldn't interfere with his classes. He received his "Qualified" letter from DoDMERB a little over a week ago. That letter stated, "IN PARTICULAR. IF ELECTIVE SURGERY OR MEDICAL TREATMENT IS CONTEMPLATED, NOTIFY DODMERB PRIOR TO TREATMENT OR PROCEDURE, AS THIS MAY ADVERSELY AFFECT YOUR MEDICAL STATUS." He received this letter on a Friday and the following Monday, I called to let them know about the scheduled surgery and asked if we should wait on surgery since I didn't want anything to interfere with his 'Qualified' status. The gentleman I spoke with seemed somewhat dismissive and told me I only needed to contact them if DS had any complications from the surgery otherwise he was fine. Based on this conversation, DS proceeded with the evaluation appointment, where the oral surgeon told him they absolutely needed to come out and he then had his surgery this past Wednesday(28th). He is doing great so far, no swelling and only minor mouth aching for which he had been taking ibuprofen. His surgeon told him he could resume his running today if he felt up to it and he ran an easy 4 miles this morning without issues. Now after reading replies to this post, I am a little worried again that we should have waited.

If he gets an appointment, USAFA class of 2021 enters on June 29th. If the 6 months is the magic number, then that would be June 28th, the day before he would need to report for BCT which is cutting it very close. Not sure if he should contact DoDMERB again or not?

Do not fret over wisdom teeth removal. DD had hers removed about two and a half months before I-Day. The rule of thumb for wisdom teeth, provided there are no complications, is eight weeks before I-Day, not 6 months as with other surgeries.

 

[ProudDad17]

Do not fret over wisdom teeth removal. DD had hers removed about two and a half months before I-Day. The rule of thumb for wisdom teeth, provided there are no complications, is eight weeks before I-Day, not 6 months as with other surgeries.

Thanks for that info. As I was reading this I realized I hadn't even considered this when we had my DS wisdom teeth taken out over Christmas break. Never would have thought it would be an issue. Is is scheduling his DoDMERB right now.

 

[ktnatalk]

Do not fret over wisdom teeth removal. DD had hers removed about two and a half months before I-Day. The rule of thumb for wisdom teeth, provided there are no complications, is eight weeks before I-Day, not 6 months as with other surgeries.

If DD/DS is taking good care of the wounds the first 48-72 hours, able to eat normal again after the first week, you can even cut that in half without complications.

*I am not a dentist, but merely exercising my creative writing!