Afib and cardioversion

[Shocking!]

Anyone on here been through that? Any issues with FAA and medical? It doesn’t appear to be a problem. I’m not due for a class 3 medical for another 3 years.

From everything I’ve read and considering I know what caused this, I hope it’s a one-time episode. But if it isn’t, managing it seems reasonable and doesn’t put me at risk for flying.

Thoughts? Experiences? Thank you

 

[azure]

I strongly suspect you will need at least a letter from your electrophysiologist and a Bruce protocol stress test to at least 9 minutes and a target HR of 90% of 220 - your age. I'm not sure you can just go back to flying on your old medical. Hopefully Dr. Bruce will be along soon to give you the authoritative details.

 

[bbchien]

Anyone on here been through that? Any issues with FAA and medical? It doesn’t appear to be a problem. I’m not due for a class 3 medical for another 3 years.

From everything I’ve read and considering I know what caused this, I hope it’s a one-time episode. But if it isn’t, managing it seems reasonable and doesn’t put me at risk for flying.

Thoughts? Experiences? Thank you

Hope is not a strategy.

Faa requires a normal stress treadmill,
Holter
Echocardiogram.

What happens next depends on what is found.......

 

[TheOP]

Hope is not a strategy.

Faa requires a normal stress treadmill,
Holter
Echocardiogram.

What happens next drpends on what is found.......

Agreed that hope is not a strategy. I’m schedule for an echocardiogram. I’ll ask about a stress treadmill and Holter.

In reading some materials it looks like I’m grounded for a 30-day recovery period right? Do I need to inform the FAA?

 

[Bill]

I know we at PoA sound like a broken record, but if any of the above three tests are NOT normal, your case is no longer vanilla. If so, I'd strongly recommend hiring Dr Bruce to help you navigate the waters.

 

[AggieMike88]

+1 to what Bill J. just said...

Cardio items can pass through the FAA approval process with ease, but only if the submission is formatted and worded in a particular way and has every one of the required items and status letters.

Not having the submission done right just releases the cats, genies, and worms from their prospective unretrievable containers, causing you all sorts of additional problems.

Hiring the right case manager, such as Dr. Bruce, will help you and your cardiologist get it right the first time.

 

[bflynn]

I think the outstanding question - is afib something that invalidates your medical immediately? Or do you continue to fly until your next medical, at which time you need to report it? It's not in the 67.311 list unless it's hidden as one of the other conditions, although it is moderately serious.

 

[OPagain]

Does anyone have contact info for Dr Bruce?

 

[Bill]

http://www.aeromedicaldoc.com/

Contact information is on his web page!

 

[Stewartb]

Basic Med. Take thee FAA out of the picture.


Basic Med cardiac conditions that require one time SI. Afib isn’t on there.

• A cardiovascular condition, limited to a one-time special issuance for each diagnosis of the following:
  • Myocardial infarction;
  • Coronary heart disease that has required treatment;
  • Cardiac valve replacement; or
  • Heart replacement.

 

[azure]

Basic Med. Take thee FAA out of the picture.


Basic Med cardiac conditions that require one time SI. Afib isn’t on there.

Good advice -- but might require a month or so wait before he can get anyone to sign off on him.

 

[Stewartb]

So a cardiologist did a corrective procedure without first doing a stress test and Holter study? In my case those were diagnostic tools. The FAA SI did require a short Holter study, a new stress test with their required pass time and pulse rate, and all EKG tapes from start to finish. My tests had to be conducted 90 days post procedure but now I believe the wait time is 60 days. The medical stuff was easy. In the end the SI was simple enough, but this year I'm going Basic Med. It's easier.