Help Medical Waiver

[Unregistered]

I have had a waiver for 6 years since stents, with really successful tracings, eating, prescriptions ( no changes) and exercise.

I have had no problem with the waiver.

I just received a letter that " Based upon our review of the information submitted ( June, 2009) , we are unable to establish your eligibility to hold an airman medical certificate at the time".
For further consideration, please submit : The echo portion of the stress echocardiogram completed June.......
Since nothing has changed and my numbers.... cholesterol, sugar etc have gotten better each year, what does this mean? Is there a best next step, like a letter from my cardiologist saying that nothing has changed ( for the worse)???
Thank you so much for your guidance !

 

[Doggtyred]

I have had a waiver for 6 years since stents, with really successful tracings, eating, prescriptions ( no changes) and exercise.

I have had no problem with the waiver.

I just received a letter that " Based upon our review of the information submitted ( June, 2009) , we are unable to establish your eligibility to hold an airman medical certificate at the time".
For further consideration, please submit : The echo portion of the stress echocardiogram completed June.......
Since nothing has changed and my numbers.... cholesterol, sugar etc have gotten better each year, what does this mean? Is there a best next step, like a letter from my cardiologist saying that nothing has changed ( for the worse)???
Thank you so much for your guidance !

Stents are not a perfect solution, and over time may re-occlude. Factors that affect this are whether or not the stents were drug coated, what meds you were on (such as aspirin and plavix, and how well you took them) and natural variations between persons. Very little of this is within your control, other than taking meds as prescribed.

It sounds like they want to review the stress echo images to see if there are any signs of stress induced ischemia (lack of adequate blood flow) which could indicate new or recurrent narrowing.

Best next step in my opinion, as a non MD, non AME is talk to your cardiologist and have him prepared to write that letter you mentioned, along with his professional interpretation of the stress echo. What may be triggering this is the fact the echo was done in the first place - i.e. were you having ANY symptoms at all? chest pain, shortness of breath, unusual fatigue, EKG changes.. or was this truly just your cardiologist doing a routine follow up stress echo cardiogram on a symptom free patient 6 years post procedure?

That being said, if they have demanded (requested..I mean) the echo, they likely aren't going to budge without seeing it.

I'm tossing my 2 cents in here, but as others have noted in the past, wait a bit for Doc Bruce to chime in.. He's got a much better read on what OKC wants to see..

Dave

 

[Unregistered]

I have always had a routine echo every year ( no new problems at all... exercise is good at 3xs a week etc.,, ), but I do not recall if my MD sent along those tracings or the regular EKG... I guess it was the EKG or they wouldn't be asking for the echo...... I do recall my cardiologist remarking how good everything was looking during the echo ( each year) , so maybe this will just be routine....
Of course, Dr. Bruce has been of enormous help throughout all these years !!

 

[bbchien]

If the cardiologist did a stress echo at the end and you did not submit the results, you have to.

The requirements of the SI are for what data are required to by screening make you eligible for the issuance. But if additional data was obtained and they know about it, that MUST be considered.

BAD on you for letting him do it. If you let him do it you have to submit it. It goes back to my admonition: NO extra tests. ZERO. You CANNOT do them and not submit them. That's disqualfiying.

Do you thnk a Cardiologist is going to risk his license, by omitting something in his letter, that he knows is relevant?

 

[Unregistered]

Thank you !! I will send in those tracings with a letter from the cardiologist stating his findings. Since I do not believe this is anythng negative in that test, and if there isn't in fact anything negative, should I assume it will all then be OK?
Live and learn !!
Thanks to you you always.