Liver Transplant

[Withheld]

Has anyone here ever undergone a liver transplant? How hard is it to get a medical back? I will say this I caused Hepatitis pretty much due to drinking every day for 20 years and occasionally using other substances. I have been in touch with the HIMS coordinator where I work. He told me it is going to be like climbing mt everest in my shorts. I haven't been able to go to rehab yet because my labs were too bad, however, they are almost good enough to go now. My MELD score is finally going down a bit so I have a chance of healing on my own but odds are I will need a transplant. They don't think I have cirrohsis but it is a possibility, further testing will be done later. To any AME is there a chance or did I screw myself by poor choices? By some miracle I never got in trouble with the law. This is for a 1st class medical btw. I am going to go through the HIMS program and start doing the random testing but I have a feeling this could turn out to be a losing battle and I am going to have to dust off my degree assuming I survive

 

[AggieMike88]

Yours is likely a case where you need a very experienced Senior Difficult Case AME who not only knows the HIMS system, but knows what is needed for the submission packet to the FAA, and how that information needs to be formatted and organized. And won't send it into the FAA until there is high confidence that the FAA won't reject or deny you.

There are very few AME's in this land who will do that. One of our PoA members, Dr. Bruce Chien, @bbchien, happens to be one of those AMEs.

So you will see me and others suggesting that you make contact and hire Dr. Bruce to review your case and become your case manager and eventually your AME of record. You can start the process by going to his "How to Start" web page, http://www.aeromedicaldoc.com/how-to-start.html

From stories related from other airmen, it is possible to obtain a medical after certain organ transplants. There are many tasks to be done and many records to obtain and submit, but it is possible to get the special issuance.

But I see the bigger hurdle being the declaration, "due to drinking every day for 20 years and occasionally using other substances". We have had many threads about medical certification and alcohol abuse and/or "other substance" abuse, and what the applicant is expected to do for the FAA take them seriously. From memory, it will require a big change to your lifestyle to be 100% sober for the remainder of your life. Requirements also include in-patient detox, psychological evaluations, multiple random urine tests, and more. And a big wad of cash to pay for it.

But again, I'm not the doctor, so I'm going by memory from past discussions. An AME such as Dr. Bruce will provide the exact list of what must be done as well as how it must be done.

 

[steingar]

Is the OP an internal medicine MD? I ask because it would take a metric crapload of alcohol to cause hepatitis sufficient to necessitate transplant therapy. To give a for instance, my father drank every day of his life for decades, certainly the entire time I lived at home. He would have at least one martini, often two, not to mention a liqueur after dinner, and usually more on the weekends (having me for a kid I can't say I blame him). While not without health problems hepatitis did not enter into the picture. It is quite possible that the hepatitis is unrelated to the OP's recreational substance habits.

 

[RyanB]

it would take a metric crapload of alcohol to cause hepatitis sufficient to necessitate transplant therapy.

Maybe. Some people are just more susceptible to such diseases by their genetic code. Certain individuals can smoke their whole life and follow other harmful lifestyle practices and still live well into their 80’s and even 90’s. Others may not make it past 60.

As an unlicensed doctor who gives unlicensed opinions, I do also believe that the OP’s hepatitis is not a direct result of chronic drinking. Also depends on what strain he or she has.

 

[steingar]

Maybe. Some people are just more susceptible to such diseases by their genetic code. Certain individuals can smoke their whole life and follow other harmful lifestyle practices and still live well into their 80’s and even 90’s. Others may not make it past 60.

I think you'd just about have to be homozygous for a null mutation in the ADH gene (alcohol dehydrogenase) to have such a thing occur. Either that, or the OP drank himself into a complete stupor nightly.

 

[benyflyguy]

If other substances included a needle then hep C is top of the list. Treatable now. If drinking is cause, cirrhosis is top of the list. If you are talking about MELD scores you are in pretty deep the hole already. Paticularly problematic is if you have hep c and are a drinker. You should be less worried about career and more worried about your life!!

 

[Salty]

Man, the guy was totally and brutally honest and accepting full responsibility and the crowd still roasts him.

 

[Rushie]

Man, the guy was totally and brutally honest and accepting full responsibility and the crowd still roasts him.

Yep.

OP, you asked for AMEs here to respond. I'm not an AME and none of the others who posted are AFAIK, but in AggieMike's post he refers you to Dr. Bruce Chien. That would be the guy you need to talk to. He can give you the best guidance with respect to your medical certification. You are on the right track already working with a HIMS guy and understanding about the random testing, etc., it sounds like you've "got it".

You also asked if anyone has gotten a liver transplant. There is one pilot on the AOPA forum who has a liver (I think?) transplant. I can't remember for sure, I thought it was double organ? Anyway, he got his medical back. I think his handle was Black Rebel. But you have to be a member of AOPA to read and post on that forum.

Best of luck to you!

 

[PaulS]

Is the OP an internal medicine MD? I ask because it would take a metric crapload of alcohol to cause hepatitis sufficient to necessitate transplant therapy. To give a for instance, my father drank every day of his life for decades, certainly the entire time I lived at home. He would have at least one martini, often two, not to mention a liqueur after dinner, and usually more on the weekends (having me for a kid I can't say I blame him). While not without health problems hepatitis did not enter into the picture. It is quite possible that the hepatitis is unrelated to the OP's recreational substance habits.

I think your father was a piker compared to some of the alcoholics I've run across, from the 24 to 36 beer per day every day beer drinker to the one or two fifths of whisky per night, every night. Some people can and do drink themselves to cirrhosis pretty quickly.