Thanks for that, Gingernut. Not AWOL, just unhappy.
This is from the JAR medical manual :
[Applicants] at initial examination
A history of recurrent acute otitis media in childhood should not entail disqualification unless
the applicant still has a perforation or atrophic areas of the tympanic membrane. A history of
a single grommet insertion or multiple insertions before the age of ten should be considered
acceptable, unless the applicant has a chronic perforation of the tympanic membrane,
atrophic areas or partial or total atelectasis of the middle ear. If the applicant has no history
of chronic or acute middle ear disease after the age of ten, the risk of a recurrence at higher
age is negligible.
A history of recent barotitis caused by flying or diving should result in a thorough evaluation
of possible medical causes of the event (sino-nasal or naso-pharyngeal disorders) and be
judged on this evaluation.
The presence of perforations (independent of their location or aetiology) and the presence of
atrophic areas require a careful evaluation.
So the answer to the original question is very likely to be "yes".