Australian CASA - 6 month suspension for Stent

[Con Catenator]

The Australian CASA apparently will not look at licence reinstatement until 6 months have elapsed since a stent procedure.

Are there other licencing authorities that accept medical re-certification earlier than 6 months and is it worth trying to appeal the 6 month ban ?

[White Knight]

Six months is pretty standard... This is so that the artery walls can grow over the stent and you'll get a smooth wall, thus ensuring (hopefully) no restenosis! At least that's what my cardiologist tells me - and he's a GCAA cardio to boot!
So that's UAE - and I know that JAA/UK CAA are the same. The FAA may not even go for it!!!!!

I'm currently waiting my six months for requalifying for my medical. Just one of those things:hmm: Good luck anyway:ok:

[tgilson]

Hi Guys

You are correct White Knight, the JAA/UK CAA does have a mandatory 6 month suspension of your medical but then you have to do exercise stress, echocardiogram and myocardial perfusion tests plus some other bits and pieces. The catch is that you will not be granted an unrestricted class 1 medical, it will have a multi crew limitation on the ticket. If it's just a class 2 for PPL you will get the whole lot back. I'm in the same situation regarding stents, but you can appeal to the medical board but I don't know if anyone has been successful or not. Makes it really hard to fly for a living again.

Regards.......Tony Gilson

[White Knight]

I'll disagree tgilson about it being difficult to get class 1 back. I personally know 2 guys stented and still operating as P1 of large aeroplanes - 777 and 330/340.

Certainly there are hoops to jump through - but often the ticker is fine, just the plumbing around it that's the problem and the stents followed by x months of plavix should sort those out! In fact, one of the guys has no multi-pilot restriction on his class1. Amazed me even;)

I for one have every intention of flying for my supper again! Good luck to you in getting your medical back:ok::ok:

[AvMed.IN]

White Knight has correctly advised that this period of 6 months is meant to watch out for restenosis, and so also effects of anti-coagulants that you must be on.

After your 6 months of recuperation, you shall require a complete Cardiology review, including symptoms, treatment and risk factors, if any. You shall also need your angiogram (the one at the time of stenting) and would need to undergo exercise ECG, echo and myocardial perfusion scan. Your AME may or may not ask for 24 hour ECG recording.

Initially indeed you shall have OML restriction for class I.

I would rather, if I were you, use this time for improving personal lifestyle, which surely gets compromised in day to day hustle and bustle of being an active airline pilot.

[White Knight]

I would rather, if I were you, use this time for improving personal lifestyle, which surely gets compromised in day to day hustle and bustle of being an active airline pilot.

Absolutely! I'm getting a lot of gym time:p:p:ok:

[tgilson]

Hi White Knight

Very interesting reply but I'm in a slightly different situation as I'm a helicopter pilot and the majority of public transport flying in the UK is single pilot which requires an unrestricted Class 1. The only real exception is the N.Sea which is all multi-crew IFR - not my cup of tea, been there. Your two mates in the airlines are obviously in multi-crew operations where you can still be P1 as long as you are 2 crew. You can instruct in the UK on the Class 1 OML but only after the student's first solo so even that is very limiting.The UK CAA has an algorithm of what you have to do and what you will get back and I have had many dicussions and letters (even with the top man Dr. Hunter) and they tell me an unresticted Class1 has never been re-issued after angioplasty. So, if your mate has got back an unrestricted UK CAA Class 1 maybe the rules have changed or the CAA are becoming more sympathetic towards stenting - I would love to talk to him if that's so.
The last CAA advice I had was to get my Class 1 OML / Class2 (they are the same thing) and then lodge an appeal with the medical board , but that could be an expensive road to nowhere - I just wish the CAA would give us something more concrete to aim at.

Thanks for the good wishes

All the best ........ Tony Gilson

[White Knight]

Hi Tony

Not UK CAA, but we're in the UAE under the local GCAA - who I have to say have pretty strict medical standards, but are also fairly proactive in getting guys flying again. When I get mine back I'm expecting a multi-pilot requirement, but that's no big deal for me as I already did 10 years of single pilot stuff and now fly Airbii for a living... So, I always have at least one F/O to look after me:ok::ok::ok:

The bizarre thing is, that after angioplasty and stenting you're probably a lot less likely to keel over at the controls than half the guys and girls out there right now!! When I had serious chest pains and angina my resting ECG showed normal........ The stress ECG however nearly killed me 6 minutes in:cool: Another bit of research that backs this up is autopsies on soldiers' bodies - guys in their 20s - who even at that tender age have serious deposits on their artery walls. And they are fit guys!

Best of luck anyway:ok: