Surgery to remove a slipped disc and class one?

[Vin Diesel]

I have searched exhaustively for any similar posts on this subject but couldn't find anything relevant.

I'd value any medically educated opinions on the following matter.

A friend of mine, aged 20, male, has had back trouble for about a year now. For those of you in England who criticise the NHS, bear in mind the dire health service that we have in Ireland. He applied for a public appointment to see a consultant and was given a date, December 2005 . He obviously couldnt wait that long so decided to go private, and got an appointment for November this year. In the meantime, the disc slipped. He was rushed to hospital by ambulance and a slipped disc diagnosed. Anyone who has experienced one will know that this is a very painful condition.

One benefit of the emergency hospital admission was that he was moved to the top of the waiting list for an MRI scan. The results of this were one slipped disc which must be removed, another disc which is damaged and the surgeon will inspect during surgery, and a third disc whose position relative to the spinal cord also warrants inspection during surgery.

The consultant has said that from a disc removal the recovery period will be about 3months.

I was wondering is there any aeromedical examiner that would read this and know precisely whether having had a disc removed precludes class one certification, or any professional aviator that has had a similar procedure could offer advice based on their experiences.

Any information gratefully appreciated.

[Loose rivets]

Are you sure that it is the intention to REMOVE one or more discs? This is serious stuff and used to require substantial bracing by permanent (Internal) metal devices. Where possible, debris pressing onto, or irritating nerves, is removed and the disc left in place.

Clarify this first.

There is or was, a CAA doctor at LGW headquarters, that has had spinal surgery; he also flies - I assume as a hobby - he was very helpful to me but I don't have his name anymore due leaving UK....but he should not be too difficult to locate.

[Vin Diesel]

Yeah, I'm absolutely certain that he is definitely having a minimum of 1 disc removed. No doubt about that. He'll have a closer look at the condition of the other discs during the same operation and decide which is the best course of action based on that.

It's very sad for me to see this happen to a great friend who really loves flying.

[Northern Chique]

Not that I am a doc, but in the medical field... slipped disc or ruptured? He must have done one hell of a job to injury his back like that! Ive had to have extensive physio on my back after an injury, and a protruded disc was the diagnosis at L4 and L5 in conjunction with irritated SI joints and it all eventually settled down. Other paramedics did not fair so well and one had rods inserted onto the sides of the lumbar section of his spine. He again went through all the physio and so on, but now lives an active and productive paramedic life. He like myself spent alot of extra time doing strengthening exersizes and so on, following the medicos advice to the letter.

Ive found in most cases, the management of the injury at the initial stage is fairly influential in the outcome, but I wish him the best and fastest recovery possible. I wouldnt wish back injuries on anyone.....

[max alt]

I had a prolapsed disc treated with graff stabilisation,medical suspended for two months then back to work after AME check,who just wanted to see how my mobility was.All worked fine for me,so no reason why it should stop your friend.
Regards Max.l

[2close]

You don't mention the levels of the prolapsed discs. This may be significant.

Following a violent sneezing session back in 1998 I developed neurological symptoms down my right arm and hand and following investigations had two discs removed, at C5/6 and C6/7, and the cervical vertebrae fused together using a bone graft taken from the hip. The operation was carried out within four months of the MRI diagnosis, the relative urgency being due to the discs impacting on the spinal cord at those levels which could be very serious in the case of, e.g. a sudden jarring action.
Post operatively, the neck was quite good but the hip was bloody painful and I could only move very slowly and sluggishly (although some may comment that there was no discernible difference).

The good news is that, I felt able to return to work after one month but took the neurosurgeon's advice and stayed off for three months (on full pay of course) and was completely neurologically asymptomatic and pain free.

I submitted all relevant pre and post-op documentation to the AME and have had no problems gaining JAA Class 2 and FAA Class 2 medicals and the AME said it should not affect my chances of a Class 1.

I believe it's not so much the fact that your friend will have the operation, what's more important is the rehabilitation and recovery process and what the post operative effects and prognoses are. If he gets on well post-op he should be OK but best speak to the experts down at LGW.

Hope this helps and I wish him all the best.

2close

[Croqueteer]

8 years ago (age 54) I developed severe syatica in the leg, and an MRI scan (take valium first!) showed the 4th disc had ruptured and was pressing on the nerve. As the company provided private medicine, I was operated on a couple of days later, and flying again in just less than 3 months, and never a twinge since. The surgeon told me that a "disc" was in fact soft material in a sack, and the sack is left between the vertebrae and protects one from the other. I think the answer is to have it done quickly before the disc can calcify which makes it a lot more difficult to remove. Another four of of our pilots had similar ops about the same time, all successful. Best of luck!
PS, this is only my opinion based on what happened to me, and what I gleaned from the docs at the time.

[2close]

and an MRI scan (take valium first!)

I know what you mean - the first one was spooky beyond belief - reminded me of potholing along a narrow horizontal channel (now that's a daft hobby!).

The next one wasn't too bad and I'd learned to use the rhythmic sound of the machine to relax me. The third one I fell asleep.

Hoepfully, there won't be any more!

2close

[Lost_luggage34]

The way the MRI scan was described to me (on here as it happens) was like being in a dustbin with a hoard of rugby players beating seven living daylights out of it with broom handles.

They were not far wrong.

I was given an option of taking my favourite CD and that coupled with the ANR headphones was OK for the first bit, then they forgot to put the CD back on !

Fascinating technology - it doesn't miss much.

Wrt to discs - if you can do without surgery, then do so. Basically having your back opened up is a last resort. It takes much. much recooperation due to the muscles that have to be cut through to get there as it were.

2close - quite unusual to have c5/6 and c6/7 operated on.

And NorthernChique covers the rest of what I was going to say very well.

[2close]

Certainly is unusual, Lost-luggage34,

Unfortunately I seem to have a narrower than normal neck which makes it slightly prone to such injury. And not half as unusual as having the two of them pop through an albeit violent sneezing fit - well, I exaggerate slightly, it was in fact only two sneezes but two beauties......the pins and needles, etc. diminished over the next week or so but a short while later I went swimming and they came back with a vengeance accompanied by all sorts of symptoms, including an unpredictable wicked reflex spasm of the right hand into a very painful, locked, claw-like grip.

Happened one evening whilst having dinner - fork one direction, spag bol the other, to which my brother looked over his forkful and in typical, dry, army Warrant Officer fashion, asked my missus, 'Does he turn into something now?' I still chuckle at that.

I digress; unfortunately, I had no choice about the op (Clowards Procedure), the risks of not having it done far outweighed the risks of the op itself owing to the pressure on the spinal cord at those levels. The op went in from the front, to the right side of the larynx, with an incision along a natural fold, so the cosmetic effect is nil - for God's sake, a couple of bolts and I'd look like Herman Munster's stunt-man. As I said earlier, the neck recovered in no time but the hip was a different story - OUCH!

But the end result was a very good recovery.

[kalley09]

Slip Disc Surgerry or (DISC FENNESTRATION AND EXCCISSION0

Dear Friend!

I am an Air line Pilot in domastic Air line in India. I have been opereted for Slip disc in 1987 in Chennai India.

With post surgical medical grounding for 12 weeks I am back into flying.

We in India & in Chennai have Top line medical experts who can make your freind Play Game of Football or even Squash.

Do contact <[email protected]>

Thanks & Regards


-Capt S.V.KALELE

[Hawk]

Hello Captain thanks for your post. I'm glad you have had such a successful outcome and that you are back flying.
Cheers
H.

[kalley09]

medicals for pilots.

I have come across some one asking for help for Slipped Disc Problem/Surgery.

The concern member can Contact me on my e-mail id<[email protected]>.

I am an Air line pilot flying B-737-3/4/7/800 for a domastic air line in India.

I have been opereted for L-4/L-5 Disc Prolaps in 1987.

Thanks & Regards.

[Human Factor]

Ok, it's an old thread but I don't look at the Med section very often.

Following an accident, I had a discectomy, decompression and bilateral fusion of L5/S1 before my initial UK CAA Class 1 several years ago, which I passed. The fusion was done without the need for metal plates, nuts, bolts or any other scrap iron - just an awful lot of patience. Feel free to PM me if you want any more details but the above pretty much covers it.

[gingernut]

So Vin, what was the outcome ?