Cardiac arrest..never get a medical again?

[MattW]

So a good buddy of my Dads found out that I'm working on purchasing a float plane. He was licensed and owned a plane 15 years ago and had to stop for business reasons. He was very excited and would like to partner in a plane with me and it is a good fit but when he went to get a medical his doctor told him no way because of a heart attack he had 10 years ago. He's had no issues since and stays fairly fit. I'm wondering if any exceptions have been made to this rule or is there any way around this problem for him? Does anyone have any experience with this? Is flying just over for him? Thanks in advance.

[ant_321]

I'm not sure of all the requirements when it comes to something like this as I am not a doctor. But I do personally know someone who suffered a heart attack and was back flying commercially less than a year later. In his case there was surgery involved to correct a problem that was found. I guess it is a case by case type of thing. Has he tried talking to another examiner?

[tired of the ground]

https://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/civilaviation/ ... 2-1412.htm

According to the above any Myocardial Infarct will render an applicant unfit for a class 3 medical and therefore not be allowed to hold a private licence. They will however possibly be able to hold a class 4 and a rec permit. If the person would be happy with a rec licence (and most private pilots don't operate outside those privileges) then you could be good to go.

[MattW]

My understanding is that he was at his doctors office and his doctor also does aviation medicals, he asked about the medical and his doctor said no way.

[Taiser]

I guess it would depend on the "type" of heart attack? I know a few guys who have had serious heart issues, and they all got their medicals back. One is still flying commercially. Another one has a medical back but has to fly with somebody else who is qualified on the his airplane until all the testing and some time has passed. He was told a year or two and he should be getting his full Cat 3 back as long as nothing shows up during that time!

Doctors seem to be worse than TC when it comes to "interpreting" things it seems...

[oldtimer]

I had a micardio infarct (or something like that, basically the old pump cavitated) because of a blockage to the back of the heart. Angioplastey and a stent cured the problem for the time being. I was back in the saddle again with little or no restrictions 9 months later except I had to do a treadmill stress test annually in addition the my aviation medical. Finallly another test on the treadmill 10 years later showed another blockage so angioplastey, another stent and 6 months rest put me back in the saddle with a Class 1 but a restriction that I had to fly commercially with a co-pilot but for a lesser license, I could get that waiver lifted. I retired then and have so far quit flying.
One thing that I did that really helped was a program called Cardio Wellness which is diet counselling and a controlled exercise program that allowed me to gain my health back. Now, 5 years into retirement, I feel great except I am getting kind of old (but not crochety).

[MattW]

Thanks to all for the thoughts, ideas and suggestions. I'll relay this info to my friend and tell him not to give up on this idea.

[LuckyPilot]

Tell your friend that he will have to switch Doctors. It requires work on the part of the Doc to get the ball rolling in the right direction, and let's be frank some of these ol'docs are lazy and do not want to put the time in on the required paperwork, or referrals to specialists.

[switchflicker]

Tell your friend that he will have to switch Doctors. It requires work on the part of the Doc to get the ball rolling in the right direction, and let's be frank some of these ol'docs are lazy and do not want to put the time in on the required paperwork, or referrals to specialists.

Absolutely. If you are in the Winnipeg area, Dr. Fogal's objective is to get and keep pilots in the cockpit, and he will do what ever he can to do just that. He's a CAME.

[HiFlyChick]

That's really disgraceful that that doctor was ready to scrap a guy's career because he doesn't want to bother (or maybe is worried about liability?)

The link to the CARs that was posted says:
An established medical history or clinical diagnosis of (a) myocardial infarction; or
(b) myocardial ischemia, overt or silent, or other evidence of coronary artery disease, considered by accredited medical conclusion to potentially predispose to an incapacitating event, shall be assessed unfit.

It's not the heart attack itself, but the fact that it is likely to recur that would make you lose your medical. I also know a guy who got his medical back after a cardiologist signed him off. It doesn't happen right away, mind you, and you still have to fall inside the required numbers; he also had to undergo some extra testing, like a stress test and mibi (radioactive dye test) and had to repeat that fairy regularly.

[MattW]

That's really disgraceful that that doctor was ready to scrap a guy's career because he doesn't want to bother (or maybe is worried about liability?)

The link to the CARs that was posted says:
An established medical history or clinical diagnosis of (a) myocardial infarction; or
(b) myocardial ischemia, overt or silent, or other evidence of coronary artery disease, considered by accredited medical conclusion to potentially predispose to an incapacitating event, shall be assessed unfit.

It's not the heart attack itself, but the fact that it is likely to recur that would make you lose your medical. I also know a guy who got his medical back after a cardiologist signed him off. It doesn't happen right away, mind you, and you still have to fall inside the required numbers; he also had to undergo some extra testing, like a stress test and mibi (radioactive dye test) and had to repeat that fairy regularly.

Sorry if I wasn't clear. There's no career at stake here, this is for a PPL. I'll keep encouraging my friend to keep trying on this. It sounds like there's a good chance this can be overcome.

[HiFlyChick]

Sorry if I wasn't clear. There's no career at stake here, this is for a PPL. I'll keep encouraging my friend to keep trying on this. It sounds like there's a good chance this can be overcome.

My bad, Matt - I just re-read your post and you didn't say business, I was just so hepped up on coffee that I read too fast and his business and the flying blurred together

To get a medical for a PPL should be even easier, then - I was talking about a friend who got his Cat I medical back. With any luck your friend may not have to have so many tests (or at least not repeat them as frequently, if at all). Still not impressed with the doc, tho....

[redlaser]

Transport Canada's medical officer has the final say if one is unfit to fly, pilots often get back their medicals once their condition has been corrected by surgery heart implants.