Orbital Floor Blowout Fracture

[Guest SpartanHK]

While I was boxing recreationally, a blow to my right eye gave me, in additional to a swollen black eye, a blowout fracture in the orbital floor. I wasn't knocked out by the hit. I was lucky in that there was no muscle entrapment, and the double vision I got AFTER swelling (but not after the hit) went away three days later. My vision is still 20/20 in both eyes and the doctors found no damage to the eye itself. However, in order to decrease the chance of getting a sunken eye due to the size of the fracture, I'm going to be getting surgery to insert a medpor mesh material to seal up the fracture. My doctor told me he advises against scuba diving after such damage to the eye socket (even years after the surgery) because issues with forcefully equalizing pressure in your sinus' can potentially lead to air leaking behind you eye and causing problems.

I've already finished my brooks visit, and it seems like everything went well (haven't heard back for sure yet). My doctor didn't seem to think that this damage to my eye socket floor (before or after surgery) should have any effect on an aviation career. I'm still worried. Is this a potential DQ? Any information would be helpful. Thanks!

[usaf36031]

IF the flight Doc sounded like he was cool with it, then I'd be reassured. Not being a doctor myself, I can't say for sure. But I always thought that the pressure of scuba diving was very similar to the pressure equalization required during high altitude flight/altitude chamber quals. GOOD LUCK!

[Guest SpartanHK]

Probably should have mentioned that the doctor I was referring to was just a civilian eye doctor. Since he doesn't know squat about Air Force requirements, I'm still very worried about my chances. But when he mentioned that scuba diving thing...the altitude chamber was the first thing that came to my mind...

[brabus]

I'd be worried too if I were you. Sounds to me like he told you not to dive b/c of having to valsalva (or yawn, whatever you do to equalize pressure in your sinuses). Guess what, you'll be doing the exact same equalizing in the chamber, while flying, etc. But on the same page, it's not like you can go through life never equalizing your sinuses. This is definitely serious enough that you need to get checked out by a flight doc. If you can't chamber, you can't fly...sorry. But, it'd be better to find out now then to find out 4 days into UPT. Good luck, and if you want any hope of still being able to fly, stop boxing. Getting knocked unconscious is a 99% DQ (and don't say it'll never happen, b/c there's ALWAYS a high enough chance in boxing that it's not worth the risk).