Pneumorthorax problem?!
Question: just come out of hospital having suffered a pneumorthorax, i want to join the armed forces, will this hold me back from the paras
Answers: just come out of hospital having suffered a pneumorthorax, i want to join the armed forces, will this hold me back from the paras
A pneumothorax is defined as an abnormal collection of air within the chest. Air may escape the lung or airways abnormally and collect around the lung within the chest. While most pneumothoraces are due to chest trauma or previous lung disease such as emphysema, it may occur spontaneously in previously healthy individuals. It is very uncommon (<40 cases/100,000 people). Risk factors include smoking, family history, and being tall+thin.
Treatment can range from simple observation, oxygen use, tube drainage, pleurodesis, to surgery. Unfortunately, the chances for recurrence is up to 40% if definitive treatment is not done. This may be decreased to ~20% with chemical pleurodesis or <5% with surgery.
Based on limited evidence, many experts would recommend that patients undergo definitive therapy if a recurrent pneumothorax would put themselves or others in danger (i.e. pilot, deep-sea diver). While this should not prevent you from joining the armed forces, only their medical personnel would be able to determine what actitivies you would be eligible for.
Since your pneumothorax was treated using conservative techniques, it may be impossible to pursue definitive treatment if the air was completely removed.
It shouldn't. After you are healed, you are healed. You will have scar tissue but shouldn't have any loss of function.
You can't go sky diving scuba diving or fly in a unpressurized plane if you didn't have surgery to prevent it from happening again. Did you have surgery to prevent it from happening or did you just get a chest tube? I had my lung collapse and my doctor said that I can run long distance.