Can you join the military if you have had the Hyprocure surgery?

SGT Garin Janssen — Mon, 03 Dec 2018 23:03:54 -0500

A friend of mine who is 25 HAD misaligned feet and had the Hyprocure surgery back in January 2018 due to pain in feet but since then has fully recovered and no longer has pain. He wanted to join the Air Force prior to the surgery but was unable because of the problem with his feet. Now that he is fully recovered he would like to try and join again, he would like to get some answers before he talks to recruiter. Does anyone know if the Hyprocure in his feet will prevent him from joining?

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 4 at 2018 7:27 AM

1SG Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 04 Dec 2018 07:27:19 -0500

If the stent isn't considered an orthopedic implant, yes. If it is, no.
DODI 6130.30 is the standard.
20. MISCELLANEOUS CONDITIONS OF THE EXTREMITIES.
f. Current orthopedic implants or devices to correct congenital or post-traumatic orthopedic abnormalities (V43).
The only real way to find out is go to a recruiter and try to enlist without concealing the surgery and implant.

Response by Capt Daniel Goodman made Feb 18 at 2019 4:16 PM

Capt Daniel Goodman — Mon, 18 Feb 2019 16:16:10 -0500

What you're referring to is termed an arthroereisis...it's a subtalar implant used in the midfoot for midfoot arch correction...I'd been doctoral allied health before my total perm disability, we've since shut my license as a result, however, I was well trained on such procedures, though I unfortunately never got to assist with one in residency, though I assisted with some 200-300 surgeries overall, not solely lower extremity, numerous other clinical areas as part of enrichment training...the device osmt a stent, as !mentioned below, a stent is an intravascular device generally with a drug eluting coating, intended for intravascular surgery, I'd seen the usage of stent in one answer, and !erely thought to explain, unless there's some oher usage I might admittedly be unaware of...that being said, it is an orthopedic implant, so far as I'm aware, however, I'm uncertain of it being intended to be reversiblez as with a gastro lap band, which, by the way, are, as I've also learned, not all tat easily reversed...the circumstances of why he was dee!ed to need it would certainly need to be considered either by podiatry, or, more likely, lower-extremely orthopedics, orthopedists expressly lower extremity fellowship trained, have him look at http://www.AOFAS.org, that's their organization, those are physicians, there's a whole thing in podiatry about podiatric physician, however, that's a long winded debate I didn't want to get into here...podiatry, I'm fairly certain, depending on the state, can do arthroereisis procedures in an OR, however, they're relatively sophisticated procedures, plus, they have to be fairly carefully and relatively frequently checked, I believe, to make certain of osseous condition at the implant site, there are also doubtless numerous surgical sequelae that also need to be watched for, so, I'm not entirely certain how the svcs view them now, it'd likely need quite possibly, I'd expect, a Surgeon Genl eval and quite possibly waiver, however, that's purely a guess on my part, at the moment...beyond that, such procedures would quite clearly need expert opinion and workup, incl imaging, gait analysis, most esp...I hope all that was of at least some use, please understand, I only give you all that in an effort to be helpful, and to merely inform, so you and tour friend would have at least a reasonable clue of where to start looking, and what questions to ask, what you'd raised was obv very highly specialized, something comparatively few on here would've been aware of to that extent, which was why I'd merely thought to explain those basic aspects of the overall topic, that's all I'm trying to say, I've been total perm disabled quite some time now, however, as I'd said, I was very heavily exposed to that level of surgical procedure, as well as numerous related aspects, albeit quite some time ago, I merely thought you your friend might find it of use, purely for very basic informational purposes only, to at least you both get started in the reasonably right direction, whether such a device would be allowed at all, I have, of course, absolutely no idea, certainly, I merely also thought to make that quite clear, hope was of help, many thanks.

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Response by Capt Daniel Goodman made Feb 18 at 2019 4:18 PM

Capt Daniel Goodman — Mon, 18 Feb 2019 16:18:01 -0500

I'd wanted to go back in as clinical, with USPHS, and also trained under one of their O-6 level senior staff during my clerkships, unfortnately, I was never able, obviously....