Expert: MARK A. HOWELL - 4/1/2011

Question
QUESTION: i have had a cosmetic surgery procedure on my face in a foreign country a long time ago, about 2 years ago. it was completely elective and for cosmetic reasons with no functional issues whatsoever. do i absolutely still have to disclose this information despite the fact that i have no problems with it and i never had problems in that part of my face, even before the surgery? I truly don't want to disclose this as i feel it is extremely personal and do not want to be judged at all.

ANSWER: Alex,
Plastic surgery is not really a disqualifier unless it involved the nose. (This is because of possible sinus problems later on.)  Are there any visible scars?  If your surgery was in a foreign country it would be nearly impossible to prove, and civilian medical records are not required, so it's pretty much your call.  If you think it's unnoticeable and you can get away with it, don't say anything.  That's something doctors never ask about.  However, they may ask you to explain any noticeable scars, so you'll need a good story.

I'm not encouraging you to lie, but I don't think it would be a problem anyway.  You should NEVER volunteer any information that may prevent you from joining.  If the physician is smart enough to ask, don't lie, just downplay it.

Let your conscience be your guide.

Good luck,
Colonel H

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: thank you so much for your answer Colonel H.

Yes, I truly do not want to disclose it as I dont think it affects my performance at ALL and it seems like a lot of the questions tailored towards getting your medical record out is to make sure that you dont have any disabilities that will prevent you from functioning at maximum level. as stated, my surgeries were completely cosmetic. Even the nose procedure i have had done was cosmetic, and i have never, and stil have never had any sinus problems. i however, do have silicone implants in my face and accompanying screws as well. none of these affect my performance at ALL and i have never been more active and physically fit in my life. i can do everything i did before and more, if i couldnt, i would opt to have the procedures reversed. i just hate the thought of being judged and not taken seriously because of this as i know this would be an extremely taboo subject to bring up and im even willing to have my procedures reversed by taking the implants out, but my operations for my personal self esteem were truly life changing and little outside of my physical achievements, family, and work has ever made me feel this good about myself.

i have heard that prior to bootcamp, they do some sort of dental x ray on you that would detect the implants i have, and then questions would be asked and this is what im most afraid of. I'm not quite sure what kind of x ray it would be and how much of the face it would cover and this scares me, being questioned, and then looked down upon and judged(which would happen if i disclosed this info upfront), or even worse, disqualified. Fortunately, i do NOT have any visible scars, but its the x ray before boot camp for teeth work that im most afraid of.

thank you once again for your time Colonel H, I have been losing massive amounts of sleep over this! I'm just frustrated that I'm having to give up one thing or the other, of course I would give up the surgery or facial implants that I have, but I wish I wouldn't have to. Your answer will bring me a lot of peace.

Answer
Alex,
It sounds like your surgery  was a success and a life-changing event for you.  I'm glad it has given you the confidence you need.  If a dental x-ray would detect it and cause you to do a lot of explaining, then you'd never get away with simply denying it.

Yes, one of the first things they'll do is a full-mouth dental x-ray and take a DNA blood sample.  These are used to identify you should anything ever happen to you.  Sounds gruesome, but it's a necessity.  A full-mouth x-ray shows every tooth down to it's roots, so basically from the bottom of your nose to your chin.

Admitting to it is really your only option.  It's no big deal.  They won't hold it against you and nobody will ever know.  You'll need to ask your recruiter to help you apply for a waiver because of facial reconstruction.  It's just so that years from now you can't claim an infection or sinus problem, etc. and expect the military to fix it.  The military won't spend their money fixing what they call a "pre-existing" condition.

If you have a waiver, it means they don't think it's a big problem and they'll let you join and take care of you.

Good luck,
Colonel H