Cessna,
I have some good news for you. I had a 2 cm AN removed from my left ear on 1/4/06. I lost my hearing in the effected ear, but had no balance problems. I had my second class medical back in my hand on 2/21/06. I hold an Airline Transport Pilot certificate with a couple of jet type ratings so as you can imagine I needed to get my medical back. Here's the stuff you need to know. First, you will not qualify for any class of "standard issuance" medical as described in FAR 67 (medical standards and certification). However, the fine print is in FAR 67.401. You should be able to qualify for a special issuance medical. The only difference is the amount of paperwork your AME (aviation medical examiner) will need to submit to the regional flight surgeon. Your ability to excersize the priveledges of your certificate will not be affected. If your AME is not familiar with Special Issuance medicals you may want to find one that is. You may also want to contact your regional flight surgeon directly and find out exactly what he wants to see from your AN surgery (post op reports, MRI's etc..). You can get that phone number from the local FAA FSDO. Last, the FAA is overwhelmed by Special Issuance medical requests due to the new sport pilot requirements, I would advise starting the process early. Make sure your AN doctor knows your going to need his post op reports sent to your AME. I got lucky, my AME and my AN doctor worked in the same hospital so they could discuss my case. Good luck!
