There’s no specific time when you can fly after surgery. Different factors, such as the type of surgery, your general health and risks determine when you can fly.
Most people can fly within one to two days after minor surgery. If you had a minor orthopedic, abdominal or chest procedure, you can take a flight anywhere from 4 days to 2 weeks. After complex brain or spinal surgery, you could fly within 6 to 8 weeks. Some airlines impose regulations regardless of surgical procedure.
Various factors determine when it’s safe to fly after surgery. They include general guidelines by procedure type and tailored guidance from specialists.
Following general guidelines by type of surgery is crucial when flying. They include minor outpatient procedures, abdominal and gastrointestinal, orthopedic, cardiac and vascular, chest and lung, major organ surgery and cosmetic and plastic surgeries.
You can fly 1 or 2 days after minor outpatient procedures. This includes colonoscopies, arthroscopic and some cosmetic surgeries.
According to Healthline, abdominal and gastrointestinal surgeries may be considered simple or complicated. You can fly 4 to 5 days after a simple procedure or approximately 10 days after a complicated abdominal surgery.
After minor orthopedic surgery with a cast, you can fly within a day to 2 weeks. However, according to PubMed Central, it’s best to wait 6 weeks or longer after more complex orthopedic surgery or a joint replacement to prevent the risk of deep vein thrombosis (DVT).
You must wait 4 to 6 weeks to fly after cardiac and vascular surgery. Depending on your condition, it’s possible to take a flight in less time or with a doctor’s clearance. You can also fly if your blood pressure and heart rate are stable and you have no symptoms.
According to New York-Presbyterian, you can fly after chest and lung surgery if your lung is fully expanded. If you had a lung removed, you can take a flight after the operated side is filled with fluid.
Avoid flying for a few days to weeks after major organ surgery. These procedures pose a higher risk of DVT and pulmonary embolisms, so medical clearance for a flight is crucial.
When you can fly after cosmetic or plastic surgery depends on the procedure and other factors. Consult with your doctor first to avoid complications such as swelling, blood clots and more.
According to Canadian Travel Clinics, you must discuss your options for flying after surgery with your healthcare team. They will advise you and provide tailored guidance to ensure safe travels. Following your specialists’ instructions can prevent potential complications.
If you’ve had surgery and plan to fly, you must prepare for the journey. Ths involves strategies for comfort during flight, monitoring health conditions and emergency readiness.
After surgery, strategies for comfort during a flight can prevent potential complications. According to the Mayo Clinic, getting up and moving keeps your blood flowing and prevent clots. Drink plenty of water and wear comfortable, loose-fitting clothing.
Monitoring your health conditions after surgery is key when planning a flight. This means consulting with your doctor and following all instructions. It gives you a better prognosis for staving off complications such as DVT.
You must be emergency-ready for your first flight after surgery. Check in with your doctor and obtain a clearance letter from them, bring your medications and wear compression garments.
There are risks of air travel after surgery. They include deep vein thrombosis (DVT), pulmonary embolism and prolonged immobility risks.
According to the Mayo Clinic, DVT develops when a blot clot forms in a vein. Often, this occurs after surgery and in the leg. Moving around regularly can prevent it.
A pulmonary embolism develops when a blood clot enters the lungs and blocks one or more artery. Surgery is a chief cause of the condition.
Some surgeries result in prolonged immobility. Not moving around enough after a procedure can lead to complications, and flying can exacerbate those issues.
Before flying after surgery, it’s important to evaluate your readiness for travel. This means assessing individual health conditions, surgery-specific recovery benchmarks and physician recommendations.
Assess your specific health conditions before flying. Your doctor can inform you on the severity of any risks and provide insight into how to stay safer.
Your doctor can determine whether you’ve hit recovery benchmarks since your surgery. They can advise you on an approximate time you can board a plane if you’ve met those criteria.
After your surgery, your doctor can recommend when you can fly based on your healing progress. Keep all follow-up appointments and continue following physician’s orders for aftercare.
Take preventive measures for safe flying after having surgery. This requires understanding the importance of consulting healthcare providers, using compression stockings and anticoagulants and ensuring comfort and mobility.
Always consult your healthcare providers before performing any risky activities. This includes flying after you’ve been cleared following surgery. The more you know about your condition, the fewer risks you face.
Compression stockings and other garments can prevent DVT after surgery. They improve circulation, reduce swelling and aid healing.
After surgery, your doctor may prescribe anticoagulants to reduce the risk of blood clots and excessive bleeding. If you take other medications or have any conditions that counteract its benefits, your doctor may advise against it.
If possible, book an aisle seat on your flight. You want to be as comfortable as possible after surgery and should move around when possible. This gets your blood circulating and aids healing. Wear comfortable clothing and take medications as prescribed.
How long you have to wait to fly after surgery depends on your surgical procedure, condition and advice from your doctor.
Moving around when possible, using compression garments and using anticoagulants can help prevent blood clots while flying.
Avoid flying immediately after bowel, brain or chest surgery. Check with doctors to know when it’s safe.
The risk of blood clots reduces about three months after surgery.
We Guarantee that when choosing Air Ambulance 1, your loved ones shall be treated with professional and compassionate care. We consider every patient as family, we strive to perfection and continuously monitoring our operations. When choosing A provider, Remember that Air Ambulance 1’s management team has over 200,000 successful patient transfers in the past 15 years.
