Waiting Time to Pilot Plane After Liposuction?

Flying a plane, like driving, requires a set of physical skills that might be temporarily compromised after liposuction. However, as soon as you can execute those skills (and have no pain medication in your system), you can resume piloting a plane. I am a pilot and I would think this circumstance would be achieved within a week.

You really should be pain free and absolutely medicine free before even contemplating getting into the cockpit. For  most patients this is a minimum of two weeks. Certainly there are exceptions in either direction with some returning sooner and others later.

One my patients flys an A340 and she was back in her Captains seat 4 days after body liposuction. However, she was in exceptional physical shape and I performed her liposuciton under tumenscent liposuction. This minimized unnecessary trauma. When you have liposuction under general anesthesia, your surgeon will rough you up simply because they will make every effort to complete the liposuction as quickly as possible. The unnecessary trauma will mean weeks of extra recover. Regarding eyelid... more

Hi. You could probably get away with flying sooner, bot why take a chance?  After facelift, blepharoplasty, and liposuction, wait at least a month before you start piloting a plane.

For any surgery, the full recovery requires about 4-6 weeks. This time is required provided no complications. You should have no pain, and is requiring no pain medications. You also need all your mental capabilities amd reflexes.

Very interesting question! I'm assuming you mean liposuction of the lower face with the body, not a lower facelift. If I assume correctly than this is my opinion. As for the lower lids, if you have a transconjunctival blepharoplasty the wait time for a NON pilot is a few days to a week. This also would apply to the Smart Lipo of the lower face and trunk. But since you state you are the pilot, I agree with both, Drs. Aldea & Rand, the 'no fly zone is 6 weeks. (I like the phase 'No Fly... more

I would agree completely that a 6 week "no fly zone" be self-imposed around you after liposuction.  There is no data to back this up, it just feels logical and safe. 

Frankly, I do not think it would matter if you flew at 2,000 or 35,000 feet altitude. As a pilot you need full control of your faculties and reflexes. It goes without saying that you should not drive, much less pilot a plane, while taking pain pills or being unable to freely turn a wheal. Personally, I think you should wait at least 4-6 weeks before flying and I would encourage you to fly with another pilot, just in case. Dr. P. Aldea