Flying After Tummy Tuck and Breast Augmentation?

I believe every plastic surgeon will tell you something different. For such a big surgery I would want my patient to be around for about 4-6 weeks before traveling. Now when you are on the plane make sure you get up and walk around plenty. Good luck.

You are planning to stay in the US for 4-6 weeks after your breast and tummy surgeries.  That's a good idea.  By week 4 or 5, you will be almost fully healed.  For out of town patients undergoing a combined breast and tummy surgery, I generally do not recommend a long flight for 2 weeks.  Prolonged sitting can increased your risk of a blood clot, aka DVT.

Hi, Thank you for your question. Four to six weeks is usually enough time to fly providing that you have no complications with surgery. However, a flight that long could potentially cause some problems such as blood clots in the legs and that is why you will not find anyone to go on record as telling you that it will be safe! You will want to be sure to wear some sort of compression garment, do leg/calf exercises every hour and drink plenty of water to stay hydrated to try and prevent blood... more

Allowing 4-6 weeks to elapse should be a sufficient amount of time following major surgery barrring any complications. This should allow adequate time to assess and treat any conventional post operative conditions.  

There is a slight risk of developing clots in the legs after prolonged flights. The question of when can you fly always comes up. I prefer patients to stay in town about 10 days to 2 weeks after surgery. If they have to fly home, I recommend staying well hydrated, ambulating often on the plane, and pumping the calf muscles frequently to encourage circulation.

The incidence of developing a symptomatic blood clot (pulmonary embolism) in a prolonged plane flight is about 5 in a million, more in patients with risk factors such as obesity, oral contraceptives, sedentary lifestyle, familial clotting disorders, etc., less in patients with no risk factors. All surgeries carry risks. There are several prophylactic measures against blood clots that can be taken before, during and after surgery that can minimize the risk. Every tertiary referral center or... more

Perth gurl, Four to six weeks following tummy tuck and breast implant replacement is a reasonably safety window. Of course, your surgeon will want to see you even beyond this short post operative window. If possible, leave the return open ended just in case you have some complication (infection, fluid or seroma collection) that needs treatment. Good luck!

I have patients fly in from out of town or other countries for major surgery. My rule is that they have to be in the area for 3 days prior to surgery. Aftyer surgery they can fly at 3-4 weeks. Although the risk of blood clots and pulmonary embolism (which can be fatal in 10%) drops off significantly at 10 days to two weeks after surgery, a long flight still puts you at risk. You should wear some sort of compression stocking and also need to get up and out of your seat every 30min-1 hour and... more

If you have selected a surgeon in the USA from before, you should direct you questions to him. There can be concerns with long distance flights before surgery as much as after surgery due to deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism as well as taking estrogen or birth control pills. Depending on the specific abdominoplasty and breast surgery, generally it would be safe to fly a couple of weeks after surgery barring any complications. However, certain instructions and restrictions would be... more

Hi! There is no question that there is an increased risk of blood clots and pulmonary emboli when people fly right after an abdominoplasty. In Manhattan, we frequently see people from out of town, and we require that they wait at least a month after a tummy tuck before they fly. When you do fly home, get up from your seat and walk at least once an hour. And if you can afford business class and stretch your legs, it's a good additional investment in safety.

While every doctor is different, your thoughts of staying 4-6 weeks sounds reasonable. This will not only make a long trip more comfortable for you but will also get you out of the woods for most postop complications. Good luck.