Thank you for your question. I typically would let me patients fly 2-3 days after revision breast surgery depending on the health of the patient and what was specifically done at the time of surgery and how complex the case was. Many times during more complex breast revisions a partial or complete capsulectomy may be part of the surgical plan. In these cases, most of the time there may be a drain that is placed to wick away fluid that may collect in the space after surgery. When I do a capsulectomy in revision breast surgery, I always utilize drains which typically come out at 3-5 days after surgery. I advise my out of town patients that I prefer to locally manage my patients at least until the drain comes out (usually 5 days at most), so after that they can fly home. I would not every recommend to someone to fly that has a drain because that will have to be managed by someone other than the operating plastic surgeon that placed the drain. Also in these situation, there can be more risk of bleeding in the first 3 days (albeit still very rare), and I believe it is best to have your patients "in town" so they can be followed very closely by the original plastic surgeon for safety reasons. I would check with your plastic surgeon because it also can depend on what specifically is being done surgically which can affect recovery. Flying itself does not impart any harm onto the surgery itself or the implant; however, with flying usually comes the "stress" of travel, possibly having people push past you and also being "confined" in a small small for the duration of a flight. I always tell my patients that they cannot lift any sort of bag to go into the overhead compartment on any flight for at least 2 weeks after surgery and sometimes even longer. Because revision breast surgeries can be longer surgeries (sometimes 2 or even 3 hours) than first-time breast augmentations, it is also important to always "get up and walk around" at least every hour whenever you fly for more than one hour to minimize the risk of blood clots. In addition, it is good practice to do "gas pedals" and pump your feet (flex and extend your ankles) while seated in general whenever you are flying. I agree that an aisle seat is also a good idea because it can make it easier to get out of your seat and "move around". I hope this has been helpful. Good luck!
