How long should I wait to fly after surgery? I will be doing liposculpture with local anesthesia and plan to fly 10 days postop.

Thanks for your question. The best person to advice you will be your specific surgeon as every surgeon will have his/her own preferences as to recovery for specific procedures. I have my patients stay for a week before flying. That said, you definitely have to choose your surgeon correctly and make sure that he/she has the training and experience to meet your goals with absolute safety.  A key quality indicator is Board Certification by the American Board of Plastic Surgery.  Don’t settle for less than a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon with specialized expertise in this procedure.

There are several reasons to hold off on flying immediately following surgery.  The risk of blood clots developing in the legs is especially high in the first four days if one has had general anesthesia. This risk is not there if one has had local anesthesia. Also, if one has had general anesthesia and has sinus issues, it is always wise to wait a few days prior to traveling. There is also the common sense reason to wait a few days if one has had either general or local anesthesia. In the first 24 to 48 hours one does not want to cause any bleeding by excessive activity and motion of the body. Too much motion early on can also cause fluid buildup under the skin. By 10 days one should be safe to travel. However remember many plastic surgery procedures require aftercare and if you are traveling for surgery or traveling after surgery, remember the importance of postoperative follow-up with her surgeon to guide your management for the optimal results.

Recommend that you ask for your surgeon's opinion regarding boarding the flight from CA to Equador. Neither are there hard and fast rules on when to fly after this procedure nor is there little evidenced based medicine to support firm guidelines or recommendations on timing of air travel.  Most would recommend a week or two before flying.  Kenneth Hughes, MD, ABPS Board Certified Plastic SurgeonLos Angeles, CA