How soon can you fly after Smart Lipo?

Question

2-3 hour flight. How soon is safe to take it after a smart lipo procedure? Can you fly day after? Few days after? Day of? What are the risks

Ozge Ergun, MD · Answer

Thanks for the question. Generally, most patients can fly within 24 to 48 hours after liposuction surgery. However, car or airplane travel should be avoided to prevent the risk of blood clots in the legs. I wish you all the best.

Marco A. Pelosi III, MD, FACOG, FACS · Answer

If you've undergone a small procedure, you can fly the next day. If you've had extensive lipo and are oozing from your incisions, not only will you face the possibility of oozing onto the airplane seat, but you carry an elevated risk of dangerous blood clots for about 6 weeks. I recommend prophylactic blood thinners to my patients who travel after large cases and recommend that they don't travel for at least 1 week.

Jason Emer, MD · Answer

I have all my fly in patients wait 2 days before flying.  Mainly because I want all the drainage to stop and to see them after 24 hours to ensure there is no excessive swelling or complications.  We do skype followups after that and have them back 3 months later.  Everyone has differences in opinions.  I do a tumescent approach and have very little complications or issues, even when I am doing hi definition type liposuction or fat transfer for buttock, chest, deltoids, calf defining or face contouring.  Best, Dr. Emer.

Bruce E. Katz, MD · Answer

Thank you for your question. Typically it is
best to wait at least 2-3 days before a flight. Your body will experience
minimal swelling as you are going through the healing process. It is important
to wear your compression garment as you will swell on the plane as well. Follow
up with your surgeon to make sure you are healing properly.

Mats Hagstrom, MD (license on probation) · Answer

There are several important reasons why you need to be close to your surgeon after surgery.
First of all, you need to have someone stay with you for 24 hours after the procedure. There are many physiological changes that happen after tumescent liposuction. One of them is the risk for lidocaine toxicity. There have been fatalities after liposuction from patients who have stayed alone after the procedure. There are also fluid shifts where people's blood pressure can drop. This can happen for several days after the procedure, especially in high-volume liposuction cases. The third concern about flying immediately after surgery involves the risk of developing blood clots. Both surgery and flying are known risk factors for developing blood clots that can potentially break loose, go to your lungs and become fatal. While blood clots can happen at any time without provoked risk factors, which are slightly increased with surgery, this is especially true when general anesthesia is used. It's also true for flights longer than six hours. Flights less than six hours have shown to have little risk for developing blood clots.
An interesting article that was recently published showed that people who sit in the aisle sits have a lower chance of developing blood clots while flying. The belief is that people in the aisle seats have a higher tendency to stand up and stretch their legs.
Remember, when flying, it's generally a good idea to squeeze your calf muscles, get up and walk a little bit.
While liposuction is generally a very safe procedure, there are potentially serious complications with any surgery. Because of this, it's also important to be close to your surgeon so that they can take care of you should something go wrong.All surgeons like to feel like they are God's gift to Earth, and patients are justified in the flying long distances. There are certainly times where it's worth looking for the best talent.  
I personally had surgery and traveled 600 miles. I stayed for nine days after the procedure. My wife was with me for the first four days.Best of luck,Mats Hagstrom, M.D.

How soon can you fly after Smart Lipo?

Answers (5)

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