Can I Travel 2 Weeks After Breast Augmentation?

Traveling 2 weeks after breast augmentation is safe. You should discuss this with you surgeon. Be weary not to do any heavy lifting.

Thanks for the question. You should be able to go on vacation by 3-4 weeks after your surgery. But this is valid only with assuming postoperative recovery is uneventful. If any unexpected incident happens in your treatment process, this time can be extended or shortened. I wish you all the best.

Given that you are progressing as expected and your course has been uncomplicated, two weeks should be a reasonable time to proceed with your travel plans.  Ensuring adequate oral intake and mobility is a must and proper postoperative care of the surgical sites and incisions is prudent. An evaluation postoperatively as well as prior to departure is usually done to make sure that all is well for your travel back. Hope that this helps! Best wishes!

At two weeks post-op, you probably feel pretty good, have little remaining swelling or bruising (if you had any at all), and are able to do everyday activities without much limitation.

However, you should not be working out, lifting heavy objects, doing repetitive activities with your arms or upper body muscles, or doing any sort of vigorous activity that could open up a tiny, incompletely-healed blood vessel, and require re-operation for evacuation of breast hematoma! Most bleeding after breast augmentation occurs between day 10 and 27 after surgery, so you are still at risk for bleeding requiring re-operation for up to two more weeks. If this happens, where will you go, and who will you trust your breast re-operation surgery and results to?

So can you travel? Sure, but you cannot lift your luggage to the overhead rack; you should not even be carrying luggage, especially over a long trip. No hiking, biking, or excessive exhausting activity. Exposure to exotic bacteria in an incompletely healed pair of scars--*do you play Russian Roulette?

Also, you are still at risk for developing blood clots, which can be suddenly fatal, for up to a month after surgery.

Why is it that you want to risk your results or your life for this bus trip now? Please rethink this for your own safety. Best wishes!

The major risk of air travel after any type of surgery is related to the development of blood clots in the legs (deep vein thrombosis-DVT).  These blood clots can then spread to the lung (pulmonary embolus-PE) which can be potentially life-threatening. These clots can form up to one month after surgery.  It's important to be walking early after surgery and avoid risk factors such as birth control pills and smoking.  You will also want to walk several times on the actual flight, especially if it is a long distance flight.

Discuss this in greater detail with your plastic surgeon prior to air travel.

Best wishes,

Dr. Bruno

I have to agree with Dr. Buchannon.  Although most patients do not have problems two weeks after surgery with things like post operative bleeding or infection, the risks for blood clots can be a life threatening issue, so even if the risk is not as great as it is immediately post op, it is real.  The time of highest risk for blood clots is near the time of surgery, however can happen many weeks after surgery, especially if there are other risks factors such as obesity, birth control pill use, and family history of blood clots.  I would talk to your doctor to see what your particular risk factors are before going on your trip.  The fact that your trip will be so long, and you will be sitting in a car for hours daily, blood clot risks cannot be overlooked.   

Hi there-

2 weeks after your breast augmentation, there should be no medical reason you cannot enjoy your trip. On the other hand, I would not want you lifting bags or other things for another few weeks after surgery.

Check with your surgeon before making irreversible plans but in general there should be no concerns about flying after 2 weeks. There are no clinical consequences from the change in altitude during commercial air travel on your implants.

Dr. Mosher

You should be okay to travel 2 weeks after your surgery but you still need to take it easy and use common sense.  It would be appropriate to have someone else carry your bags so that you are not lifting extensively.  But otherwise you should be fine.

I hope that helps!

Most of the potential immediate complications following breast augmentation will occur within the first two weeks after surgery. Therefore traveling thereafter should be safe as long as lifting restrictions of 10 pounds are observed.