This is something that you will have to discuss frankly and in detail with your surgeon. I have patients fly in for surgery all the time, but it takes a lot of planning and forethought on both my part as well as my patients'. Most of this involves what to do in the eventuality of a complication as opposed to the actual risk that flying at altitude would pose after surgery. In actuality, that risk is relatively low, especially for breast surgery, as we don't create or operate on any air-filled spaces which would be sensitive to altitude and pressure changes, thus, in most cases the actual act of sitting on an airplane at altitude can be pulled off safely within a few days or so. Notwithstanding this however, as operating surgeons we also have to be sure that we provide our patients with the appropriate amount of postoperative management and observation for specific complications that could occur. Things like dressing changes, drain and suture removal, if required, and instruction in any special massage techniques will need to be done on our out-of-town patients just like any of our local patients without compromise. We also need to watch for things like wound infections, bleeding or hematomas, and tissue loss, and those things take some time to develop. These things also take on a bit of a different complexion if a patient is flying in from overseas versus from a neighboring locale, especially if the surgeon doesn't have resources like a trusted colleague in the patient's home town who can look in on any potential problems that may arise after the patient returns. In a perfect world, your chosen surgeon would always be available to see you during the entirety of your early postop period, at least the time that complications would be most likely to arise, but this is usually around 4 - 6 weeks, and the reality of undergoing surgery abroad doesn't allow this for most people. That is why this becomes a judgment call. You and your surgeon must agree on the minimal amount of time for surveillance and management that the surgeon needs following your particular operation, and then you should try to be as flexible with your travel plans around that time as you can be. Remember: safety first. Make sure you have detailed and honest discussions with your surgeon about these things, and if anything sounds like it is forcing the issue, my advice is to forego the procedure, at least until appropriate arrangements can be made to suit everyone's comfort level. It's just not worth it. In general however, provided that your surgeon outlines a rational plan for your surgery and follow up, and you are healthy and comfortable with the plan, the risks are manageable, and such surgery can be done with confidence. Good luck.
