How soon can you fly 11 hrs after a breast augmentation?

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.

   I have patients from all over the world fly in each week for surgery, but you should have your discussion with the surgeon you choose.  I make myself available by email to help in this regard.Kenneth Hughes, MDLos Angeles, CA

I usually advise my patients to wait a week, until after their post operative appointment to remove their sutures, before undertaking a long flight.  Recovery rates however are very individual so it can be difficult to determine in advance if you will be comfortable enough to travel home.   If all goes well during your surgery and recovery then there should be no concerns flying home a day or two after your surgery.  Its a good idea to find a suitability qualified plastic surgeon that can manage your care should you have any complications when you return home.  One of the down sides to medical tourism is that you are usually unable to return to your operating surgeon should you have any concerns during your recovery.

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.

The most common time for infections to show after surgery is day 5 -7.  Haematomas can develop early ( right after surgery) or late ( 10-14 days). As an operating surgeon one has the responsibility to care for the patient. Therefore as a general rule I like 2 weeks, if there is problem I want to know about it and not dump it on someone else, in London for example.Stephen M. Davis, MD, FACSGreen Hills Plastic Surgery

I usually allow patients to fly home after about a week. This doesn't mean that they don't have risks related to the altitude and sitting for prolonged periods of time.  Best of luck.

Plisa, There is no physical or physiologic reason why you cannot fly immediately after surgery, however you need to allow time after surgery to be seen for follow-up, and to treat any unforeseen problem that may arise, rare as they may be.  Further, unless you are flying first class or business class, bear in mind the seating on intercontinental flights, which tends to be uncomfortably tight. The extent of the lift has little bearing on comfort in my experience, as it is the augmentation portion that is associated with most of the discomfort.  Most of my intercontinental patients and most long-haul US patients are ready to go home by day 2.  However, because deep vein thrombosis is more common after lengthy surgery, and risk is also increased by long air flights, you should be sure to get up and walk around every hour or two, and avoid dehydration to limit that risk.  I hope that this helps.

Your question is somewhat difficult to answer simply. If by safe you refer to life threatening risks, a few days would meet that criteria.  But advisable is another matter.  There are a few of complications that can occur early on like hematoma or infection that need to be treated promptly.  Sutures will need to be removed and if drains are used they will need to be taken out. With mastopexies (lifts) there are more incisions to keep a watch on.  All this takes time and most surgeons like to do this themselves.  How soon your surgeon would be comfortable having you leave his/her care is for him/her to tell you.  The important thing to establish before you have the surgery is what surgeon is going to look after you once you get home and who is going to be financially responsible for any complications you might have that need to be addressed once you get there?  Your recovery will hopefully go flawlessly, but your surgeon here will not be able to examine or treat you in London if there is any glitch. This is the problem with medical tourism.