*photo courtesy of fizkes via Shutterstock
You’re about to have a private knee or hip replacement and you’d like to time things so that you’re fit to fly by the time your holiday comes round. That’s something we hear very often, and the general advice most patients will receive is that they should avoid short haul flights for six weeks after surgery and long haul flights for 12 weeks.
That’s certainly the NHS and NICE position, but those timescales are far from universal. You’ll find lots of surgeons online suggesting four weeks. Many more choose the suitably vague “a few weeks”. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) advises 10 days.
If that all seems rather contradictory, the reason is simple: there’s no clear evidence supporting a specific time, and there’s no clear medical literature. What we’re left with is expert medical opinion.
What’s the risk of flying after surgery?
The greatest risk is of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism. A DVT is a blood clot. A pulmonary embolism is what happens when that blood clot gets stuck in an artery within the lung, blocking blood flow. It can be life threatening.
Being immobile increases the risk of DVT. When you’re recovering from any surgery, chances are you’re likely to be more immobile than usual. Taking a plane flight compounds the immobility and risk. That’s especially the case with a long haul flight.
Finding consensus
That’s why I’m currently working with the British Orthopaedic Association (BOA) on a project to explore how long surgeons are advising patients to avoid flying. We’re sending a questionnaire to members, then we’re involving the British Society of Haematology, CAA and others, to reach a consensus medical opinion.
While that may not give us any greater clinical evidence than we already have, it should at least ensure more surgeons are giving consistent advice to their patients. So next time you ask the question “how soon will I be able to fly after surgery?” you should have a better chance of getting an answer that is the same, whoever you ask.
I’ll share the results of the project in due course.
And if you’d like your private hip or knee replacement in Gloucestershire to dovetail nicely with your holiday plans, please get in touch or call 01242 246549
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