Can I Fly After Surgery?

This is a question I receive from a number of patients. Unfortunately, my answer is not going to be an answer that applies to every surgery. There are really two categories of surgery – general and local surgery with oral sedation. The latter category would include procedures such as Smartlipo and  Blepharoplasty. I believe it is fine to fly the next day after Smartlipo, but I would want you to remain in the area for 3 days, generally, after a blepharoplasty.

• For general anesthesia cases, I believe it is fine to fly out 48-72 hours after a straightforward Breast Augmentation (BA). Of course, it would be nice if you could stay longer, but I don’t think this is absolutely necessary.
• If there was a vertical lift performed with the BA, I would want you stick around in the area closer to 5-7 days.
• After a Breast Reduction, it would be best to stay in the area for 5 days or more, but again, there could be reasons to leave earlier.
• For a Tummy Tuck, it would be best to stay in the area for 10-14 days, but again, depending on circumstances, this could change.
• For a Gynecomastia surgery, it would be best to remain in the area for a week.
• For a Facelift, 10-14 days.

These are, of course, just rough guidelines and each case would be individually determined. If your surgery lasted more than 3 hours, and your flight is more than a few hours, I may recommend that you take a baby aspirin before you fly.

Have other questions about your cosmetic procedure? Call us at 703-406-2444 to schedule your complimentary, private consultation with me. I’d be happy to answer any questions you may have!