Re: air travel after op

[Guest guest]

--- In surfacehippy , " Dennis Felts " <

> Anyway the point I want to raise is there has has been a lot of

press coverage here about the risk of Deep Vein Thrombosis in

connection with air travel, especially in long haul ecomomy class

(long haul for us usually means over 3 hours), and the risk is

greater for those who have major surgery such as hip replacements and

should not be undertaken within 3 months of the op.

> My OS has said that air travel should be OK after 6 weeks and after

that the risk is the same for anyone.

>

I traveled by plane 4 days after surgery. There was an hour drive,

followed by a 2 hour plane ride, then another hour drive home. Piece

of cake. Dr Gross puts you on blood thinners (Fragmin), which is

expressly for bloot clot prevention. They suggest doing your

exercises frequently during the flight (heel pumps, foot wiggling)

and getting up and moving around every 20 minutes or so. Since I was

a little nervous anyway, I did the exercises constantly and got up

every so often, and was fine.

Apparently, from what my doc said, there is much less frequency of

DVT with this op than there is with THR, for some inexplicable

reason. If there were a tremendous risk, the american docs would

never jeopardize their trials by allowing their patients on planes

for long flights. Some hedge their bets by using the compression

stockings, along with blood thinners.

Lois

Gross RHR

8/6/03

[Guest guest]

I am also from the UK and had a hip hop Nov 26th. Was to fly to Italy

for New Year, but was advised against it by the hospital and GP because

of DVT risk. A friend had our same op and did have a DVT without

flying. My leg was still quite swollen by New Year, and there is no way

I wanted to take the risk. Waiting a few months to fly is not such a

big thing in the overall scheme of things, if flying is not vital.

air travel after op

Hi all,

I live in the UK and am about to have a BHR. This is a very routine

operation in the UK and is covered under our National Health Service

although the waiting list can be quite long if you don't go private. I

have now been waiting 12 months since seeing the consultant and being

put on the wait list. I'm due for the op on Febraury 2nd and can't wait.

I'm (only) 55 and want to get back to normal ie; windsurfing, sailing,

scuba diving etc.

Anyway the point I want to raise is there has has been a lot of press

coverage here about the risk of Deep Vein Thrombosis in connection with

air travel, especially in long haul ecomomy class (long haul for us

usually means over 3 hours), and the risk is greater for those who have

major surgery such as hip replacements and should not be undertaken

within 3 months of the op.

My OS has said that air travel should be OK after 6 weeks and after that

the risk is the same for anyone.

Having looked at the surfacehippy site for a while it seems that a lot

of people in the US travel long distances ie; to Belgium, to have the op

then return within a few days. Are there no reported cases of DVT in the

US associated with air travel ?

I would have thought that US citizens are more used to long haul and

therefore be at greater risk than us in the UK.

Keep up the good work with all the positive feedback - I very rarely

hear anyone say they regret having has their re-surfacing op done

Dennis

[Guest guest]

I had a very real concern about DVT after having had one in 2001

following a Minnesota -Florida roundtrip flight over two days.

Prior history of DVT is a big risk factor for a recurrence. I had my

resurface in Belgium last May. Flying from Minnesota to

Amsterdam takes 9 hours. Thankfully I had no problem on either

flight. I kept pumping and circling my ankle, got up and moved

around hourly and wore my support hose. With the blood

thinners, all went well. It did help to have bulkhead seating on

the flights. At that time DeSmet said he had never had a

problem with DVT with his overseas resurfacing patients.

Ruth rbhr DeSmet

[Guest guest]

there has has been a lot of press coverage here about the risk of Deep Vein

Thrombosis in connection with air travel, especially in long haul ecomomy class

(long haul for us usually means over 3 hours), and the risk is greater for those

who have major surgery such as hip replacements and should not be undertaken

within 3 months of the op.

I am seeing a lot more coverage about it because a drug company is running ads

on tv about it. I have done a fair amount of travelling since my surgeries.

Flown to Texas, Florida, CA, cruise to the Caribbean, cruise to Alaska (no

flight there-we drive all our stuff up to Vancouver BC). I have always had a

tendency for my legs to swell, so if I am doing a flight longer than the two

hour trip to CA, I wear TEDS. I also do lots of ankle pumps, walk whenever I

get the chance, and drink lots of water. Definitely not the norm this far post

op, but again, my circulation has never been ideal, so I'm stacking the deck in

my favor.

Cindy

C+ 5/25/01 and 6/28/01

_______________________________________________

[Guest guest]

Hi Dennis

I travelled about 16 hours, counting layovers, from Belgium to Canada's west

coast in August, 5 days after having the marvellous Dr De Smet resurface my

right hip. He has three things overseas patients must do, to prevent DVT: take

prescribed Heparin (blood thinner) for three weeks after surgery, and double

doses just before and during flying; wear TEDS stockings for 6 weeks after

surgery, 24/7; during the flight get up and move around very frequently. I

would imagine that there is danger of DVT if you don't follow these three rules.

Sharry

air travel after op

Hi all,

I live in the UK and am about to have a BHR. This is a very routine operation

in the UK and is covered under our National Health Service although the waiting

list can be quite long if you don't go private. I have now been waiting 12

months since seeing the consultant and being put on the wait list. I'm due for

the op on Febraury 2nd and can't wait. I'm (only) 55 and want to get back to

normal ie; windsurfing, sailing, scuba diving etc.

Anyway the point I want to raise is there has has been a lot of press coverage

here about the risk of Deep Vein Thrombosis in connection with air travel,

especially in long haul ecomomy class (long haul for us usually means over 3

hours), and the risk is greater for those who have major surgery such as hip

replacements and should not be undertaken within 3 months of the op.

My OS has said that air travel should be OK after 6 weeks and after that the

risk is the same for anyone.

Having looked at the surfacehippy site for a while it seems that a lot of

people in the US travel long distances ie; to Belgium, to have the op then

return within a few days. Are there no reported cases of DVT in the US

associated with air travel ?

I would have thought that US citizens are more used to long haul and therefore

be at greater risk than us in the UK.

Keep up the good work with all the positive feedback - I very rarely hear

anyone say they regret having has their re-surfacing op done

Dennis

[Guest guest]

Hi Ruth,

I had wondered about the possibility of a DVT complicating the return flight

home from Belgium. At least that's one thing I don't have to worry about now if

I fly to the land of chocolate & beer for a resurfacing with Dr. De Smet.

That's a good tip about asking for the bulkhead seats. Coincidentally, I also

live in Minnesota, in Minnetonka, one of the western suburbs of Minneapolis.

Please e-mail me directly if you'd like.

RPh (there's at least 1 other & 1 Lynda in the group, just like in

school), 54

Surfacehippy wanna-be

Re: air travel after op

I had a very real concern about DVT after having had one in 2001

following a Minnesota -Florida roundtrip flight over two days.

Prior history of DVT is a big risk factor for a recurrence. I had my

resurface in Belgium last May. Flying from Minnesota to

Amsterdam takes 9 hours. Thankfully I had no problem on either

flight. I kept pumping and circling my ankle, got up and moved

around hourly and wore my support hose. With the blood

thinners, all went well. It did help to have bulkhead seating on

the flights. At that time DeSmet said he had never had a

problem with DVT with his overseas resurfacing patients.

Ruth rbhr DeSmet

[Guest guest]

question for those of you who've had surgery in Belgium...how are follow-ups

handled?

Once you get back to the states, who follows up, and what if there is a

problem? Who handles it?

Thanks.

Re: air travel after op

Hi Dennis

I travelled about 16 hours, counting layovers, from Belgium to

Canada's west coast in August, 5 days after having the marvellous Dr De Smet

resurface my right hip. He has three things overseas patients must do, to

prevent DVT: take prescribed Heparin (blood thinner) for three weeks after

surgery, and double doses just before and during flying; wear TEDS

stockings for 6 weeks after surgery, 24/7; during the flight get up and move

around very frequently. I would imagine that there is danger of DVT if you

don't follow these three rules.

Sharry

air travel after op

Hi all,

I live in the UK and am about to have a BHR. This is a very routine

operation in the UK and is covered under our National Health Service

although the waiting list can be quite long if you don't go private. I have

now been waiting 12 months since seeing the consultant and being put on the

wait list. I'm due for the op on Febraury 2nd and can't wait. I'm (only) 55

and want to get back to normal ie; windsurfing, sailing, scuba diving etc.

Anyway the point I want to raise is there has has been a lot of press

coverage here about the risk of Deep Vein Thrombosis in connection with air

travel, especially in long haul ecomomy class (long haul for us usually

means over 3 hours), and the risk is greater for those who have major

surgery such as hip replacements and should not be undertaken within 3

months of the op.

My OS has said that air travel should be OK after 6 weeks and after that

the risk is the same for anyone.

Having looked at the surfacehippy site for a while it seems that a lot

of people in the US travel long distances ie; to Belgium, to have the op

then return within a few days. Are there no reported cases of DVT in the US

associated with air travel ?

I would have thought that US citizens are more used to long haul and

therefore be at greater risk than us in the UK.

Keep up the good work with all the positive feedback - I very rarely

hear anyone say they regret having has their re-surfacing op done

Dennis