Hi there, I need to get my first fill, however, my surgeon recommends not traveling for 2 weeks after surgery. The challenge for me is that I travel frequently for work and the first 5 months of the year have me away 2 or more weeks a month and I just can't figure out how to get a fill and not travel for 2 weeks.

I'm the only one working right now and my husband is not. We're going through massive layoffs and I don't want to be one of them because I can't do my job.

Question: people travel after having the surgery, thinking of those people far away from a center and need to fly, if they can fly after surgery, what IN YOUR OPINION is the risk.

Yes I will talk to my surgeon and his nurses but I really want some bandster input here.

Helpful and uplifting responses only... If I want to be beaten down I'll just read fluffy2fabulous's posts lol

I was told by a friend of mine whose mother was banded that she had to get her fill removed before flying? I thought that was crazy so I asked my surgeon and he said no way! As long as it's a pressurized plane you will be fine. Now, I didn't ask about flying after a recent fill I just asked about removing. I would think that surely it's ok bc like you said, people get it done out of the country all the time or have to travel to get them. Which, you may not even be talking about flying and this was completely pointless lol. But if anyone reads this, maybe you can answer for me bc we are flying in June for our honeymoon!

Yes I did mean flying lol. Thanks for your post Amber

Hi,

When I read your original post I'm seeing 2 different questions.

1) not traveling 2 weeks after surgery

2) not traveling 2 weeks after a fill.

The first one, yeah, I think you probably need to at least be close to home for the first two weeks after surgery. I say "close" as my surgeon is an hours drive from me and I know he does surgery on folks 2 or more hours away. In fact, I had a different surgery at a location 4 hours from home, but they didn't want me going any further until my first post-op check.

Not traveling 2 weeks after a fill.. this is something my surgeon recommends. I've never tested it out, so I don't know how I would do. I don't like flying, so mine would only be in a car. I'm not trying to be negative, just giving my lack of experience! LOL. I would suggest sitting down and having a heart to heart with your surgeon about your concerns re fills and traveling. I suspect he/she worries that you might get too tight suddenly while away from home and not be where you could get an unfill. Or that you could get an unfill, but the cost of it would be prohibitive for you. Maybe you could get very small fills to alleviate that possibility. Maybe you could make arrangements for emergency care (just in case) with bariatric surgeons in the areas you visit on business. I hope ya'll can find a "work around".

And not everyone needs fills. Some go long periods of time after banding before needing an adjustment. The very lucky make it all the way to goal without adding saline.

Hope this helps some.

Thanks Melissand... your insights are helpful.

I was curious too. I am getting my first fill on the 25th. I am going away feb 12th. Ive heard of people getting tighter after flying, but I imagine since it is my first one it won't be bad, Im going to ask anyways when I go in

My surgeon is very relaxed and hasn't mentioned anything about not traveling after a fill. In fact my co-worker just had her first fill and is flying to Vegas this weekend. He has told us though, that if we are traveling we can stop by and pick up a special syringe that they use for the fills to take with us as not every doctor or emergency room has the correct equipment and it could damage your port if they don't use the right syringe. But, I would def check the area where you will be....even call a few of the doctors offices and explain the situation to make sure that if you do have a problem that they are willing to help you out. I have seen lots of comments on this website stating that other doctors aren't always willing to work on someone else's patient.

Wish you the best of luck! Hang in there, it gets easier!

I've never traveled after a fill, but I know people who have to get on a plane just to *get* a fill and then fly home. These people sometimes have problems with the flight causing extra tightness/problems, but we're talking flying day of/day after a fill.

Here is a link to a pdf document that I got from the blogger Lap Band Gal for ER docs. I'd take this with me when I travel, just in case you had to get an emergency unfill and couldn't find a bariatric surgeon to do it. PDF for ER Docs.

Ultimately, you have to be able to do your job-- talk frankly with your doc about the impossibility of the 2 week thing and see if he can make a more conservative recommendation that you could live with.

WOW the only thing I thought of about flying was setting off all the scanners and bells in security. I hadn't thought about the pressure affecting my band. I will check with my surgeon at my next f/u next week, cause I will be flying too in a few months.

The topic of flying with the band and fills comes up a lot.

I have flown tons of times with my band. Sometimes the flight is 1 hour and sometimes ( my longest time so far) the flight is 14 hours.

The funny thing for me is I never have a problem eating on the plane even when I am filled well. Actually my last flight ( 3 flights, 24 hours total on the planes, longest flight 14 hours) I was over filled and though my shoulder hurt while taking off I was able to eat food more easily in the air then I could on the ground. My band got tighter but somehow food was still able to go down.

Everyone is different.

Also some people fly just days after being banded ( ie if they went to Mexico) so again I don't think it is anything for you to worry about.

I wouldn't imagine it would be a problem... yea maybe tighter because of the pressure or something.

The topic of flying with the band and fills comes up a lot.

I have flown tons of times with my band. Sometimes the flight is 1 hour and sometimes ( my longest time so far) the flight is 14 hours.

The funny thing for me is I never have a problem eating on the plane even when I am filled well. Actually my last flight ( 3 flights, 24 hours total on the planes, longest flight 14 hours) I was over filled and though my shoulder hurt while taking off I was able to eat food more easily in the air then I could on the ground. My band got tighter but somehow food was still able to go down.

Everyone is different.

Also some people fly just days after being banded ( ie if they went to Mexico) so again I don't think it is anything for you to worry about.

So funny - me and Alien are like the same person

My surgeon also warned me about flying without getting a tiny little unfill first. I was bad and have never gotten unfilled before flying (we travel a lot and I just didn't feel like going back and forth for fills/unfills everytime). Over the Christmas/New Year holidays I flew 5 times - flights ranging in time from 30 minutes to 11 hours. I was concerned about the 11 hour flight as I figured we'd be flying at a higher altitude because of the flying time (I was right...and prior to that flight, the longest flight I'd taken with my band was 6 hours). Like Alien, I was able to eat better on the flight than I do on the ground. And then strangely, for 3-4 days afterward, I was able to eat REALLY differently than I usually can - i.e. breakfast was not a problem at all (generally, I do eat anything until noon, and its a protein shake, and I dont eat any solid food until like 5-6PM), I wasn't getting stuck on anything at all (not even a little bit...usually I get at least a little bit stuck every now and again...especially if I attempt breakfast), I ate a pancake without a problem (I would never attempt something like a pancake unless it was like 2am, as my band would be loose enough by that hour....luckily I'm usually not thinking about pancakes at 2am ). Anyways, flying is not a problem at all for me, thank goodness, but I think I have heard some stories from others stating the opposite. I think, like everything with the band, its individual. I took a chance with flying without getting an unfill, and it worked out. But that's not to say it will be the same for all people.

Hi there, I need to get my first fill, however, my surgeon recommends not traveling for 2 weeks after surgery. The challenge for me is that I travel frequently for work and the first 5 months of the year have me away 2 or more weeks a month and I just can't figure out how to get a fill and not travel for 2 weeks.

I'm the only one working right now and my husband is not. We're going through massive layoffs and I don't want to be one of them because I can't do my job.

Question: people travel after having the surgery, thinking of those people far away from a center and need to fly, if they can fly after surgery, what IN YOUR OPINION is the risk.

Yes I will talk to my surgeon and his nurses but I really want some bandster input here.

Helpful and uplifting responses only... If I want to be beaten down I'll just read fluffy2fabulous's posts lol

This is just too funny for me,,,,, I fly to Anchorage to Fairbanks, AK ((((an hour flight and return in the pm)))) just to get my fill, and visit doctor. Doctor didnt state anything in reference of no traveling because of fill, accept that after fill i should stay in town for a few hours to make sure that the fill was not too restrictive and i might need to be loosened. after surgery I had to stay for 7 days to heal but approved to stay for 10. I used to be sick after my flights before being banded, but now I have no problem

From a practical standpoint, it can take up to 2 weeks for a fill to stabilize. My guess is that the 2 week no-fly rule is so that you can get an adjustment if needed, rather than being out of town and trying to find a doc.

All...thank you so much for your helpful and supportinve responses. I'm going to call my surgeon today and rebook my fill and just let them know I will be flying and that it can't be helped. I'll be in London England where there are qualified Lapband Drs should I need it, and I will travel with that card they gave me after surgery...I trust all will be well. I'll definitely pack protein powder just in case, but a 7.5 hour flight shouldn't be a big deal.

Again...thanks for giving me some different views adn experiences.

Michelle

Hi there, I need to get my first fill, however, my surgeon recommends not traveling for 2 weeks after surgery. The challenge for me is that I travel frequently for work and the first 5 months of the year have me away 2 or more weeks a month and I just can't figure out how to get a fill and not travel for 2 weeks.

I'm the only one working right now and my husband is not. We're going through massive layoffs and I don't want to be one of them because I can't do my job.

Question: people travel after having the surgery, thinking of those people far away from a center and need to fly, if they can fly after surgery, what IN YOUR OPINION is the risk.

Yes I will talk to my surgeon and his nurses but I really want some bandster input here.

Helpful and uplifting responses only... If I want to be beaten down I'll just read fluffy2fabulous's posts lol

ROFL - love your fluffy comment - I could not agree more.

I flew to Mexico on a Thursday (two segments) had surgery Friday evening and flew home on Saturday (two segments). I was tired, but I was fine. If I wanted my surgeon to do a fill, I would have to fly to see him.

I had surgery a few years ago and wanted to fly to visit family and the doc said absolutely no. I think he was an idiot - I was fine and would have really enjoyed recovering by the pool, but oh well. If a doc told me that now, I would ask a lot of questions as to the why.

You will be fine... take good care and be careful with the peanuts...