Just curious, I am being sleeved by Dr Lopez in April, and afterwards will be flying home to NH. Almost as far as you can get from Mexico in the US. I'm a bit concerned about blood clots and flying. Before I was denied to have surgery in the states, the practice coordinator was going to have me on heparin for a month I think. I asked the coordinator for Dr Lopez about heparin shots and was told I wouldn't need them. Trust me, I'd rather not be giving myself shots, but if the local hospital was going to make me do them, and now with a plane ride involved, I'm being told I don't need them, I'm a little concerned. Just wondering if anyone has dealt with this? Should I ask him again when I'm there? Get some compression stockings and call it good?

Thanks for any advice or experience you can share.

Lisa

I was given compression stockings at OCC, so you may want to check to see if they are provided before you buy some. I was told to wear them home and walk up and down the aisle in the plane if it was a long flight. I only received blood thinners while at OCC, nothing sent home. Docs in the US seem to be much more concerned about clots, though. There was a poster on another forum that wasn't allowed to fly for a month post op! Thousands of patients fly home from Mexico within days of surgery and I rarely see any clot complications posted on these forums. Maybe talk about it with your PCP and come up with a plan.

I was given compression stockings at Mi Doctor while there, but I also took my own that I wore home. If you don't get up and move around while on the flight back home, do make sure you move your feet and legs around in circles or in a shuffling motion.

Also. I'm pretty sure most surgeons give a blood thinner (Lovenox) during surgery.

Thanks you guys, makes me feel a bit better. I'll be at Mi Doctor, so I am guessing I'll also get some stockings. You you just buy them at a retail store or did you have them fitted. I think both kinds are available, but If I can just go to Walmart or Walgreens and get them, that would be much easier. On the way home I did book seats in the last row, or couple of rows so I could get up and walk a bit without alot of commotion going on.

Check with your PCP beforehand. Or if you have a Cardiologist, they might have a different opinion. My Cardiologist is the one that both prescribed and monitored my taking Lovenox and when to resume other medications after my surgery. (over riding my Surgeons orders) Walking is the best deterrent for DVTs. It's not only about if you might have a clot, but how a clot might affect you specifically. Some it could be the lungs, others the heart, or even the legs. Prevention is not uniform. Ask your docs about your specific needs.

Edited January 26, 201412 yr by Recycled

Great thread, just starting thinking about flying and blood clots. I will be on lovenox and will have compression stockings...I hope that will be enough. I'll email the surgeon's office. I still have not confirmed anyone for aftercare. Kaiser was so adamant that I just diet and exercise, I'm not looking forward to asking them to monitor me post-op.