My surgeon said that to avoid blood clots after surgery I would have to walk 10 minutes out of every hour and that I culd not sleep more than 8 hours because I needed to be up and walking. Does anyone know how long this is for? Is it forever? I plan on flying for 6 hours in a few months and on top of it, I'm afraid of flying, so I don't really get up and walk since it makes me more nervous.

Any info anyone could share is much appreciated. Thanks!

You should ask your surgeon to be sure. However I'm pretty sure that's really for the early post-op stages, maybe first 3 mths. It would depend on how soon post op you ill be flying. If it's still of concern, your doctor may recommend blood thinners for your trip.

I agree to ask him for sure...I walked about that for the first 10 days after surgery. I didn't sleep well those first few nights, so I got up and paced around the condo.

I flew home from my surgery 7 days post-op. No issues other than I couldn't lift my luggage due to weight restrictions. I had no problems.

I'm 18 months and live a perfectly normal life other than people commenting on how little I eat - not in a bad way...it's more like "that's how you stay so small"...I snicker to myself!

I think the risk of a clot is only high for the first 6 weeks, but I might be mistaken. I only worried about that for the first week, once I went back to work I am up and down and walking all day.

Check with your surgeon, he will be able to give you definitive guidelines and timelines.

Whether you have had surgery or not you should still try to walk 10 min out of every hour when you travel long distances in a car or on a plain. My understanding is that the chances of blood clots forming is high for anyone in those instances.

My surgeon requires anyone who lives more than 30 minutes away to have a plan to stop and walk every 30 - 45 minutes on the way home from surgery.

My surgeon had me get an IVC filter. I have no history of DVT and had an ultrasound of both legs pre-op that were completely clear. It was nice not to have to worry about clots, take blood thinners or give myself injections post-op. I opted to have mine removed in January, but you can also opt to leave it in indefinitely.

The risk of dvt is high for anyone who is immobile, and according to my hematologist, 1 in 7 women get blood clots when flying overseas-we have a higher chance than men. In other words, do some walking! And when you're in your seat, do some leg lifts every so often-keep your circulation going. Even without a history, lack of movement makes one susceptible.