I'm 4 years post op gastric sleeve. I've traveled via airplane this week for the first time since I had surgery.

When I left Thursday I had to be patted down due to an anomaly showing up on the scanner.

The same thing happened to me today going through security a little while ago.

I'm not wearing the same clothes as I was on Thursday so that's out. The tsa agent patting me down asked if I had ever had any abdominal surgeries. I told them I had.

Anyone else experience this? It kind of surprised me. I got to see the area in question both days and it's the exact same area on my body both times. Before anyone asked about surgeries, I was starting to feel this could be due to my sleeve.

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I always get called for the scanner, always. My husband gets to go through the metal detector. I definitely feel there is some fat discrimination going on there.

Every time I go through the scanner my left boob/ heart area gets flagged and my thigh. Guess one of my thighs is lumpier than the other and my left boob sweats more [emoji6]. It’s annoying to have to get patted down and then sometimes they have to check my hands for residue. Every time I ask the agent why I always get flagged they never know. If I were packing something I actually don’t think the pat down would catch it.... it’s not that detailed. Still annoying...

I don’t fly often so pre-check doesn’t make sense for me right now.

I have to get patted down every time I fly. I have no idea what the problem is. This was before I had had any abdominal surgeries too. I'm also always randomly selected to have my hands wiped. IDK why.

Edited April 17, 20188 yr by FancyChristine15

This happened to me the other week - I've lit up a scanner before, usually because of a bracelet or zipper or underwire, but this time it was pretty clear. Both flights, in an out, it was like someone took a highlighter and marked out my new stomach. The angle of it and everything! (And then obviously during the patdown there was absolutely nothing there, it's actually the part of my body least likely to accumulate fat so it was all sternum.)

So I am officially onboard with the idea that the scanner can pick up the density of the staples, if not the metal.

I had my surgery in November. Flew twice this month. I even went out of my way to ask the both the security guys if they noticed anything with the my stomach (I told them I probably have some metal/staples in there) they looked at me like i was crazy.

I believe it's a non issue

I just travelled and got patted down after the body scanner on multiple occasions. This hadn’t happened to me prior to my surgery. I’m pretty sure it’s the loose skin. On one of the incidents, there were two men, and they were talking about calling over a female agent to pat me down, then they looked at the screen again and then looked me up and down (I was wearing pretty slim fitting clothing) and the one guy was like, no let her through, it’s fine. On the scanner screen, I could see two circles, one on my armpit and the other on the left side of my belly. Really freaky. I promise it’s loose skin not bags of heroin!

Edited April 29, 20188 yr by LaLaDee

I know someone that works for TSA and they said sweat sets off those body scanners most commonly!

On 29/04/2018 at 6:23 PM, PeaceAndLove88 said:

I know someone that works for TSA and they said sweat sets off those body scanners most commonly!

Maybe - but I was definitely sweatier prior to the surgery!

Flown a fair bit since surgery, so far no issues. Those body scanners are low energy so should not penetrate skin... but who knows mayb they can turn them up or something.

On ‎6‎/‎26‎/‎2016 at 9:01 AM, Wolfgirl78 said:

I'm 4 years post op gastric sleeve. I've traveled via airplane this week for the first time since I had surgery.

When I left Thursday I had to be patted down due to an anomaly showing up on the scanner.

The same thing happened to me today going through security a little while ago.

I'm not wearing the same clothes as I was on Thursday so that's out. The tsa agent patting me down asked if I had ever had any abdominal surgeries. I told them I had.

Anyone else experience this? It kind of surprised me. I got to see the area in question both days and it's the exact same area on my body both times. Before anyone asked about surgeries, I was starting to feel this could be due to my sleeve.

Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Have you gone to your doctor to see exactly what it is? I'm flying in October so I'll let you know if my scan throws any alerts. Those images are all in grey tones so it's not like they are seeing your actual body. I went through one, saw my image and asked for a 8X10 glossy *smirk* TSA lady just looked at me LMAO!!

Staples maybe

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Not going to happen, staples are titanium, a non allergic,metal, doesn't normally show,up on Airport Scanners, only,in cheap movies,of,long ago,would there be staples that would show,up,there. Modern doctors in Mexico, US and Canada don't do things that way, they take pride in their work, think of the bad publicity as well as giant lawsuits they would have. Nobody is going to feed you,barium to diagnosis the weird shape of your stomach, it will remain your little secret. Feel better?

Staples are titanium ALLOY. It has nothing to do with cheap. TSA doesn't release information on the specifications of their machines. Giant lawsuits? People set off machines all the time. For all kinds of reasons. I don't think that's going to win a lawsuit champ.

Edited May 7, 20188 yr by jabudia

The scanner does not detect anything inside your body. It's not specifically looking for metal but it is looking for anomaly underneath your clothing where items can be concealed. The Mummy 42 reason they go off in there abdominal region is probably because of a surgical scar or loose hanging skin. It also might be your clothing like if you're wearing your old pants that are way too big for you that might alarm

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TSA update: made it through the scanner today without a pat-down (maybe the original mass was scar tissue or swelling that’s since been reabsorbed?) but they DID ask me to remove all drinks AND FOOD from my bag.

The “and food” bit was new to me and resulted in me putting a bag of cooked lentils and a few sticks of string cheese through the x-ray machine. The extremely surly TSA staffer said it’s been a rule for two months. My coworker did not get the same question, so I call bullshit.

Anyhow, be aware and maybe pack all of your food in one bag that can be easily yanked out and scanned. Bizarre.

TSA making you take out food is sometimes a thing now I guess. I haven’t experienced it yet, and I fly nearly weekly, but maybe because I’m always Pre Check?

https://thepointsguy.com/news/tsa-snacks-out-of-bags/

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/tripping/wp/2018/03/29/your-sugar-bomb-may-get-extra-scrutiny-at-the-airport-tsa-agents-ask-some-travelers-to-remove-snacks-from-carry-ons/

Procedures and metal detector sensitivity definitely do vary airport by airport