Pre op long haul travelling restrictions

[djwood]

Hi, I am due to have my secong hip resurfaced in the Uk sometime in March April, but I will be travelling from the US and have been told that the operation can't take place for 6 weeks from the date I return to the Uk for DVT reasons..........anyone know anymore about this please?

[FlbrkMike]

I've never heard of this before.  There are many cases of people traveling from the US to India, getting a BHR the next day or so, and returing within a couple of weeks.  I would think that the greater risk would come on the return flight, but there are measures you can take to prevent it.

Could this have something to do with your individual case?

[djwood]

Hi, No apparently it's standard procedure, but I was sure that you wouldn't have to spend 6 weeks prior to your op if you had it abroad but I wanted to check. Many thanks for your reply.

[djwood]

What are the measures you mentioned that you can take to prevent it.....I am always a fidget on planes not staying seated for long anyway..

[Pat Walter]

Hi

I had my resurfacing in Belgium with Dr. De Smet in 2006  You normally stay about 9 to 10 days before flying home.  They want to make sure you are healing properly and able walk and do stairs.  If you are a bilateral, they make you stay a little longer.  I went a couple days early to Belgium to get rested from jet lag.

The precautions when flying are to get up every 45 minutes to walk and to exercise your ankles by rotating them.  They gave me a free upgrade for a bulkhead seat and I was able to stand and stretch easily since there were no seats in front of me.  I also was able to use first class handicapped restroom. That was very nice.  United was doing the upgrade when you told them you have a hip replacement.  Don't know if they will still use it.

Also you want to tell them at both ends of the airport that you want wheelchair assistance. That also gets you thru the lines faster.

They are use to you walking around the plane on the international flights.

I also had to give my self 2 heprin shots in the tummy just before the flight.

Overseas travel is very do-able.  Many of us have done it and actually, quite a few, did it by themselves.

If you don't like the UK rules, which I have never heard of such a thing before, you can consider going to Dr. De Smet in Belgium who has done way over 3000 hip resurfacings.

I would ask McMinns office about the travel restrictions you are talking of. Perhaps someone gave you wrong info or you mis-understood what they are saying. There have been quite a few recent McMinn patients and I don't know of anyone that waited 6 weeks.

If you are having problems, drop me an email or email Vicky.  She can find out what the restrictions mean since she knows McMinn.

Pat