Flights after abdominal surgery abroad. Can I fly on an airplane immediately after laser vision correction surgery? Can I fly after glaucoma surgery?

Many people have heard that for any flight you need a compression sleeve and the same tights, however, not many know why. Let us explain to you.

During takeoff and landing, airline passengers experience heavy loads associated with sharp drop pressure. In addition, at an altitude of tens of thousands of kilometers, the air is much more rarefied than below, and in the aircraft cabin the atmospheric pressure is very low - only 600 mm Hg. Art. versus the usual 760. Add to this forced physical inactivity (inactivity) for several hours. All this leads to disruption of blood and lymph flow in the extremities. In medicine, there is even such a thing as long-distance travel syndrome, from which about 2,000 air passengers die every year in the UK alone. To prevent it during long flights – over 3 hours – doctors recommend using compression stockings. After breast surgery, it is necessary to wear not only special stockings/socks, but also a sleeve.

Is it possible to use simple tight socks or a sweater with narrow sleeves instead? Theoretically it is possible, but there will be no benefit from them. The fact is that compression sleeves and “traveler’s socks” provide the limbs with not uniform, as usual, but physiologically distributed pressure, which gradually decreases in the direction from the ankles to the knee. This is the only way to maintain the “pumping” function of the muscles, eliminate fluid stagnation, and prevent swelling and thrombosis.

How to use compression stockings? Put on the sleeve and knee socks before leaving home and keep them on throughout the flight, even if it has a connecting flight. Wear healthy knitwear for another two to three hours after arriving at your destination.

How else can you help your body during an air flight?

For the flight, choose comfortable, loose clothing and comfortable low-heeled shoes.
Take off your shoes as soon as you sit in your seat in the salon.
Don't cross your legs.
Every half hour, try to walk or do some exercises for your arms and legs. Rolling from heel to toe (at least 5 minutes), combing your hair, and clenching and unclenching your palms are very useful.
Drink as much fluid as possible.
Avoid drinking alcohol the night before and during your trip.

Valea wishes you a pleasant flight!

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Pressure in the cabin can affect the passenger’s well-being due to the development of hypobaric hypoxia (insufficient blood oxygen saturation) in case of existing diseases respiratory tract and heart failure. In addition, changes in pressure lead to the expansion of gases in various body cavities, which also causes some discomfort.

Commercial airlines fly at an altitude of 7010-12498 m above sea level, and cabin pressure is set at an altitude of 1524-2438 m, otherwise only a few healthy people would survive such a flight. Sharp climbs even to such a height can cause headache, dizziness, nausea and a feeling of weakness even in healthy passengers. The fact is that at an altitude of 2438 m, the partial pressure of oxygen in arterial blood drops from 95 to 60 mm Hg. Art. In a healthy passenger, the saturation of hemoglobin with oxygen decreases by only 3-4%, but passengers with the listed pathologies develop more pronounced hypoxia.

Thus, 18% of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease experience moderate respiratory distress syndrome during such flights. These passengers may require supplemental oxygen. Unfortunately, not all airlines provide it. On all Russian airlines it is prohibited to carry oxygen, even to doctors accompanying seriously ill patients. On foreign airlines, since 2005, passengers, on doctor’s orders, can independently carry cans of oxygen concentrate.

According to the Boyle-Marriott law, gas confined in closed cavities will expand as it rises to height. This is why, by the way, bottles of shampoos and creams taken on the road leak. For healthy passengers, all this physics results only in minor abdominal pain and stuffy ears. But a person with a runny nose is already at risk of developing otitis media. For colds, the Eustachian tube connects the pharynx to inner ear and equalizing the pressure in it when rising to a height, is inflamed, its lumen is narrowed, or even “glued together”. With a sharp change in external atmospheric pressure healthy person it is enough to make a yawning, chewing or sucking movement (this is why they sometimes hand out caramels on airplanes), and the clearance eustachian tube opens into the throat, which quickly eliminates congestion in the ear. In the case of a cold, this does not always help, and then you can resort to the Valsalva maneuver: exhale with your mouth closed and your nose pinched. For the same reasons, a cold after a flight can worsen with sinusitis. Therefore, passengers with a runny nose are advised to use vasoconstrictor drops(eg, oxymetazoline-based) before takeoff and landing. Infants can be given a bottle or pacifier - this stimulates swallowing and helps equalize pressure in the ears and sinuses.

Due to the same mechanisms, bloating and abdominal pain can occur. Therefore, it is not recommended to drink a lot of carbonated drinks before a flight.

During some surgical and diagnostic procedures air is introduced into the body cavities (surgeries on the abdomen, chest, some eye surgeries). If you plan to fly a few days after such an operation, be sure to consult with a specialist.

Deep vein thrombosis

A truly serious danger to life is deep vein thrombosis, which can develop in a passenger who has been sitting for many hours. Contraction of the lower leg muscles ensures normal venous drainage from the legs. Prolonged immobility leads to stagnation of blood in the veins and can lead to thrombosis. Blood clots that form in veins are in most cases small in size and do not pose a problem. Larger blood clots can lead to swelling and tenderness in the lower legs. If a fragment of a blood clot breaks off and is carried into the lungs by the bloodstream (this is called an embolism), shortness of breath, chest pain, and in severe cases can even result in death. Thromboembolism of the pulmonary arteries does not appear immediately, but several hours or days after the flight.

Studies show that eight-hour or longer flights increase the risk of thromboembolism by approximately 4 times. In general, the risk increases even with 4-hour flights.

The risk of thromboembolism increases if the following factors are present:

Repeated flight within the last 2 weeks

Thrombosis in the past

Thromboembolism in a close relative

Use of estrogen-containing contraceptives

Pregnancy

Recent injury or surgery (especially abdominal, pelvic, or lower extremity surgery)

Presence of malignant tumors

Congenital pathology of the blood coagulation system

Drink plenty

Avoid alcohol and caffeinated drinks (coffee, Coca-Cola, etc.)

Change your position in the chair, or even better, get up regularly and walk around the cabin

Do exercises that force your calf muscles to contract

Cosmic radiation

At high altitudes, the level of cosmic radiation increases, so in 1991 the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) began to consider cosmic radiation as an occupational risk factor for crew members. With annual total exposure to more than 20 mSv, the risk of developing breast or skin cancer may increase. As for passengers, even frequent fliers, to date, no significant effect of cosmic radiation on their health has been discovered.

Desynchronosis

IN English language The term jet lag is very popular, which is translated into Russian as “desynchronosis,” known only to specialists. We are talking about disrupted daily biorhythms due to sudden changes in time zones. Many of us know that long flights can cause weakness, drowsiness or insomnia, constipation, decreased performance and poor health. To fit into a new time zone, on average, a healthy person needs a day for every hour of difference when flying to the west and a day and a half when flying to the east.

To alleviate the effects of desynchronosis, follow these recommendations:

Before traveling east, try going to bed an hour earlier than usual for 3 days before your flight. Before flying west, on the contrary, go to bed an hour later 3 days before.

Do not drink caffeinated drinks during the flight

In a new place, try to fall asleep for at least 4 hours at a new night time - this will speed up the resetting of the biological clock.

Melatonin-based drugs remain the gold standard in the treatment of desynchronosis. Melatonin is a hormone of the pineal gland that regulates circadian rhythms depending on the length of daylight hours. Melatonin preparations are recommended for use when crossing 5 or more time zones, and they begin to take it 2-3 days before the flight. If you have epilepsy or are taking warfarin, do not use melatonin without consulting your doctor. New, more effective drugs, not yet registered in the Russian Federation, such as agomelatine (agonist of melanin and serotonin 5-HT receptors) and ramelteon (agonist of melatonin receptors).

If you are in a new place for less than 3 days, there is no need to try to adjust to local time.

Special groups of passengers

Each airline may have different requirements, and the captain has the right to refuse travel to any passenger, even if he has a ticket. An indicative list of contraindications for flying is as follows:

Newborns less than 7 days old

Pregnancy over 36 weeks

Coronary heart disease with painful attacks at rest

All serious and/or acute infectious diseases

Decompression sickness

Increased intracranial pressure caused by hemorrhage, trauma or infection

Myocardial infarction or stroke 7-10 days before the flight

Recent surgery on the abdominal or thoracic cavities, on the skull, on the eyes - i.e. all operations that involve introducing air into a closed body cavity

Heavy respiratory disease, shortness of breath at rest, pneumothorax (air in chest cavity over the lung)

Sickle cell anemia

Exacerbation of mental illness

Passengers with these conditions can only fly on commercial aircraft if accompanied by medical personnel.

Regarding first aid on board, I note that in accordance with British, Canadian and American legislation, passenger doctors are not required to save passengers if they develop any life-threatening condition. In Australia, many countries in Europe, Asia and the Middle East, on the contrary, the doctor on board is required to provide medical care. In any case, for international flights medical worker cannot be held liable for medical care provided on board within the limits of his knowledge and experience, even if it was provided incorrectly.

On board any airliner there is always a first aid kit, equipped according to the standard of the country to which the aircraft belongs. All crew members are required to have first aid skills acute pain in the abdomen, acute mental agitation, anaphylactic reaction, chest pain (suspicion of myocardial infarction), attack bronchial asthma, cardiac arrest, hypoglycemia, seizure, loss of consciousness. Quality of first aid training in different countries miscellaneous. Unfortunately, I have to admit that in Russia it leaves much to be desired.

The time for New Year's holidays is approaching. It's time to take care of your health and start the new year 2017 with new strength and good spirits. Where should I start? Have you ever thought about your vision? How much does it interfere with your life? full life? How, where and when is it better to have laser vision correction? What restrictions must be observed after surgery? These questions are answered by ophthalmologist, surgeon Roman Mikhailovich Pankratov.

– Roman Mikhailovich, what time of year is best to carry out laser correction?

– Let me make a reservation right away that there are two methods of laser vision correction – photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) and laser keratomileusis (LASIK). The second operation has a number of advantages, since after it there is a much shorter rehabilitation period, less likelihood of complications and more stable results. Therefore, in the vast majority of cases we perform this operation. There are situations when LASIK cannot be performed, and in this case we do PRK. These operations various contraindications, various rehabilitation period and, accordingly, different restrictions. But since 99% of the time we do LASIK, today we will talk about this operation.

As for the choice of time of year for the operation, it does not matter at all. Neither low nor heat, neither sunlight nor snow affect the result of the operation. After LASIK, the surgical area heals within 4-5 hours. During this time, the eye usually hurts, waters, and reacts to light. Therefore, we recommend spending these hours at home. In the evening you can go outside without fear that something will happen to your eye.

– What restrictions should be observed after laser correction?

– There really aren’t that many restrictions. And we recommend following them for only 2 weeks after surgery. The most important thing is not to rub your eyes with your hands and not to squint too hard, as this can displace the valve formed during the operation, which will lead to decreased vision and the appearance of pain, and will require repeated surgical intervention. But our patients can easily cope with this. There is no need to be afraid that the valve will move during sleep or accidentally touching the eye. The valve can only be damaged if you rub your eye or squint too hard.

We also recommend limiting visual stress. It is to limit, not to exclude! After the operation, the very next day you can work at the computer, read books, watch TV, and drive a car. But at the same time, your eyes will get tired, and the image may blur. Therefore, you should give your eyes rest. We also do not limit the time spent on the computer - everything is individual. Some people can easily spend 4-5 hours at the computer the very next day after surgery, while others’ eyes begin to hurt within 10 minutes. The result of the operation does not depend on visual stress after it!

As for physical activity, after the operation you can do everything that you do in normal life - carry bags, lift children. Only very large, extreme physical exercise. And not because they can cause “something to burst” in the eye. The thing is that when lifting heavy weights, you involuntarily “help” yourself by starting to strain the facial muscles of the face. Look at weightlifters at competitions - when lifting the barbell, they begin to grin or puff out their cheeks and squint their eyes. And the latter cannot be done after surgery.

Limiting sports activities is also aimed at not damaging the surgical area. Therefore, team (football, volleyball, basketball) and contact (wrestling, boxing) sports should be limited. Light physical activity in the gym, fitness, running, cycling are possible the very next day after surgery.

Once again I would like to draw your attention to the fact that it is enough to observe the restrictions for two weeks. In two weeks you can do absolutely everything! And yet, we prescribe drops for two weeks after the operation. But this can be done at home, at work, at the dacha, and while traveling.

– Is it possible to fly on an airplane after surgery?

– Yes, you can fly on an airplane the very next day after the operation. Changing atmospheric pressure will not affect the result in any way. However, after surgery the eye becomes more susceptible to various types of infections, so we prescribe antibacterial drops for one week as a preventative measure. During this period, a change in climate zone, acclimatization, frequent exposure to drafts or air conditioners, water procedures may lead to eye inflammation. Therefore, if you plan to travel to warm regions, we recommend doing this 1 week after laser correction. It is important that you should not dive with your eyes open for 2 weeks after surgery. Swimming in the sea or an outdoor pool is possible, diving with a mask or sealed goggles is also possible. Therefore, with proper planning and following the restrictions, you will be able to see all the colors of both the south and our beautiful winter without glasses or contact lenses.

Roman Mikhailovich studied to work with excimer lasers at the Scientific and Pedagogical Center “Eye Microsurgery” (Moscow) under the strict guidance of professionals. He has been working at the Ophthalmological Laser Clinic since 2008, and the number of laser vision correction operations performed since then has exceeded 7,000. You can trust the experience of a professional in his field, read real patient reviews on the website.

With each type of surgery, whether the problem is minor or the person has undergone major treatment, there is a certain amount of recovery time. This period is usually determined by the success of the treatment. One of the most important and common tips after illness is to avoid traveling by air. Remember that your health is most important, even if you have found incomparably profitable last-minute tours to Egypt. The duration of recovery is often influenced by the type of operation. It can range from 24 hours to 3 months.

It must be borne in mind that the air becomes increasingly thin at high altitudes. However, most aircraft contain oxygen gasifiers with oxygen content equivalent to the oxygen content at 1500-2000 meters altitude. This is less than approximately 3.5% of the normal oxygen saturation of the air. As a result, people suffering from problems related to the respiratory system are likely to suffer at extreme altitudes. This most often happens when people have been under anesthesia for more than 30 minutes. People who have undergone operations on the heart or lungs are at greater risk than others, because respiratory system they function poorly.

Another problem with long flights is the development of vein thrombosis. lower limbs. This is mainly due to the immobility of the passenger during the entire journey. There is no normal blood circulation, the blood collects from below and begins to stagnate. This leads to the formation of inflamed lumps in the legs, which spread to the rest of the body. They can even penetrate the lungs and prevent a person from breathing. Pulmonary embolism- This is a complication when an artery is blocked by a lump. Such problems can be fatal for patients.

Each airline has its own set of rules regarding boarding people who have suffered surgical operations. Some of these safety rules include the following:

Can the patient withstand the reduced air pressure in the cabin?

Is the patient able to withstand an emergency landing?

Can the patient tolerate a long flight?

Will the patient's illness adversely affect the comfort and safety of other passengers and aircraft personnel?

Does the patient have health insurance?

Thus, your physical condition determines the period during which flights are undesirable. For example, if you transferred easy surgery with minimal opening, you can make the flight in the coming days. In case of simple operations in the area abdominal cavity, the patient is allowed to fly within 4-5 days. People who have had invasive abdominal or chest surgery should wait at least 4-6 weeks before taking last-minute travel deals to Turkey and boarding a plane. However, some airlines may allow travel within 10 days if the flight is unavoidable. In case of eye surgery, you can fly within 7 days, depending on the complexity of the operation.

Remember, only your doctor can determine whether you are healthy enough to fly. Never ignore the instructions and medications prescribed by your doctor. It is also advisable to inform the airline about your illness so that the plane is equipped with the required medications and equipment.

So, you should avoid flying after surgery as much as possible. possible extent, otherwise complications that arise along the way may ruin your long-awaited vacation.

Yes it is possible. We have patients who fly in and fly out. A lot of patients come to us, to our clinic and to Moscow for surgical treatment. We give recommendations, be sure to write a detailed report indicating what type of operation was performed, what drops need to be applied, what regimen to follow and how often the patient needs to visit an ophthalmologist at his place of residence.

That is, it is not prohibited to fly, the question is when? He can fly right away, get up from the operating table, get on a plane and go on a trip. But there is no need to do this, because the next day he must report to the surgeon for an examination.

Peak infectious complications falls on the 4th day, not only for eye surgeries - for any other operations that are performed on the entire body. This is the peak of the possible manifestation of an infectious agent on the operated organ. Therefore, we warn that if you want to have an operation, but you are a person from out of town or are planning to go, fly, or leave somewhere, then it is better to do this no earlier than a week after the operation. Theoretically, a person can fly away if he has some urgent matter, but in fact it is better for him to stay near the clinic to get a consultation and undergo an examination after laser vision correction.