HOW soon after an operation can you travel by air? I had a bowel operation in February and would like to fly in July.
MUCH depends on the type of operation. For example, for some eye operations it can be six months. But it is a general rule not to travel by air within 10 days after a major operation.
If you have been bleeding from the stomach, or gut, that period extends to three weeks. After a stroke you can’t fly for at least six weeks, and after a heart attack the flight ban extends to at least eight weeks. As for your bowel operation, much depends on the type of surgery: for example, do you have a suture line joining up two sections of bowel?
After eight to ten weeks, you should be fine, but verify with your surgeon that it is before you make the decision.
Remember that any gas within your gut will expand on the flight, so eat wisely beforehand to minimise its production.
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