Urgent Question before Travelling

[iren_999]

Its been about a year that I had my aortic valve replaced with a tissue valve and all seems to be fine.
I plan on going on a trip so my question is, will it be fine for me to travel?
My son is going with me and thankfully he is willing to carry all my heavy bags so to prevent me from heavy lifting.

My doctors said that should not be an issue.
They did another echo on my valve - said I had a borderline leakage or something like that.
They also did a CT scan of my heart, but the results are not in yet and I have to travel soon.
I had also had blood work done, and my area physician said that my red blood cell count was normal, nothing negative. So overall, by blood work lab results are fine.

My doctor also told me that if there were something serious, they would not let me go.

I feel fine, no symptoms, I am very energetic and doing a lot of chores around the house.

So should I cancel my trip or not?

How bad does air travel effect a tissue valve?

Had someone else been on flights after surgery like this?

Regards!

 

[pellicle]

Hi

Its been about a year that I had my aortic valve replaced with a tissue valve and all seems to be fine.
I plan on going on a trip so my question is, will it be fine for me to travel?

My doctors said that should not be an issue.
They did another echo on my valve - said I had a borderline leakage or something like that.
...
My doctor also told me that if there were something serious, they would not let me go.
..
I feel fine, no symptoms, I am very energetic and doing a lot of chores around the house.

Like WTF?

You don't trust your doctor and yet will a bunch of unknowns on the internet?!

Get a grip man (that's the non gender specific human reference).

I flew back and forth to Japan over a dozen times with my tissue valve in 2001 alone.

Enjoy the trip and stop with the anxiety. It's not like you are the first human to have valve surgery (and thus no medical experts have any clue), people climb Mt Everest after valve surgery. How did you think they got there?

 

[LondonAndy]

You are fine to fly after about 6 weeks of surgery. If you have a leaky valve you will feel breathless after a period of exertion, so listen to your body on the trip.

 

[honeybunny]

I flew from Houston to New Orleans and back about a month ago. Like you I wondered if I'd have any problems but everything was absolutely fine. I also have a tissue valve. So no worries...go and have a great time !

 

[cldlhd]

If it's been a year I can't imagine any issues. I had valve repair not replacement and my aneurysm replaced with a graft but at 3 months out my surgeon said I could do whatever I wanted to including weightlifting. I've just spent today, other than the time at my 10 year olds baseball game, tearing the ceiling out of a bedroom I'm remodeling. My mom keeps telling me to take it easy but I figure why start listening to her now.

 

[pellicle]

.. I also have a tissue cable.

I just love what modern phones do to words. Yet no-one seems to think it's utter ********...

 

[iren_999]

Sorry about the typo.. I meant tissue valve. Thanks for the responses, and I also will ask the airport to provide me with those mini vehicles to transfer me over to my next flight at the terminal.

 

[Paleowoman]

Hi Iren - a year after heart suregery you should be able to do everything you could do before surgery, flying included. You shouldn't need a mini-vehicle to transfer in the terminal - if you do there's soemthing not right as you should be able to walk fine, and walk the same distances as anyone else. If you can't please do tell your doc.

 

[cldlhd]

Obviously you don't have to answer but are there other health issues that would prevent you from walking? If not walking is good for you and your heart . IMO the worst thing you could do for your heart, besides smoking, is to not get any exercise and have a mindset where you feel like you can't do anything.

 

[honeybunny]

Yikes! Thanks for pointing out the error

 

[spartangator]

Have a lovely trip. Your medical team is in favor; you'll have family with you; and you've been building up your fitness working around the house. Seems like you're all set to fly.

 

[epstns]

If you're a full year out from aortic valve replacement and if you have no other co-morbidities (medical conditions that affect your lifestyle), then you should be advised to just live your life as you will. A year after my aortic valve replacement I was back to doing everything (and more) that I did in the years before my valve began to go bad. To put it simply, I had/have no restrictions related to the valve. I travel, do home projects, work 50+ hours a week, go to the gym every day after work. . . you get the picture. Just do it.

If you feel that you are still "handicapped" then you should seek medical advice as to why. You should be fully "normal" by now.

 

[Tappy]

If my doc said it is ok, I would go. Life is for the living. I am two weeks out and playing a very relaxing get away for late July. Life is for the living....no more putting things off for later.

 

[Bonbet]

The Mayo plans to discharge me and let me take planes and automobiles back to my home in Oregon a mere 5-7 days after surgery. They say they do it all the time. They advise that you can arrange to get up and move around every hour or so. So my travel home will be a splurge on first class. It's a smaller airplane so not so expensive. More concerning than traveling post surgery is the everyday microbes and respiratory infections that are rampant on airplanes. Take anti-bacterial wipes for your hands, don't consume their ice, and stay hydrated, and then have a great time! Bonbet