Let’s be real here. Travel can be tough no matter what the circumstances are. But it’s something we all want to do for fun and sometimes we need to do for work or other life events. Also, let’s not forget the patients who travel to us for plastic surgery in Fort Worth and need to get back home. So, how can we make it the best it can be for our patients just recovering from aesthetic plastic surgery?
First Step: Plan Ahead Concerning Your Surgery
Your comfort and satisfaction are Dr. Camp’s top priority. This is why he offers remote consultations for those who are considering a procedure but may live out of town. Remember, the guidelines below are not the total recovery time, but rather the time Dr. Camp requires out-of-town patients to stay in DFW for appropriate and complete post-op appointments. For fly-in patients undergoing liposuction and/or tummy tuck, we require arrival 2 days prior to surgery to reduce risk of blood clots.
Typical Surgical Follow-Up Timelines
Peek at the table below to understand how often you might need to be seen after surgery and how long you might need to stay in town after surgery.
| Type of Surgery | Follow up Schedule |
| Breast Augmentation | Follow up in the office and return home in 3-5 days |
| Breast Augmentation with Breast Lift (Mastopexy) | Follow up in the office and return home between days 5-7 |
| Breast Revision (Implant Replacement) | Follow up in the office and return home day 3-5 |
| Tummy Tuck and Liposuction | Follow up in the office and return home by day 7 if driving, and between day 10-14 if flying. |
| Combined Breast/Tummy/Liposuction (Mommy Makeover) | Follow up in the office and return home by day 7 if driving, and between day 10-14 if flying. |
| Deep Plane Facelift, Eyelid Surgery | The duration of your stay in-town varies based on the procedure. For patients having rhinoplasty, a chin implant, and upper or lower blepharoplasty, the first follow-up visit is at the one-week mark. These patients may stay in town for the week, or fly/drive back home, as long as they are able to travel back in for the first follow-up. Patients undergoing a deep plane facelift or neck lift, are required to remain in town for 10 days following surgery, as multiple follow-up visits take place within that time frame. |
| Rhinoplasty | May drive home on day 2 if driving 6 hours or less. Must be seen on day 7 for stitch and splint removals. |
| Eyelids (Upper and Lower) | May drive home on day 2 if driving 6 hours or less. Must be seen on day 7 for stitch and splint removals |
| All patients are seen yearly and as needed |
When looking at the chart above you could make plans for how long you might need to stay in town after surgery if you flew in for surgery. If you are local, you can also use the chart above to see how long we would like you to be in town before traveling. As you will see, travel may get in the way of post-operative office visits. We recommend scheduling big trips 6-9 weeks after surgery to allow for full recovery.
We also include extensive post-op instructions on our website to help ensure a safe and quick recovery.
How Can You Ensure Successful Travel After Surgery?
- Try to travel light. Why? We don’t want you lifting, pulling, or pushing anything heavier than a gallon of milk in the post-operative stage. If your suitcase weighs more than 10 pounds, ask for help. There are often many nice people at the airport that are more than willing to lend a hand. We highly recommend not traveling alone so you don’t have to ask a stranger for help, but life happens so we understand.
- Wear your compression garments on the plane to reduce swelling.
- We also recommend waiting at least two weeks, if possible, for any flight longer than 4 hours. This is to reduce your risk of DVT. If your flight is longer, let’s talk about options for this. Maybe we even need to push your surgery out so that travel can occur first and then schedule surgery a couple of weeks or months later. Safety first.
- Reduce your salt intake while traveling to also help with swelling.
- Plan times for rest. You are going to get more tired during the post-op phase than you normally would. Even if you are on vacation, you might need to schedule a daily nap or TV time to let your body have healing time.
- Don’t forget to pack your scar cream to keep your scar recovery on track.
- Don’t forget to pack your anti-nausea medications in your carry-on. Motion sickness can occur more frequently after surgery, and we would prefer you to be taken care of here.
- Pack snacks that keep your blood sugar regulated. That will help with reducing nausea too.
What ideas can you think of? Let us know here!
Pre-Planning is the Key to Safe Post-Op Travel
Again, traveling is part of life and can be done well with a little pre-planning.
We also would love to see the beautiful new post-op you on vacation. Send your pics to us via Instagram DM @stevencampmd or via email at [email protected].
If you’re interested in scheduling a procedure with Steven Camp MD Plastic Surgery & Aesthetics, request a consultation online or call (817) 228-4315. We look forward to hearing from you!
Hugs and Fun!!
Sara Camp AG-ACNP APRN MSN-BC
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