How long after liver resection can you fly?

Answer 1

Obviously this is an extremely vague question, as there are many different types of abdominal operations.

Unlike operations on the head or lungs, which are very susceptible to pressure changes during healing, the abdomen's healing is generally not affected by changes in altitude experienced during flying.

A more significant risk is that of post-operative thromboembolism (blood clots), such as a DVT (deep venous thrombus) in a pelvic or leg vein. Abdominal operations (especially those lasting more than 1-2 hours) predispose to formation of small blood clots in deep veins. Those clots may not resolve immediately post-operatively and are most often not recognized by patients.

The relative immobility of an airplane flight (especially of a longer duration) independently predisposes to clot formation, and of the extension (growth) of clots that may have started to form around the time of operation or a period of immobility (such as during convaldescence).

When an airplane flight is anticipated following recent abdominal operation, an anticoagulant (such as aspirin or something stronger) may be recommended by a clinician (if suitable time following operation has passed to ensure there is no risk of bleeding, usually 24-72 hours depending on the operation). A period of mobility is desirable following an operation prior to airplane flights, to further lessen the risk of thromboembolism, since exercise helps small clots resolve.