Long-haul flight 5 weeks after ACL + meniscus repair?
I had ACL reconstruction with a patellar tendon graft + medial meniscus repair on June 1. I’ve been doing PT, my mobility feels pretty good overall, and I’m slowly getting to the point where I may start transitioning from 2 crutches to 1 crutch, but I’m still on crutches right now.
I’m considering a family trip from California to Thailand on July 7, then India from July 19 to 26. July 7 would put me around 5 weeks post-op, and the travel day would likely be 18 to 25+ hours.
My surgeon advised against it because of blood clot risk. I’m taking 2 baby aspirin daily, and he said he could prescribe a blood thinner, but there would still be significant risk.
I’m also wondering if splitting the trip into shorter flights or adding longer stopovers would make it more realistic.
I’m not trying to ignore my doctor. I just want to hear real experiences from people who flew long-haul around 5 to 7 weeks after ACL reconstruction + meniscus repair.
Questions:
- How many weeks post-op were you?
- How long was your flight/travel day?
- Were you still in a brace or on crutches?
- Did you use aspirin, blood thinner, compression socks, wheelchair assistance, or extra legroom?
- Did splitting up flights or stopovers help?
- Did it cause major swelling or set back your recovery?
- Would you do it again?
I’m also considering skipping Thailand and joining later for India around July 19, which would put me closer to 7 weeks post-op. Any experiences would help.