Open AccessExperiences of early air travel with pneumothorax after anterior spinal surgery
Author(s) -
Amy Yoke Foong Wong,
Choong Hoon Foo,
Chung Chek Wong,
Khin Maung Ohn
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
bmj case reports
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.231
H-Index - 26
ISSN - 1757-790X
DOI - 10.1136/bcr-2021-243771
Subject(s) - medicine , pneumothorax , contraindication , air travel , spinal surgery , surgery , cardiothoracic surgery , surgical oncology , general surgery , alternative medicine , aviation , engineering , aerospace engineering , pathology
Anterior thoracic or thoracolumbar spinal surgery by retropleural approach always carries a risk of pneumothorax as its consequence. Conventionally, the Aerospace Medicine Association and the British Thoracic Society recommend 2 weeks delay of air travel for a patient with resolved postoperative pneumothorax. They also label active pneumothorax as an absolute contraindication for commercial air travel. Such a delay always causes psychological and financial stress to patients and family who are far from home. Here, we report three patients with postoperative pneumothorax, who insisted on early air travel despite being informed of the possible consequences.