Abstract:

Objective: The aim of this study was to find out if patients can travel safely on a plane 48 hours after open septo-rhinoplasty (SRP) surgery. Also, to compare analgesic need, mobilization time, readmission rate, side effects, time out of work and routine life between travelling and nontravellingpatients. Materials and Methods: This study was conducted at Istanbul Florence Nightingale Hospitals in Istanbul/Turkey and Group Florence Hospitals in London/United Kingdom. A total of 120 patients who had SRP were included in the study. Sixty patients who traveled from London to Istanbul by plane (approximately 3 hours 40 minutes, 2520 km) for SRP surgery and returned home 48 hours after surgery were compared with 60 local patients. All patients were observed at 8, 12, 24, 36, and 48 hour intervals after surgery. Additionally, all patients who travelled from London to Istanbul were reviewed after 6 days, 14 days, 1 month, 3 months, 6 months and 1 year. The analgesia need, mobilization time, readmission rate, early and late complications patterns and incidence, time out of work and daily routine was compared between the two groups. Early onset side effects include pain, discomfort, bruising, ecchymosis, edema, oozing, bleeding, septal haematoma, and late onset complications like delayed septal haematoma, delayed bleeding, infection, excess edema, breathing problems were compared between travelling and nontravelling patients. Results: The hospital stay was 24 hours for all patients. No further analgesia was needed in both groups during their hospital stay, Mobilization time was in 8 hours in both groups and none of the patients needed readmission in both groups. Common early complications in travelling patients like pain, edema, bruising, ecchymosis, minor oozing, blocked nose, and pain after 48 hours were similar to the local patients and all travelling patients felt confident and strong enough to travel after 48 hours without additional medication or treatment during or after the surgery. Conclusion: People with no underlying medical conditions, who want to travel abroad for surgery and cannot or do not want to stay longer than 48 hours due to their personal or business lives, can consider travelling back to their countries, following SRP surgery, which is as safe as having the surgery locally without travelling abroad. 

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