Flights after PM

not true

by Tracey_E - 2021-05-25 11:05:41

Flying has no impact on the leads. There are people who fly to the hospital to have their surgery then fly home after. Just be careful with your luggage. 

And walking through the metal detectors with a PM is fun too - nothing happens

by crustyg - 2021-05-25 13:02:13

The hand-held wands should detect a PM, and if the operator has been properly trained, then as soon as you say 'That's my pacemaker' they will remove the wand!

The metal detector arches won't detect a modern PM.  The millimetric radar scan (the big booth where you stand with arms half-raised) may well detect it, but it's obvious to them what it is.

Best wishes.

Flying

by AgentX86 - 2021-05-25 13:41:11

If you can fly without raising your wings, sorry, arms...

If you just tell them you have a PM they generally don't wand above the waist.  I don't think the mm-radar will detect a PM. I don't believe it penetrates skin.  That's really the point, to detect stuff concealed on the body not kidney stones.  That's why all the fuss about "seeing" trhough clothes.

If security asks me about metal, I tell them that I have a PM and staples in my sternum.  They always look annoyed that I told them.  I think they want to know about hips an knees.

Flying

by Julros - 2021-05-25 15:15:52

I tell them I have a pacemaker, they have me go through the mm-radar, and then I get groped (patted down), no wand. 

Quickest way into departures

by IAN MC - 2021-05-25 15:34:14

Like Julros, I ALWAYS  communicate to them that I have a pacemaker   ... usually done by sign language i.e. my finger pointing at my collar-bone.

I do this as I am loading my cabin-bag onto the carousel.

I invariably am waved through the side of the metal detector for a quick pat-down . I am invariably through long before my non-pacemaker wife !

I see little point in walking through the metal detector when I get such preferential treatment by declaring my pacemaker. ( my wife wants one ! )

Ian

mm radar

by AgentX86 - 2021-05-25 16:20:44

I'm not sure why they do a pat-down after going through the mm radar.  No one else does.  I believe the mm-radar also has a nitrate sniffer to detect bombs, bomb makers, or guns.

You can ask for a pat-down and not go through any detector at all but the pat-down can get quite personal. Been there.

Lately (well, before covid), they've just had two dogs going back and forth between two lines of passengers (dogs walk between each passenger, one in front and one across the back and the front of the next passenger).  It's quicker and it seems the dogs are more reliable, though probably not any cheaper.

Flying with leads

by doublehorn48 - 2021-05-25 16:42:55

I had my leads extracted and replaced one day and the next boarded a plane and flew home.  My Doctor knew my plans and had no objections.    

Thanks

by dia052009 - 2021-05-25 17:21:12

Thanks for all your comments!!

no problem

by dwelch - 2021-06-02 00:51:32

as pointed out you can fly home right after.  I did a basically around the world three weeks after my first one. No worries.  TSA and equivalent can be annoying sometimes or good sometimes, sometimes you can cut in line, depends on the airport.  For each one of them you see, "I have a pacemaker" I have never had to prove it anywhere in the world.  You might get into a shorter line.  Sometimes you will get separated from your carry-ons need to tell them you want your stuff watched or want to be where you can see your stuff.  No reason to worry about the metal detectors, but they are usually trained to tell you not to, so will walk you around and do a pat down or the wand.  The wand has never hurt me it has been used over the device a number of times.  They are usually trained to not do that or to ask, just tell them that is where the device is as they will go back and forth otherwise.  Nothing to fear from the flght itself.