Air Travel With Stent or Graft

[PrimeTimer]

Regardless what it is made out of (for instance, metal or a composite), do you need a note from your doctor or vascular surgeon verifying that you have a stent or graft implanted in your body, such as in your arm, leg, groin or heart? Even if it's not made from metal, I would think that it would still show up on security x-ray machines at airports as an "object" or maybe even set off their "security wands". Anyone know?

[Michael Murphy]

I have traveled with 6 stents in my heart for many years.

[PrimeTimer]

I have traveled with 6 stents in my heart for many years.

Did security at the airport or with an airlines require documentation? What I mean is, does security question what it is if it shows up on their x-ray machine and if so, do they want documentation verifying what it is? I know that sounds crazy but we don't know how anal the airports are these days. Thanks for answering. SIX stents??? Oh my gosh!

[Simon Dog]

Such documentation is not required for a simple reason - even with documentation, security is going to insist on searching you until they are satisfied you are helpless enough to be safe.  Do you really think the TSA goons are going to say "don't worry about his triggering the detector, we have documentation he has a metal implant"?

What you may need documentation for is medical equipment - for example, if you have a bag or two of PD solution in your carry on.

[iolaire]

I have traveled with 6 stents in my heart for many years.

Did security at the airport or with an airlines require documentation? What I mean is, does security question what it is if it shows up on their x-ray machine and if so, do they want documentation verifying what it is? I know that sounds crazy but we don't know how anal the airports are these days. Thanks for answering. SIX stents??? Oh my gosh!

My arm fistula triggers the porno-scan every so often.  Each time I pull up my shirt so they can see it but they still lightly run their hands down my arm and let me go.

I think if it does trigger they will do the same, a quick pat down of the area triggered, and then you will be let go.  Keep in mind the security process is just a process and if you trigger and they can not easily find something they will move on to the next passenger. 

So I would not worry about it - unless you look foreign - especially if you might be confused with someone middle eastern - if you could be confused get the note just incase.

[PrimeTimer]

Such documentation is not required for a simple reason - even with documentation, security is going to insist on searching you until they are satisfied you are helpless enough to be safe.  Do you really think the TSA goons are going to say "don't worry about his triggering the detector, we have documentation he has a metal implant"?

What you may need documentation for is medical equipment - for example, if you have a bag or two of PD solution in your carry on.

Believe it or not, I personally know an Army Vet who has rods in both legs....and they wanted documentation verifying that was what was inside his legs. This is why I am asking about stents. Other than that, no medical equipment will be going.   

[PrimeTimer]

I have traveled with 6 stents in my heart for many years.

Did security at the airport or with an airlines require documentation? What I mean is, does security question what it is if it shows up on their x-ray machine and if so, do they want documentation verifying what it is? I know that sounds crazy but we don't know how anal the airports are these days. Thanks for answering. SIX stents??? Oh my gosh!

My arm fistula triggers the porno-scan every so often.  Each time I pull up my shirt so they can see it but they still lightly run their hands down my arm and let me go.

I think if it does trigger they will do the same, a quick pat down of the area triggered, and then you will be let go.  Keep in mind the security process is just a process and if you trigger and they can not easily find something they will move on to the next passenger. 

So I would not worry about it - unless you look foreign - especially if you might be confused with someone middle eastern - if you could be confused get the note just incase.

Thanks for sharing your experience. Speaking of foreigners...I had a friend of East Indian descent who was born and raised in America and calls America "home". Shortly after 9-11 he had to travel to India for a wedding but he went prepared and carried all his citizenship docs with him. Sure enough, upon arriving home and despite all the paperwork he had, they took him aside for interrogation. He said he wasn't offended tho and understood and that is why he made sure to have all his paperwork with him. The fact that he also had a southern American accent also probably helped. Again, thanks for answering.   

[Michael Murphy]

I have never set off a alarm with my Cardiac Stents.  I worked for years at a secure government facility and passed through the same or better metal detectors.
If I forgot and left my keys in my pocket they went off like a shot.  I eventually learned not to carry anything but put every thing in my briefcase which went through the X-ray machine.  However if you go through a metal detector make sure not to hit the sides it could set it off.

[Simon Dog]

Such documentation is not required for a simple reason - even with documentation, security is going to insist on searching you until they are satisfied you are helpless enough to be safe.  Do you really think the TSA goons are going to say "don't worry about his triggering the detector, we have documentation he has a metal implant"?

What you may need documentation for is medical equipment - for example, if you have a bag or two of PD solution in your carry on.

Believe it or not, I personally know an Army Vet who has rods in both legs....and they wanted documentation verifying that was what was inside his legs. This is why I am asking about stents. Other than that, no medical equipment will be going.   

Did they deny him boarding because he did not have documentation?   Adds a new dimension to "citizen, your papers please".

[iolaire]

Are the stints metal?  If so probably your body is blocking the x-ray.  You can put your hand over your belt buckle and block the x-ray because it doesn't go through body parts well.  (That's not saying people with large pieces of metal in them don't get alerts.)

[Michael Murphy]

My stents are unmedicated metal stents.  Metal detectors I don't think can be fooled my covering or holding your belt buckle.  However the detector could have a lower detector threshold.  They are set able by the operator.  Only once did I have a problem they had the detectors cranked because of a security alert. I just kept setting it off. Finally I told the cop to wand me he was not pleased cause he had to get up and walk around.  I started to leave to go home when he came running out.  The standstill thing is the stay machine will ocasionally put a gun in the X-ray it was showing the cop.  First time it happened to me is when a automatic showed up in my bag one day and I almost dropped dead from the shock.  Nice cop told me right away that the machine was testing him.  When he identified the gun the system removed it from the picture. 

[PrimeTimer]

Such documentation is not required for a simple reason - even with documentation, security is going to insist on searching you until they are satisfied you are helpless enough to be safe.  Do you really think the TSA goons are going to say "don't worry about his triggering the detector, we have documentation he has a metal implant"?

What you may need documentation for is medical equipment - for example, if you have a bag or two of PD solution in your carry on.

Believe it or not, I personally know an Army Vet who has rods in both legs....and they wanted documentation verifying that was what was inside his legs. This is why I am asking about stents. Other than that, no medical equipment will be going.   

Did they deny him boarding because he did not have documentation?   Adds a new dimension to "citizen, your papers please".

They didn't have to deny him boarding; he turned around and left and to this day, refuses to fly and just drives. But my husband might be flying soon and he has a mesh-type stent implanted in his AV fistula. We're thinking he should travel with paperwork for it, just in case.   

[kitkatz]

MY husband has an artificial leg from a below the knee amputation. He actually had a TSA guy demand he take off his leg.  He refused stating I will not sit on your floor to do it or stand here without my leg.  Of course there was no chair for hubby to sit in at the time.  He hates flying now and drives everywhere.

[Michael Murphy]

The best thing about old and retired is I don't have to travel on Buisness no more.  Every one thinks constant travel for Buisness is like a vacation.  They forget you have a job to do when you get where you are going.  The New security stuff while important is such a pain that wile I was working at a major telecumication firm I stopped flying and went by train or rental car.  My last job was at a very secure federal building and the security procedures drove me crazy.  However they rayed your bags but made you walk through a metal detector which a couple of quarters would set off.  The scents I have never set of the detector.  But every morning in the car I would remove my belt,  empty my pockets and put every ting into a laptop case which had to pass the X-ray check.  Like I say the obese thing about Dialysis is that it let me retire on disability at 63.