Table 2.

Recommended travel delay for specific conditions

Condition	Recommended travel delay
Cardiac (CABG, valve replacement) surgery	10–14 d
Uncomplicated myocardial infarction	2–3 wk
Complicated myocardial infarctiona	6 wk
Uncomplicated PCI	3–5 d
Complicated PCI	1–2 wk
Thoracic surgery	10–14 d
Pneumothorax	2–3 wk after resolution
Any unstable cardiopulmonary condition	Delay until stabilized
Stroke (CVA)	2 wk
Postspinal anesthesia	10–14 d
Open abdominal surgery	1–2 wk
Laparoscopic abdominal surgery	24 h (1–2 wk if intestinal lumen has been opened)
Colonoscopy with polypectomy	24 h
Skull fracture or postneurosurgery	1–2 wk
Scuba diving (one dive per day)	12–24 h
Communicable diseases (including TB, SARS, measles, influenza)	Delay travel until period of communicability is over (clinical improvement, negative cultures, and so forth)

Travel is by commercial airline flight. These are only guidelines and must be individualized based on clinical judgment and length of trip.

Abbreviations: CABG, coronary artery bypass grafting; CVA, cerebrovascular accident; PCI, percutaneous coronary intervention; SARS, severe acute respiratory syndrome; TB, tuberculosis.

Data from Refs. [1], [2], [29], [31], [32], [33].

^aComplicated by arrhythmia, postinfarct angina, or left ventricular dysfunction.