Tips for Travelling with a Prosthesis
Summer is officially here and with it comes the increased travel schedule. Below are some tips to help you navigate the airways with ease!
Work with the TSA.
Arrive at the airport with extra time to clear security. Some airports are equipped with advanced technology to expedite the process, such as portable x-ray scanners, but others are not. The TSA officers are not permitted to ask you to remove your prosthesis, but if you can successfully navigate through the scanner without the prosthesis, then you can put the prosthesis through the x-ray machine and save yourself some valuable time. See more details here: https://www.tsa.gov/travel/special-procedures.
2. Continue to wear your prosthesis for the duration of the flight.
Pressure changes in the cabin with increasing altitude can cause your residual limb to slightly increase in size. If you remove your limb while in flight, it may not fit back on when you reach your final destination. Avoid the temptation to remove your limb to assure that you will be able to safely ambulate off of the plane when you arrive.
3. Do not check important prosthetic equipment.
Are you travelling to participate in a running event? Be sure that you carry on your running prosthesis! You do not want the airlines to be responsible for losing this valuable equipment as well as other important parts and pieces to include liners, socks, and alcohol spray.
