Knee Replacement Surgery

[Raxter54]

Anyone have experience with going through airport /cruise terminal security after having knee replacement surgery? DW has just had the surgery , and I wanted to be prepared for any problems we might encounter on our February Freedom cruuse. She will have to go through the TSA scanner, and the Carnival scanner getting on/off the ship. Should we announce to the people running the scanner before she goes through, or wait til she beeps? Will she have to go through a full body scan by TSA? Let me know what you have experienced. Thanks!

[kingston13]

Anyone have experience with going through airport /cruise terminal security after having knee replacement surgery? DW has just had the surgery , and I wanted to be prepared for any problems we might encounter on our February Freedom cruuse. She will have to go through the TSA scanner, and the Carnival scanner getting on/off the ship. Should we announce to the people running the scanner before she goes through, or wait til she beeps? Will she have to go through a full body scan by TSA? Let me know what you have experienced. Thanks!

 

In the airport TSA usually asks - if they don't you need to tell them

[SummerXU]

My mom has had both of her knees replaced and she always has to be pulled aside and patted down/wanded down....both in the airport and when boarding the ship. It's really not a big deal and only takes a minute longer and then we're on our way.

[jordanaire]

My wife has a knee and a shoulder replacement. Most of the time, she gets check with a wand after telling TSA about her new body parts. Other times, the TSA could care less and sends her through the body scanner. Either way, she's never been denied passage through security.

[dogbert's mom]

I had my knee replace 6 years ago and it will definitely will slow your airport experience. Each visit to the airport will be different, depending on the airport. If the airport has a body scanner it will be best to announce that you have a knee replacement and want to be scanned. Otherwise you will alarm going through the metal detector and you be held up until they can wand you and pat you down. Some airports will pull you into secondary screening and check your shoes and hands for explosives.

 

At the cruise terminal it will depend on the metal scanner. Some times I set off the alarm and they generally will just wand you. Some time I just pass through the metal detector.

 

I will frequently travel with a cane because I am never sure how my opposite knee will be acting. If you are using a cane it needs to be put on luggage belt at the airport and go through the scanner.

 

Hope this information helps you.

[katiel53]

I have 2 knee replacements and even if I go through the body scanner, for some reason I still have to be have someone use the wand on me. If I just go through the regular metal scanner, the alarm goes off.

 

The same thing happens when I board the ship. I tell both places I have artificial knees, but even on the ship, the alarm goes off and I am pulled aside. I expect that as long as I cruise or fly this is going to happen.

[evandbob]

I have a cobalt/chromium hip replacement that usually sets off a metal detector. {My titanium spinal fusion doesn't.}

 

Living in a major airline market, I can usually go through the airport body scanners with no problem, but the airport metal detectors would result in a pat down and being wanded.

 

On the ship, it's hit or miss with their metal detectors, somedays it beeps me, others not. Women should probably not wear any bras with metal, that can set off an embarassing search.

 

To make it easier, I remove all coins, my wallet, belt sunglasses and hat and put those in my shoulder bag through the XRay machine.

 

I also have Global Entry and am TSA Pre-Check, which gets me on the dedicated airport and US Custom lines for known travelers.

Edited June 21, 2016 by evandbob

[SOMBRERO6]

Cruised this past Feb. New knee was last July. I got stopped at every screening there was!

[rufflesmom]

My right leg from the knee down is full of titanium due to fractures and subsequent surgery. I have flown quite a few times and it has never beeped. Same with cruises. The last time I flew I beeped but it was my bra hooks. I guess the answer is, it depends on what type of material was used.

[elliair]

Anyone have experience with going through airport /cruise terminal security after having knee replacement surgery? DW has just had the surgery , and I wanted to be prepared for any problems we might encounter on our February Freedom cruuse. She will have to go through the TSA scanner, and the Carnival scanner getting on/off the ship. Should we announce to the people running the scanner before she goes through, or wait til she beeps? Will she have to go through a full body scan by TSA? Let me know what you have experienced. Thanks!

 

Your wife will get pulled over EVERY SINGLE TIME for a a wand scan or even a pat down. DH has a knee replacement and every time we go through he gets the work over. Even if we're PreTSA he still gets the wand scan and then the pat down. Doesn't matter if you tell them of the knee replacement, they do not care. He gets the same treatment coming onto the ship through security. Live with it.

[njmomof2]

My mom has had both knees replaced, has a rod in her right femur and had a full shoulder replacement. She sets off every screener she goes through. To make matters worse, because she really needs the other shoulder done, she can't lift her left arm up even if they wanted to let her through the full body scanners.

 

She's hand wanded at every airport and at the cruise terminal. We usually tell them in advance that she'll need hand checking, since they have to call someone over to do it and sometimes, if it's busy, it takes a few minutes.

 

She used to carry a card in her wallet that was an actual xray of the knee, but it didn't speed anything along, so she doesn't bother anymore.

[Sparky2]

Anyone have experience with going through airport /cruise terminal security after having knee replacement surgery? DW has just had the surgery , and I wanted to be prepared for any problems we might encounter on our February Freedom cruuse. She will have to go through the TSA scanner, and the Carnival scanner getting on/off the ship. Should we announce to the people running the scanner before she goes through, or wait til she beeps? Will she have to go through a full body scan by TSA? Let me know what you have experienced. Thanks!

 

I prefer to go through the full body TSA scanner since I've had both hips, both shoulders, and one knee replaced. Easier than beeping and having to be "wanded".

[Raxter54]

Thanks for all the input. Looks like the best thing to do is let the people running the scanner know before she goes through it. Hopefully it doesn't become hindrance to the people in line behind us....

[fair-winds39]

Anyone have experience with going through airport /cruise terminal security after having knee replacement surgery? DW has just had the surgery , and I wanted to be prepared for any problems we might encounter on our February Freedom cruuse. She will have to go through the TSA scanner, and the Carnival scanner getting on/off the ship. Should we announce to the people running the scanner before she goes through, or wait til she beeps? Will she have to go through a full body scan by TSA? Let me know what you have experienced. Thanks!

I had a hip replacement, and I mention it to the scanner person beforehand. I also have a card that describes what type of materials were used, etc. for the replacement. They take me aside, and a person manually checks me with a wand.

[ORB]

I have both knees replaced. If the airport has one of the full body scanners open, ask to go through that. I’ve never had anything further required anywhere that used those. I have set off every metal detector I walk through except at one foreign airport. If they don’t have a full body scanner, they will have to pat you down at the airport when you set off the metal detector. They’ve always been courteous to me, and I do tell them beforehand so they don’t make me check my pockets again. It has yet to add more than 5 minutes to my trip to the gate.

 

The ship scanners are less sensitive, but I almost always set them off. Again, telling the crew member running the scanner before I walk through means I am quickly waved to the side and scanned with a wand. I don’t think I’ve ever lost more than three minutes at the detector.

[evandbob]

My mom has had both knees replaced, has a rod in her right femur and had a full shoulder replacement. She sets off every screener she goes through. To make matters worse, because she really needs the other shoulder done, she can't lift her left arm up even if they wanted to let her through the full body scanners.

 

She's hand wanded at every airport and at the cruise terminal. We usually tell them in advance that she'll need hand checking, since they have to call someone over to do it and sometimes, if it's busy, it takes a few minutes.

 

She used to carry a card in her wallet that was an actual xray of the knee, but it didn't speed anything along, so she doesn't bother anymore.

 

Cards or a doctor's note don't influence TSA checks as anyone with access to a printer can produce something official looking.

[Jamman54]

I had my right knee replaced 6 years ago, and since then I get the full treatment ay any airport I go thru. I let them know, and get wanded and patted down full body scanner or not.

 

Now the ships scanners are less sensitive, and I haven't set one off yet. I guess when I get my other knee done sometime in the future, that will be enough to set the ship's scanners off!

 

No big deal, you get used to it, and since they pull you aside, you aren't holding anybody up.

[virginiab]

I've had an ankle replacement and sometimes get pulled aside for pat-down and wanding. We've learned two things:

 

1. Allow extra time for screening, and

 

2. If you are traveling with someone else, have them go through first, so they can collect your belongings that go through the scanner, rather than having your stuff just hanging out there as a temptation for someone to take.

[MommaBear55]

I had my right knee replaced 6 years ago, and since then I get the full treatment ay any airport I go thru. I let them know, and get wanded and patted down full body scanner or not.

 

Now the ships scanners are less sensitive, and I haven't set one off yet. I guess when I get my other knee done sometime in the future, that will be enough to set the ship's scanners off!

 

No big deal, you get used to it, and since they pull you aside, you aren't holding anybody up.

 

Same here, except the one ship scanner that beeped for my knee was getting back on board in Labadee. Go figure! Otherwise, I am getting used to being patted down each and every time in airports.

 

OP, I hope your DW loves her knee as much as I love mine! Truly life altering and life enhancing.

[marshabear]

I am almost 2 years post op both knees being replaced...at the airport for the 1st time after surgery, i was wanded and patted down and the TSA screener told me next time to make sure I get in the line for the full body scanner. So from then on, that is what I do and that's all I need to do and I go on my way.

 

At the ship though, sometimes I set it off and other times I don't...when I do, they pull me aside to wand me. I always tell them I had a both knees replaced.

 

 

Best of luck to your wife with her surgery!

 

 

 

Marsha

[all_aboard]

Be sure to go through the full body scanner at the airport and tell them you have a knee replacement, If you just go through the metal detector they will have to pat you down. I had a knee replacement in November and cruised in May. The alarm went off everytime, they just wanded me. It only took a few seconds. Enjoy your cruise!

[riclop]

Anyone have experience with going through airport /cruise terminal security after having knee replacement surgery? DW has just had the surgery , and I wanted to be prepared for any problems we might encounter on our February Freedom cruuse. She will have to go through the TSA scanner, and the Carnival scanner getting on/off the ship. Should we announce to the people running the scanner before she goes through, or wait til she beeps? Will she have to go through a full body scan by TSA? Let me know what you have experienced. Thanks!

 

Better to tell them.

[JenSDCA]

My two cents is the same as everyone else's...my husband has a prosthetic leg. He beeps every single time. We would never dream of not allowing a lot of time for him to be pulled aside and wanded - though one time, on a business trip, they made him remove his leg (in front of co-workers!) so that they could inspect it, make sure he wasn't smuggling anything inside it. Wouldn't have been as bad if they'd had a private room for this, but he was just on a chair on front of everyone.

 

Just know that it will be your new normal, and allow sufficient time for the extra checks.

[stargate fan]

OP, I hope your DW loves her knee as much as I love mine! Truly life altering and life enhancing.

 

It's so good to hear this.

I am 15 days post-surgery of a partial knee replacement. Some days I am happy that I went through with the surgery because my quality of life was awful. (I'm a very, very active 55 y.o. gal.) Other days I wonder what the heck I did! :eek:

Please tell me that things will get better every day. (My husband says that I'm expecting too much after just two weeks. Hello...I'm a member of the Instant Gratification Club!)

 

We are taking our first flight since surgery (June 7) on July 9. I am curious as to what will happen at security. At least I have a fresh scar as proof. :D

[Raxter54]

It's so good to hear this.

I am 15 days post-surgery of a partial knee replacement. Some days I am happy that I went through with the surgery because my quality of life was awful. (I'm a very, very active 55 y.o. gal.) Other days I wonder what the heck I did! :eek:

Please tell me that things will get better every day. (My husband says that I'm expecting too much after just two weeks. Hello...I'm a member of the Instant Gratification Club!)

 

We are taking our first flight since surgery (June 7) on July 9. I am curious as to what will happen at security. At least I have a fresh scar as proof. :D

 

DW is 15 days post op. She can get around without a walker, and her therapy is going well. She had good days and bad, but the bad days are fewer and less painful. Last cruise in February she could hardly walk around the shopping area at Mahogany Bay. I think this will increase her cruise enjoyment. Hang in there :-)