Travel

[ciao_bella]

I have two knee replacements and never had an issue at the airport.  I have, however, recently gone for jury duty and set the alarms off when walking through the  security.  I told them I have knee replacements and they wanded my knees to make sure and allowed me to enter without any problem.

[Sage04]

I´ve had two Cervical Spine Fusions and have 2 metal plates and four screws in each plate. I asked my Surgeon if i would have a problem with TSA and he said no, because it´s made from Titanium. So no problems for me.

[debcakes]

I have two new knees and have flown quite a bit since getting the first one. I just got back from Hawaii with both of them. It is never a problem. My doctor gave me papers but I have never needed to show anything. Just go straight to the scanner. Then they will quickly go over you with that wand. Never a problem.

[Bridgegal]

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@kaydee50 wrote:

As I understand it, if you have a pacemaker you do not go through the metal detector but will be individually scanned.  And I do believe you should have some sort of notification from a doctor.

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     I have a pacemaker and even tho I have a card from the manufacturer , no TSA agent has ever asked to see it.   They just send me thru the other scanner or wand me.

[chrystaltree]

I was not given any such paper work when I had my knee replacement a year and half ago.  In the pre op intro meeting, we were told to tell the screeners about the knee implant and that's what I did when we flew to FL in Feb.  I said "I have knee implant in my right knee" and I walked through the metal detector and that was that.  You can go to the TSA website and find answers to every question anyone would ever have.    

[Drythe]

depglasss 

No, I have a TKN, have been in and out of Israel, including the West Bank, Turkey, without issue, as well as other very secure countries.

Tell them  before you step into the scanner that you may set the alarm off.  They may ask you to go ahead and walk through it, and then go through the x-ray.  Rather than go through the x-ray you can opt for a pat down, which I do.  Aluminum may or may not set off the alarm, Stainless Steel, which I have, almost always does.  I travel a lot which is why I opt out of the x-ray. 

Most important tell them, and wait for them to give you guidance.  They are ‘trained’.  Travelers who try to take charge themselves frequently don’t fare well, especially if you don’t speak the language!

If you have a traveling buddy,ask h/er to go ahead of you and pull your bag and stuff off of the conveyor and hold them so your things are not unattended while you go through.

Happy Trails!

[haddon9]

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@FrostyBabe1 wrote:

From the TSA website:

https://www.tsa.gov/travel/special-procedures

Click on the drop down menu for "Implants & Internal Medical Devices"

It says: 

Implants & Internal Medical Devices

Inform the TSA Officer

Inform the TSA officer that you have an artificial knee, hip, other metal implant or a pacemaker, defibrillator or other internal medical device. You may provide the officer with the TSA notification card or other medical documentation to describe your condition.

Screening

Advanced imaging technology can facilitate your screening and reduces the likelihood of a pat-down. You should not be screened by a walk-through metal detector if you have an internal medical device such as a pacemaker. Consult with your physician prior to flying.

If you choose to not be screened through the advanced imaging technology or you alarm the walk-through metal detector, you will undergo a pat-down screening instead.

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@FrostyBabe1   You can still get a pat down even after going through the advanced imaging technology and have no metal on or in you. Even though I was wearing minimal jewelry I still got a pat down in April.  They will often select people at random for it.

[FrostyBabe1]

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@haddon9 wrote:

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@FrostyBabe1 wrote:

From the TSA website:

https://www.tsa.gov/travel/special-procedures

Click on the drop down menu for "Implants & Internal Medical Devices"

It says: 

Implants & Internal Medical Devices

Inform the TSA Officer

Inform the TSA officer that you have an artificial knee, hip, other metal implant or a pacemaker, defibrillator or other internal medical device. You may provide the officer with the TSA notification card or other medical documentation to describe your condition.

Screening

Advanced imaging technology can facilitate your screening and reduces the likelihood of a pat-down. You should not be screened by a walk-through metal detector if you have an internal medical device such as a pacemaker. Consult with your physician prior to flying.

If you choose to not be screened through the advanced imaging technology or you alarm the walk-through metal detector, you will undergo a pat-down screening instead.

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@FrostyBabe1   You can still get a pat down even after going through the advanced imaging technology and have no metal on or in you. Even though I was wearing minimal jewelry I still got a pat down in April.  They will often select people at random for it.

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I am quite well aware of that. I have a KTN, am a million+ miler on Delta, fly roughly 125,000 butt-in-seat miles a year and have received the random groping more times than I can count. The information that I provided was directly from the TSA website and in direct response to the OP's question "do I need paperwork". It doesn't say you won't get a patdown, it says you can reduce your chances of it happening.