Almost 2 billion passengers embark on international and domestic air tr avel ea ch year. An increasing number of travelers will have cardiovascular disease as t he population continues to age and our ability to treat cardiac disease improves . Guidelines for safe air travel in this population vary and are supported by fe w concrete data from randomized trials. Although the overall risk for clinically sig nificant myocardial ischemia and arrhythmia during flight seems to be low in t he population with stable cardiovascular disease, certain groups may be at incre ased risk. In-flight venous thrombosis is an increasingly recognized potential complication of prolonged air travel. Travelers with cardiovascular disease may be at increased risk for venous thrombosis as a result of depressed ejection fra ction or immobility. This case-based review describes the risks of air travel i n a 65-year-old man with known cardiovascular disease. After reviewing the lim ited data on safe air travel after myocardial infarction and the common complica tions after both percutaneous intervention and coronary artery bypass grafting, we provide recommendations on safe air travel after myocardial infarction. We di scuss the safety of both preflight screening and the in-flight environment with regard to pacemakers and implantable automatic defibrillators. We also review t he literature on in-flight venous thrombosis and provide recommendations to pre vent in-flight deep venous thrombosis.
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