Early air transport after thoracic surgery might be safe: A retrospective observational study in the French Caribbean

Early air transport (EAT) after thoracic surgery. EAT after thoracic surgery, and incidence of EAT morbidity in a retrospective and monocentric study in University Hospital of Martinique between October 1, 2016, and February 7, 2020. Postoperative EAT (patients originating from a department other than that of Martinique) were selected for our main cohort. The other patients, of Martinican origin, represented the “Local” group and did not travel via airplane. Our EAT cohort consisted of 99 patients. One patient reported chest pain and dyspnea with radiological confirmation of a pneumothorax 15 days after the flight. The patient did not report any symptoms during the flight. The incidence of EAT-related morbidity after transpleural surgery was 1%.