Peter Greenberg: The TSA and Metal Implants

By: Peter Greenberg | Source: AARP.org | 2008-10-21

I had hip replacement surgery several years ago, and ever since then, whenever I travel, I always get the third-degree from the TSA. Not only are the searches insulting and invasive, but whenever I try to tell them about my hip, it gets me nowhere. Is there anything I can do to make the process smoother?
-George, Reno, Nev.

Many people with metal implants face this problem when traveling through airports. Unfortunately, if you have a metal implant, there is just no way of getting around security without, at the very least, being wanded. The TSA has said that, absent some other reason to be suspicious of the intent of a traveler, metal implants should not result in full-body frisks. However, agents do have to pat down the region that sets off the metal-detecting wand.

There are certain things you can do to help ease the situation. Before going through the metal detector, tell security that you have a metal implant and the region of the implant. You can also offer them documentation stating your medical condition. Documentation will only help make the process go by easier; it will not enable you to avoid closer inspection. Even though patient cards are issued for these purposes, the TSA does not accept them, because these documents can easily be forged and duplicated.

You do have the right to request that the inspection be done in private in order to avoid embarrassment and also the right to request a supervisor to be with you during the inspection if you feel somebody is going to pat down other parts of your body unnecessarily. And finally, be cooperative in order to avoid any unpleasant (and time-consuming) confrontations.