I have used a pump for 11 years and have rarely been asked about it. I either have it clipped to my pants or skirt, or in a pocket. It does not alarm.
I would be extremely concerned about wearing it in either type of Xray imager at the airports-the pumps even have a warning sticker about wearing it in radiation devices like an MRI or a CT scanner. The manufacturer,Medtronic, was unable to give me advice as to the safety of the pump in these devices. I have not yet been in an airport with these WBI,but I will not take the chance of it destroying my pump and I also will not take my pump off-it's a medical device,after all.
I also wear a continuous glucose sensor which may not go through Xray either and must stay within 5 feet of my pump. I plan to never fly via Heathrow with their draconian no exception rules to opt out of the WBI.
Don't even get me started about the danger of taking my shoes off on a dirty public floor,unable to protect my feet. Those "shoe covers" are no protection either as they are made of paper.

They do trigger extra screening. There have been issues where the WTMD has caused them to lose the programming. If you are smart you will take it off and run it through the x-ray.

Given the attitude of TSO's around here, and advise to remove medical devices, you would be smart to drive or take another mode of transport.

You never know what the f*** will happen at any given checkpoint. For God's sake, don't carry any sequentially numbered checks!

Another reason to avoid TSA like the plague. At Heathrow at least they are well trained, and people I have spoken to have said that they accommodate medical devices professionally and discreetly. The TSA, not so much.... kinda like getting an incorrect order at Burger King!

I'm not a pumper but I don't think just taking it off is all that simple.

First problem would be keeping the connections sterile.

Wondering were you got your license to practice medicine?

Probably in the same cereal box he got his TSA tin badge.

Now, now. You know quite well that TSA badges come in boxes of Cracker Jack(tm). :D

Now, now, that's insulting to the prizes that come in boxes of Cracker Jack. :D

Ooo, ooo, can I play?

How about we have people take out their pacemakers, too. A minute or two without a perfusing pulse won't matter much, right? Or how about removing those pesky VP shunts, urinary catheters, med ports, G-tubes and bone growth stimulators. After all, people can just slide 'em right back in after Xray scanning, can't they? :rolleyes:

Sterility is highly overrated, and we have to think of the children, you know. ;)

I'm sure I can think of a few more devices that should be yanked prior to TSA screening, 'specially if I can look it up on webmd.com. :D

This type of willful ignorance just never ceases to amaze me.

I guess this is what happens when people watch one too many episodes of House MD and then think they graduated from medical school. :rolleyes:

It is not very difficult to disconnect the pump from the canula - after all I have to do that when I shower, but obviously when I do, I'm not getting insulin. The instructions I had from my doctor and pump instructor are essentially to keep the pump on and running except when necessary. I specifically asked about airport security and was told to keep it on. This is confirmed by the manufacturer's manual, which says that it should be kept on during security checks and that in most cases it will not alarm.
Of course disconnecting the pump from the canula does require me to remove (at least partially) my shirt. I doubt that would be acceptable.:)

Too bad there aren't people flying with LVADs. That would be even more amusing at the TSA Cavity Search Point.

(We in EMS are getting notifications of people at home with these devices, either as a hospice patient or someone waiting on a heart transplant. We're scheduled for a in-service on these things Real Soon Now)

canula=cannula:-:


The pump might not alarm a WTMD but it will show up on a Strip Search Machine earning you a pat down for doing nothing but minding your own business.

TSA and its employees are treating everyone like common felons.

Enough is enough, file a complaint with each and every pat down naming the screener. Get a photo if you can. Publish pictures of these Un-American workers all over the net. Most important is to let your airline know you will decrease or stop all air travel unless TSA is booted from the airport.

Insulin pumps cannot be put through the X-Ray. It not only deprograms them, but can destroy their calibration. You should not need to take the device off, but if you do, it should only be for 30-40 seconds and that is far less than it is off when you change infusion sets. If that is of concern, you should double-check with your doc. However, my experience is that even when TSA wants to swab the device for its explosives detection devices, you need not detach the device and they will use a fresh sterile swab to do so.

I cannot believe you guys! I am explaining the problems with something and YOU believe I am practicing medicine? That is about the lowest thing that I have seen on here. First I see lots of these and they are easy to take off. You just pull the tube off of either the connection to the body or I have seen them take the pump off the other end. That being said then you can put it in a kippy bag for cleanliness.
The ones that I have seen that have been destroyed by the WTMD are the ones that have been worn by other TSA officers. SO it is a fact that the radio waves can disturb them. THe other thing is that the X-ray will not hurt them. THere is only a few things that it will cause calibration issues with. A pump is not one of them. Onto the outcome if you dont remove it. You are going to get searched and more searched and swabbed and then some. I mean its your choice and I am just trying to reduce the hassle factor

Often1 Quote:
Originally Posted by MusicCityMom
I have used a pump for 11 years and have rarely been asked about it. I either have it clipped to my pants or skirt, or in a pocket. It does not alarm.
I would be extremely concerned about wearing it in either type of Xray imager at the airports-the pumps even have a warning sticker about wearing it in radiation devices like an MRI or a CT scanner. The manufacturer,Medtronic, was unable to give me advice as to the safety of the pump in these devices. I have not yet been in an airport with these WBI,but I will not take the chance of it destroying my pump and I also will not take my pump off-it's a medical device,after all.
I also wear a continuous glucose sensor which may not go through Xray either and must stay within 5 feet of my pump. I plan to never fly via Heathrow with their draconian no exception rules to opt out of the WBI.
Don't even get me started about the danger of taking my shoes off on a dirty public floor,unable to protect my feet. Those "shoe covers" are no protection either as they are made of paper.

Insulin pumps cannot be put through the X-Ray. It not only deprograms them, but can destroy their calibration. You should not need to take the device off, but if you do, it should only be for 30-40 seconds and that is far less than it is off when you change infusion sets. If that is of concern, you should double-check with your doc. However, my experience is that even when TSA wants to swab the device for its explosives detection devices, you need not detach the device and they will use a fresh sterile swab to do so.


OK, Eyecue, who do I trust, a TSA employee with no specific training or a person who uses a pump?

You don't help when you practice medicine without license.

Hi MusicCityMom,

i just read your post, and am now a little worried. As I also wear a CGM (freestyle nav), and never worried about putting it in the xray machine...
i will probably give a call to abbott tomorow to double check with them!

but to answer the op question i have never had any problems with insulin, or my cgm at the security check, except once in HKT last year, where they had me give it to the crew.

synd