I have been on pd for six months and have managed a week long trip to the US virgin islands. I use a Fresenius Newton IQ machine which the company would not send, although they did send manual fluid for me to use. The trip worked out fine, but now I’d like to leave the US, but I don’t see how I could enjoy city travel without the overnight cycler. Anyone know how to get the machine and the fluid to Europe? Anyone have any experience travelling outside US with a cycler?
thanks.
Hi Mitch,
Welcome to Home Dialysis Central! (I don’t think I’ve seen you post before). Good for you for planning to travel to Europe!
Other folks who belong to the PD patient email listserv and the dialysis_support email listserv (you can find both of these at yahoogroups.com, by the way) have suggested taking the cycler with you on the plane.
I’ve seen people suggest this for Fresenius’ Freedom Cycler, which is heavier, taller, and longer than the Newton. So maybe rather than have them ship it, you could bring it yourself and they could just ship the solution. A quick call to an airline would tell you if it might fit under the seat in front of you (I don’t know if it would fit in the overhead compartment on an international flight–they tend to be somewhat small).
The airline might even be willing to put it in one of the closets, since it’s medical equipment.
We’ll see what we can do to find you other definitive answers, but meanwhile, check on the airline angle…and have a great weekend!
Cyclers used in the US are designed to operate on US voltage. When you travel to other countries you often need to use a converter to use a shaver or hair dryer. Fresenius should be able to tell you if one of the readily available converters would work for a cycler.
Since Fresenius is an international company, it might have a cycler in the country you want to visit that would be designed to operate on that country’s voltage. Renting one there would keep you from having to take your cycler with you. You’d need to know if the machine operates differently and how to read the buttons and gauges that may not be in English.
Fresenius may ship you supplies from the US or from a different country. PD solutions made in other countries may be a different strength. Your doctor may need to change your prescription to reflect this.
Review your insurance policy to see whether it will pay if you do dialysis outside the US. Medicare will pay for treatments in the US and in US territories, like the US Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, and Saipan. Commercial insurance may pay for treatments you do in other countries. Ask Fresenius where they can ship supplies that your insurance will pay or ask how much it would cost for you to rent the machine (if available) and to buy the supplies you need if your insurance won’t pay.
Finally, if you transport supplies with you, like Dori said, check with the airline to learn what you need to get them through security. Also, be sure you have what the country to which you’re traveling requires to prove medical necessity so you can get the supplies through customs. Fresenius should be able to tell you this.