A serious question about the airport scanners: will people with surgical hernia repair (i.e. mesh)

[CTyankee]

set off any alarm to the TSA, requiring a follow up pat down?

[virgogal]

1. Good question----my son had that done last spring. Anxious to see the replies.

[rox63]

2. I've got a metal rod in my back

And it doesn't set off alarms. My mom has the mesh hernia repair. But she rarely flies.

[jwirr]

3. I wondered that myself since I have a mesh. Are they really metal

or a type of plastic?

[CTyankee]

4. good question...should be a quick one to resolve on google. But my question

also applies to plastic type mesh. Wouldn't that show up as some sort of mass, unusual for that part of the body, and "suggest" that there is something hidden in underwear?

[SheilaT]

5. My understanding of the scanners

is that they do not penetrate the body surface.

We'll find out as soon as someone inserts dangerous explosives into a body cavity and afterwards uses them to blow up the plane. Cavity searches of all fliers will follow that incident.