After you fly home: aftercare, and what to do if something goes wrong

Most of your recovery happens after you leave the country where you had surgery. Your surgeon is then far away, and your own doctors don't know what was done. So the work is done before you leave: get your records, your aftercare instructions and a clear follow-up plan. If something worries you at home, contact your surgeon, see a local doctor with your records, and get urgent care straight away for the warning signs below.

Why aftercare abroad is different

Health bodies are direct about this:

• The NHS says overseas clinics "may not provide follow-up treatment", or may not provide it to the standard you'd expect at home.
• The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) says cosmetic surgery packages provide limited follow-up care, if any, once patients return. It adds that people with a complication may find it hard to find a surgeon at home to treat it.
• The US CDC says follow-up care should be coordinated so that care continues when patients return home.

None of this makes complications more likely. It means the plan for afterwards has to be made in advance, not improvised.

Before you leave: what to have in hand

1. 01

   Your medical records, in English

   The operation note, any test results, and the medicines you were given. The CDC advises getting overseas records in English to give to any doctor you see later.

2. 02

   Written aftercare instructions

   Wound or splint care, activity limits, when to restart normal medicines, and when stitches or dressings come off.

3. 03

   A medication list

   Name, dose and how long to take each one.

4. 04

   Your surgeon's go-ahead to fly

   And their plan for remote follow-up: how, and how often.

5. 05

   Contact details that will work from home

   Your surgeon's and the hospital's, plus a backup channel if the usual one fails.

6. 06

   Answers to the cost questions

   The NHS suggests asking before surgery what happens if there are complications, where follow-up appointments take place, what they cost, and whether you could return if more surgery were needed.

When you get home, consider telling your own doctor about the operation and keeping a copy of your records with them.

If something worries you once you're home

1. 01

   Urgent signs? Get emergency care now

   Don't wait to reach your surgeon first. See the list below.

2. 02

   Contact your surgeon

   Describe what you're seeing, with photos if they ask. Only your surgeon or another doctor can judge whether it's normal healing or a problem.

3. 03

   See a local doctor if needed

   Take your records and medication list. A local doctor can examine you in person, which a remote check can't do.

4. 04

   Keep everything

   Receipts, messages and new records. You may need them for an insurer or for further treatment.

The CDC's advice applies throughout: don't delay seeking care if you suspect a complication. It names infection as the most common complication of medical tourism. A 2018 survey of members of the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery reported the same thing for patients they saw after cosmetic surgery abroad: infection was most common, and was more often managed without further surgery than with it. Only 5.8% of members responded, so treat this as a snapshot, not a rate.

Signs that need urgent care

Get emergency help, or contact your surgeon immediately, if you have:

• bleeding that won't stop;
• a high temperature, spreading redness, or discharge from a wound;
• pain or swelling that keeps getting worse;
• throbbing pain and swelling in one leg, or red, blue or darkened skin around it. The NHS lists these as signs of a clot;
• shortness of breath or chest pain. The NHS says this needs emergency care straight away.

Your procedure may have its own warning signs. For rhinoplasty, see the warning signs in our rhinoplasty recovery guide. After liposuction or a tummy tuck, the clot risk is a particular concern. See the flying and clot guidance in our liposuction and tummy tuck guide. If you have breast implants, our breast augmentation guide covers the implant card to bring home and the long-term check-ups to arrange. For recovery after a lift, see our breast lift guide. For dental implants, which need care at home between two trips, see the warning signs in our dental implant timeline guide.

Insurance and costs

The NHS warns that travel insurance does not normally cover things going wrong in surgery. Check before you travel what your policy covers, and whether specialist cover is available to you. Ask your surgeon and hospital in writing what they charge for follow-up or for treating a complication. Our Iran guide covers payments and staying in touch while you are there.

What Sahleva does after you fly home

• Your coordinator stays on your case through recovery and remote follow-up. It isn't closed when you board the plane.
• We keep the line to your surgeon open. We pass your questions and photos to them, and their answers back to you.
• We never answer medical questions ourselves. A clinical concern is always routed to your surgeon. No coordinator, and no automated system, judges whether something is normal. In an emergency, call local emergency services first.
• Before you leave, we help make sure you have your records and follow-up plan in hand.

What follow-up covers for your case is set out in your coordination quote. See what we coordinate. If you're still choosing a provider, ask how they handle complications. Our guide to verifying a doctor and hospital lists that question with others. For the operation itself, see the rhinoplasty planning guide.