Surgery abroad: what to check first

Travelling for surgery can be a good decision or a dangerous one, and the difference is almost never the price. Before anything else, confirm the surgeon is a registered specialist in your procedure in the country where they practise. Here is the full checklist.

Check the surgeon where they practise

Plenty of people travel for surgery, for all sorts of reasons. A surgeon you trust, a shorter wait, a lower price or simply being near family. None of that is a problem. The worry is choosing someone you can't easily check, in a system you don't know.

So start with the register in the country where the surgeon operates. Not the country on the agency's website, and not your own. Each country has its own official record and its own wording for plastic surgery. Our guide on how to check if a surgeon is registered covers the eight countries we cover, and each country page shows exactly what to look for.

Ask where the operation will happen, too. Is the hospital or clinic registered or inspected, and by whom? The answer should name a body you can look up. If you're booking through an agency, ask for the surgeon's full name early on, so you can check them before you pay anything.

If you can't find a public, searchable register for the country, or nobody can tell you which official body records the surgeon's specialist training, treat that as a red flag. A qualified specialist should be easy to verify. You shouldn't have to take a certificate on the wall, or an agent's word, for it.

Plan the time, not just the trip

The most common planning mistake is booking the flights before the recovery. Ask your surgeon how long they want you to stay nearby after the operation, and when they'd be happy for you to fly. Then add a margin. Bruising, swelling and tiredness don't follow a timetable.

• How many nights in hospital, and how many more nearby before you travel?
• Will someone be with you for the first few days?
• Who takes stitches out, and when?
• How long before you can work, drive or lift a suitcase?

Aftercare and follow-up

Recovery carries on long after you're home. Ask exactly what follow-up is included and how it works once you've left. Will the surgeon see you again in person, or by video? How do you send photos if something looks wrong? Who answers, and how quickly?

Before you fly home, ask for a written summary of what was done. It should cover the procedure, any implants or materials used, your medicines and the aftercare plan, in a language your own doctor can read. Keep it somewhere safe.

If something goes wrong at home

Every operation carries some risk of complications, wherever it happens. The question is who looks after you if one appears after you've flown home.

• Ask the surgeon how they handle complications in patients who live abroad.
• Ask whether further surgery or a revision is covered, and whether you'd need to travel back for it.
• Talk to your own GP or family doctor before you go, so they know your plans.
• Check with your insurer whether your travel insurance covers planned surgery and its complications. Don't assume it does.

In an emergency, get help locally, wherever you are. For anything less urgent, contact the surgeon's team first and keep your written summary to hand. Photos, dates and notes about how you're feeling all help whoever sees you, whether that's your surgeon by video or a doctor at home.

Questions to ask before you book

• Will I meet the surgeon before the day of surgery, in person or by video?
• Who is my contact, and are they employed by the clinic or by an agency?
• What's included in the price, and what isn't?
• What happens to my deposit if I change my mind or the date moves?
• Which country's law applies to my contract, and how are complaints handled?

If you're booking through a travel agency or facilitator, ask how they're paid. Some are paid by the clinics they recommend. That doesn't make them dishonest, but it's worth knowing. Read more in who's paying for reviews, rankings and directories, and take the questions to ask at your first consultation with you.

We can check a surgeon abroad for you on the official register of the country they practise in, with every source labelled.

Sources

• Official medical registers in each country we cover (GMC, Ahpra, Medical Council of New Zealand, BIG-register, Singapore Medical Council and others) Official
• Plastic surgery colleges, boards and societies (RACS, ABPS, Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, BAPRAS, ISAPS) Independent