Travelling Abroad and Medical Aftercare

Most forms of surgery and medical treatment will require a period of rest and recuperation post surgery. The amount of recuperation will depend on the surgery; patients who have undergone major heart surgery will need a lot of rest whereas with a small eye operation you may be able to return to work immediately.

One factor that is common with all surgery at home and abroad, is following the medical aftercare instructions and advice given to you by the surgeon or doctor. Medical aftercare should not be thought of as guidelines to recovery; the instructions you are given should be followed to the letter and thought of as part of the whole surgery process.

Travelling Abroad and Medical Aftercare

Going abroad for surgery does bring up a few issues of concern with regards to aftercare. If you are planning to return home immediately after your surgery then the level of aftercare will be somewhat diminished. Travelling involves stress and strain to the body, which can cause blood pressure to rise, which is not conducive to the healing process. Scars will heal quicker if there is no strain or pressure on the treated area; it is exactly for these reasons that a holiday abroad after surgery is the best option.

Many surgeons do recommend that you should stay in the same country for at least a week after surgery to enable a return visit in order to inspect the treated area. For some operations such as heart surgery or transplants you will be booked into a hospital or clinic for around a week to ten days for observations after the surgery. Some surgeries such as obesity surgery using a laparoscopic adjustable gastric band will require return visits in order to adjust the band. The level of medical aftercare will be dependant on the surgery or treatment involved.

Surgery Abroad and Medical Aftercare

If you are planning to recuperate while on holiday for a few weeks after surgery then if any post surgery complications do occur you will only be a short trip away from the clinic and the surgeon who performed the treatments.

All reputable surgeons and doctors realise that medical aftercare is an important part of the surgical process. Many clinics abroad do have their own recuperative centres within their clinics. This is very common within clinics that deal with cosmetic surgical procedures. There may be spa facilities at hand to ease away any stress and there may also be skin treatments available that will help with the skin renewal process after operations. These treatments can also help minimise scarring after cosmetic surgery.

Questions to Ask

If you are undertaking your own research on surgery abroad or using a medical service provider you should always ask questions about medical aftercare. These questions should include:-

• What type of aftercare is provided?
• How long should I stay before travelling home?
• Is any aftercare medication prescribed available in the UK?
• Is all medical aftercare provided in the total fee?
• Will the medical staff abroad be easily contactable after returning home?
• Will any return visits be needed?
• Will there be professionally qualified staff available to dispense medical aftercare treatments?

Qualified Medical Aftercare Staff

Many clinics abroad have their own qualified aftercare professionals. Depending on the surgery you have had they could be physiotherapists, dermatologists, beauty therapists, dieticians, and of course the doctors themselves. In most cases the access and support provided by the aftercare staff should be included in the overall fee.

Comprehensive medical aftercare is an important part of the surgical process, and should be heavily factored into the treatment plan. Depending on the type of surgery you are having you should also schedule an appointment with your own doctor in the UK after treatment abroad. Your own doctor should be aware of any surgery in case of post surgery complications, or to receive aftercare treatment when back in Britain.

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