Most of the worry about having an operation abroad comes from what you don't know yet. These 15 questions turn the unknowns into answers you can see in writing.
Send them to the clinic by email, so the replies are on record before you pay a deposit or book flights. Tick them off as the answers come in. A good clinic will answer all of them. If one goes unanswered, ask again.
The hospital
Is the hospital on its country's official register of healthcare providers? Under what legal name, and what is its registration number?
The name on the register is often different from the name on the website.
Which building will my operation be in? Please give the full address.
Some clinics have a well-known outpatient centre and do operations somewhere else.
Is there intensive care in the same hospital? If I needed it, where would I be moved, and who would pay?
Who would operate
Which surgeon (or dentist) would treat me, by name? Will you confirm that in writing?
How many of my operation does that surgeon do in a year? Will I see the same person before and after?
The price
What is the total price, and what exactly does it include?
- For a joint replacement: the implant (make and model), anaesthesia, the number of nights, physiotherapy, medicines, crutches and follow-up visits.
- For dental implants: the implant brand, scans and X-rays, bone grafts or sinus lifts, temporary teeth, and the second trip.
What could be added on the day, and what would each item cost?
When is payment due, and how? If the operation can't go ahead on the day, what do I pay and what is refunded?
The trip
Who is my English-speaking contact, before, during and after my stay?
Which airport should I fly to, how do I get from there to the hospital, and will anyone meet me?
How many nights should I stay nearby after I leave hospital, and when will it be safe for me to fly home?
Will I need anything for the flight, such as blood-thinning injections, compression stockings or help at the airport?
Back home
Will I get my discharge summary and operation notes in English, on the day I leave?
Which check-ups are planned after the operation, and can they be done remotely from the UK?
If I have a problem once I'm home, who do I contact, and will you work with my GP or a UK doctor?
What the NHS says
- Your GHIC or EHIC card doesn't cover going abroad for planned treatment.
- Talk to a GP before you make final decisions, and discuss how your medical notes will be passed to the team abroad.
- The NHS is not liable if private treatment abroad is negligent or fails, so be clear before you go how your aftercare will be arranged.
- Most travel insurance doesn't cover planned treatment abroad. Tell your insurer about your plans; you may need specialist cover.
Source: NHS, “Going abroad for medical treatment” and “Treatment abroad checklist”. Checked 6 October 2026.
Want to talk it through?
Tell us what you're looking into. It's free, and we send your enquiry only to relevant, pre-vetted clinics.
You can also look up a clinic we hold: its register entry, its Google ratings and, where it publishes them, its prices.
Put them to a clinic
Four of the clinics we hold with the most Google reviews. Each has a free page with its records.
Narayana Nethralaya, Rajajinagar (Bengaluru)
Apollo Hospitals, Greams Road, Chennai
KIMS-Sunshine Hospitals, Begumpet
Yashoda Hospitals, SomajigudaThis guide is general information, not medical advice. Decisions about treatment stay between you and qualified clinicians.