Cosmetic & Plastic Surgery

Cosmetic & Plastic Surgery Abroad: 21-Point Checklist

Cosmetic surgery abroad carries the highest stakes of any medical-tourism category. The British Embassy in Turkey publishes regular safety notices for a reason. Read this list twice.

Last updated 1 May 2026Reviewed by cliniccheck editorial teamHow we research

When to use this checklist

Use this 21-point list for any cosmetic procedure abroad — rhinoplasty, BBL, breast surgery, abdominoplasty, facelift, liposuction. Cosmetic surgery carries the highest mortality of any medical-tourism category. The FCDO publishes safety notices on Turkey specifically because of this; the checks below are the universal version of those notices.

How to use it

Read this twice before booking. Verify the surgeon's registration with the relevant national plastic-surgery society (TSPRAS for Turkey, SPCH for Czechia). Confirm hospital-based surgery with ICU access and a named anaesthetist. Set the minimum in-country recovery window with the surgeon in writing; do not let yourself be rushed home.

Red flags — walk away if you see these

Quote based only on photographs — no medical assessment.
Surgery booked within 7 days of first contact.
Multiple procedures combined in one operation to "save money".
No named surgeon, only a clinic brand.
"All-inclusive" quote with no breakdown.
BBL performed in a non-hospital clinic.

Surgeon and facility

Surgeon is registered with the relevant national plastic-surgery society.
In Turkey: TSPRAS. Czechia: SPCH. Membership ≠ accreditation, but it is a baseline.
Surgery performed in a fully licensed hospital with ICU on site.
Day clinics are not appropriate for BBL, abdominoplasty, breast surgery.
Named anaesthetist with current registration.
Cardiac arrest under anaesthesia is the leading cause of cosmetic-surgery death.
Surgeon's case volume for your specific procedure — last 12 months.
For BBL, ask specifically about ultrasound-guided fat injection.

Before surgery

In-person consultation with the operating surgeon at least 24 hours before surgery.
Not a 10-minute meeting on the morning of.
Full blood work, ECG and pre-op assessment.
This should be done in-country, in a hospital lab, not relied on from UK paperwork alone.
Realistic expectations confirmed in writing.
Including before/after photographs of the surgeon's own patients with similar baseline.
Written complications policy: who treats sepsis, embolism or revision?
Aftercare in the UK falls to the NHS or a private surgeon — make sure they exist.

Recovery and flight home

Minimum in-country recovery before flying — and stick to it.
BBL: 10–14 days. Tummy tuck: 7–10 days. Breast: 7 days. Rhinoplasty: 5 days.
DVT prophylaxis: TED stockings, mobility, hydration.
Long-haul flights post-surgery carry serious clot risk.
24/7 contact for the surgical team during recovery.
Not a coordinator. The on-call doctor.
Pre-arranged UK GP or aesthetic clinician for follow-up.
Plan this before you fly out, not after you fly back.