Preparing

Preparation is where good outcomes are quietly manufactured. Nothing in this stage is difficult — it's all just easier done three weeks out than three days out. Work top to bottom and you'll board the plane with nothing left to worry about except the in-flight movie.

Your provider will give you specific pre-op instructions. Those instructions outrank everything, including this page. Typical themes to expect:

• Full disclosure of medications and supplements — including vitamins, herbal products, and anything recreational. Some common supplements affect bleeding; your team can only manage what they know about.
• Smoking and nicotine — most surgeons require stopping well before surgery because nicotine impairs healing. If you're told to stop, actually stop; this one is not a formality.
• Pre-op labs and imaging — some can be done at home and sent ahead; some will be repeated in Colombia. Ask which.
• Alcohol, blood thinners, and certain medications — expect specific stop-dates. Put them in your calendar the day you receive them.

• Passport valid for at least six months beyond your travel dates — check tonight, renewals take time.
• Entry: US and Canadian citizens typically enter Colombia visa-free as visitors with a stamp on arrival (up to 90 days). Rules can change — verify current requirements for your nationality before booking.
• Check-Mig: Colombia's online immigration form, completed shortly before your flight (and again before departure). Free, takes minutes, do it on the official Migración Colombia site — third-party sites charge for what costs nothing.
• Medical paperwork to carry: your provider's contact details and appointment confirmation, medication list, key records. Immigration rarely asks, but your care team will.
• Return proof: have your onward ticket accessible; airlines sometimes check before boarding.

Pack for the person you'll be after the procedure, not the one boarding the plane. The universal core:

• Loose, front-opening clothing you can get into without raising your arms or bending — button shirts, zip hoodies, slip-on shoes.
• Medications in original containers, with prescriptions for anything controlled. Carry-on, never checked.
• Documents folder (paper + phone copies): passport, confirmations, records, insurance policies.
• The boring heroes: phone charger + backup battery, travel pillow, water bottle, sanitizing wipes, a small notebook for post-op instructions.
• Procedure-specific gear — compression garments, special pillows, wound-care supplies — varies by procedure; your provider's list and our specialty guides cover specifics. Ask what's included in your package before buying duplicates.

• Tell your bank and card issuers you'll be in Colombia — a frozen card mid-trip is a solvable problem you can simply pre-solve.
• Cards work widely in the neighborhoods you'll be in; carry modest Colombian pesos (COP) for taxis, tips, and small purchases. Withdraw from bank ATMs in malls or hotels, not street machines.
• Know your payment plan for the balance — confirm with the clinic exactly how the remaining payment happens (card fees, transfer timing) so there's no day-of scramble.
• For transfers, compare rates — services like Wise typically beat bank wire exchange rates meaningfully on USD→COP.
• Buffer, always: accessible funds for one extra week of lodging and food. You'll probably fly home with it untouched. Probably.

Your phone is your lifeline to your care team, so set it up properly:

• eSIM or local SIM: an eSIM purchased before you fly is the zero-friction option; local Claro/Tigo/Movistar SIMs are cheap if your phone is unlocked.
• WhatsApp is how Colombia communicates — your clinic, your driver, your recovery house. Install it, confirm your care team has your number, and test it before you fly.
• Download offline: Google Maps for your city, a translation app with Spanish offline pack.
• Ride apps: have inDrive and Uber installed and payment-connected before arrival.

Now that dates are fixed, book the shortlist from Stage 3. Rank criteria in this order: proximity to your facility (a 10-minute ride beats a 40-minute one every single day of recovery), elevator access, quiet, then comfort extras. Three formats to choose between:

• Recovery houses — purpose-built for post-op guests, often with nursing support, meals, and transport. Strongest option for bigger procedures or solo travelers; vet them with the same rigor as Stage 2.
• Aparthotels/hotels — daily housekeeping, front desk, food solved. The reliable middle path.
• Apartment rentals — most space and independence; you handle meals and logistics. Best when you have a companion.

Stage 7 goes deep on the recovery-house decision. If you're between options, message us with your procedure and dates — we'll tell you what we'd pick.