Travelling to Kolkata for Plastic Surgery: A Practical Patient Guide

A treatment trip to Kolkata may involve more than one hospital visit. Depending on your procedure, you may need a consultation, the procedure itself, dressing changes, wound reviews, or other follow-up appointments. Planning your hotel, meals, transport, and medicines around the complete schedule can make the stay easier for both the patient and the accompanying person.

Online Consultation Before Travelling

For a patient travelling to Kolkata from another city or country, one useful question may come before the flight is booked: can some of the initial discussion happen online? A remote consultation cannot replace a physical examination when examination is necessary, but it may help a patient understand what information is needed, what an in-person visit may involve, and how to plan the trip.

The following interview with Prof. Dr Srinjoy Saha, Senior Consultant Plastic Surgeon at Apollo Multispeciality Hospital, Kolkata, discusses the planning value of an online consultation. It is intended as general information and does not determine whether a particular patient should undergo a procedure.

Why can an online consultation be useful for someone who lives outside Kolkata?

“For someone travelling from another city or country, the first consultation can do more than simply answer questions about a procedure. It can help establish what information we need, whether an in-person examination will be necessary, what investigations or records may be relevant, and what the patient should expect from the visit.”

Travelling for a consultation and deciding to have surgery are separate decisions. A preliminary discussion can help with the first without presuming the second.

What should a patient prepare before an online consultation?

“Patients should have a clear description of what concerns them, what they hope to change, their relevant medical history, previous operations or treatments, current medicines, and any reports that may be relevant. If photographs are requested, they should follow the clinic's instructions about how those photographs should be taken.”

Patients should provide the information requested by the clinic and avoid sending sensitive material through an unapproved channel. The treating team can explain what it needs to review.

Can an online consultation replace seeing the surgeon in person?

“No. There are situations in which physical examination is an essential part of assessment. An online consultation should not create the impression that an examination can always be replaced by photographs or video. Its role may be to begin the clinical discussion and help determine what needs to happen next.”

Patients should clarify what must happen in person before committing to flights or accommodation.

What can an online consultation help a travelling patient plan?

“It can help patients understand the sequence of appointments they may need. Depending on the procedure and the individual patient, there may be a consultation, examination, investigations, treatment, dressing changes, reviews, or other follow-up. The exact sequence cannot be assumed in advance, but knowing the likely pathway can make travel planning much easier.”

Someone expecting one hospital visit may choose accommodation differently from someone who may need several appointments. Ask for the likely sequence before booking flights and making non-refundable arrangements.

What should patients ask about the length of their stay?

“Patients should ask how long they should plan to remain locally and what follow-up is expected before they travel home. They should also ask what circumstances might require an additional visit. The appropriate duration varies with the procedure, the patient's circumstances, and the recovery.”

There is no universal number of days that applies to every patient. The treating team should advise on the timing for the individual case. Do not plan a return flight only around a generic recovery timetable found online.

What about patients travelling internationally?

“International patients need to think about the whole journey, not only the operation. They should consider the time required for consultation and follow-up, accommodation, travel arrangements, access to communication, and what will happen if the schedule changes. Advance discussion can make those practical issues easier to manage.”

Flights, accommodation, documents, insurance arrangements, payment, communication with the clinic, and the needs of a travelling companion may all need to be coordinated.

What should a patient confirm before booking the trip?

“I would want patients to know when and where they need to attend, what information they should provide beforehand, how many visits may be required, what follow-up is expected, who they should contact if they have questions, and what the plan is if the timing changes. Once those points are reasonably clear, accommodation and travel become much easier to organise.”

Patients interested in consulting Dr Srinjoy Saha can find further information on his practice website.

Choosing a Location Near the Hospital

If your appointments are at Apollo Multispeciality Hospitals, Kolkata, staying nearby may reduce repeated travel during recovery. The most suitable area will depend on your appointment schedule, mobility, budget, and whether a companion is travelling with you.

Compare the actual route from each property rather than relying only on a stated distance. Traffic, road conditions, time of day, and the hospital entrance used for your appointment can all affect the journey.

A nearby hotel can make repeat appointments easier, but distance is only one part of the decision.

Plan Around the Full Appointment Schedule

Some procedures involve more than one visit. Depending on the treatment plan, you may need a pre-procedure consultation, the procedure itself, dressing changes, wound reviews, or a final follow-up appointment.

Ask the clinic for an approximate schedule before arranging flights and accommodation. The number and timing of visits vary by procedure and patient. Do not assume that a follow-up can be completed remotely or that it will be safe to fly immediately after treatment.

Questions to Ask the Clinic

• How many in-person appointments should I expect?
• How long should I plan to remain in Kolkata?
• When is it usually safe to travel home?
• Will I need help walking, bathing, or changing dressings?
• What should I do if I develop pain, fever, bleeding, or swelling?
• Who should I contact outside normal clinic hours?

Accommodation Considerations

The properties below are examples to investigate, not endorsements. Availability, prices, facilities, and travel times change. Contact each property directly and confirm the features that matter for your stay before paying a deposit.

Meals and Groceries During Your Stay

Ask your surgeon or dietitian whether you have any food or fluid restrictions. If there are no special instructions, many patients find it useful to arrange simple meals, adequate fluids and food that is easy to eat while resting.

Before arrival, check whether your hotel accepts food deliveries at reception and whether it has a refrigerator, kettle, microwave or dining area.

• Search delivery platforms for foods that match your clinician’s advice.
• Keep bottled water and easy-to-eat snacks available in the room.
• Tell restaurants about allergies and follow any dietary restrictions.
• Check delivery coverage and opening hours on the day you order.
• Keep ordinary essentials such as tissues, hand sanitiser and any non-prescription items recommended by your care team.

Plan Comfortable Transport

Traffic and road conditions can make journey times unpredictable. For follow-up appointments, allow extra time and choose a vehicle in which you can sit comfortably. If you have mobility restrictions, ask your clinic whether you need a companion or special assistance.

• Book a sedan or another vehicle with enough space to sit comfortably.
• Keep the hospital and hotel addresses saved in English and, if useful, Bengali.
• Ask the driver to avoid unnecessary stops and confirm the destination before leaving.
• Ask the hospital whether lobby, wheelchair or vehicle-entry assistance is available.
• Use a current ride-hailing app or hotel-recommended taxi service, and confirm availability on the day.

Medicines and Basic Supplies

Ask your clinic which medicines and supplies you should obtain before leaving the hospital. Prescription requirements and pharmacy opening hours can vary, so confirm availability directly rather than relying on a general online listing.

• Ask whether the hospital pharmacy can dispense initial medicines before discharge.
• Save the names, doses and instructions for your medicines in writing.
• Identify one nearby pharmacy and one delivery option before your first appointment.
• Use delivery services for ordinary non-prescription items only unless your clinician confirms otherwise.
• Keep the clinic’s out-of-hours contact number accessible.
• Do not start, stop or change medicines without advice from your treating clinician.

When to Contact the Care Team

Follow the instructions provided by your surgeon. Contact the clinic promptly if you are concerned about increasing pain, bleeding, fever, wound changes, medication reactions or any symptom that was not explained to you in advance.

For a serious or rapidly worsening emergency, use local emergency services or go to the nearest emergency department. Ask your clinic in advance which number to call and which hospital department to use.

Final Checklist

• Appointment dates and expected follow-up visits confirmed.
• Travel dates planned around the treating team’s advice.
• Hotel address and route checked at likely appointment times.
• Lift access, bathroom layout, bed and room facilities confirmed.
• Cancellation and payment terms understood.
• Food delivery, water and basic supplies arranged.
• Transport plan and companion support considered.
• Prescriptions, clinic contact details and emergency instructions saved.
• Important hotel, pharmacy and transport details reconfirmed shortly before travel.

The most useful preparation is usually straightforward: understand the full appointment schedule, stay somewhere that fits your mobility needs, arrange easy access to food and medicines, and keep the clinic’s instructions close at hand.