What to Do If Something Goes Wrong After Surgery in Colombia

Most recoveries proceed normally, but having a clear plan for what to do if something feels wrong — while you're still in Colombia, with access to your surgical team — is worth thinking through before surgery, not during a stressful moment afterward.

Immediate steps

1. Contact your surgeon or clinic directly, as a first step for anything that feels off but isn't a medical emergency. This is what your post-op contact information is for — use it rather than waiting for your next scheduled follow-up if something concerns you.
2. For anything that feels like a genuine emergency — severe pain, difficulty breathing, signs of significant bleeding, fever with spreading redness — seek immediate hospital care rather than waiting to reach your surgeon first. Know in advance which hospital your clinic is affiliated with or recommends for emergencies.
3. Document everything — photos of any concerning symptoms, dates and times, and copies of any messages exchanged with the clinic. This matters both for your own medical record and for any later insurance claim.

Working with your recovery house

If you're staying at a recovery house with nursing staff, they're often your fastest point of contact for a concern that doesn't need a hospital but does need clinical eyes on it quickly. Confirm before surgery what their escalation process is — when do they contact your surgeon directly versus recommend you go to a hospital.

If you have travel or medical tourism insurance

Contact your insurer's assistance line as soon as a complication requiring treatment arises, not after the fact — many policies require notification within a specific window to process a claim. See our travel insurance guide for what to buy before you travel, specifically to have this option available.