Many people with well-managed chronic conditions have planned treatment abroad. The keys are getting your home doctor involved early, giving your Colombian surgeon and anesthesiologist your complete history, bringing more medication than you think you'll need, and planning for a recovery that might take a bit longer. The worst mistake is leaving something out because you're worried it will cancel your surgery.
Key takeaways
- Talk to your home doctor before you book. Ask whether your condition is well enough controlled for the procedure and the travel.
- Tell your Colombian surgeon and anesthesiologist everything: diagnoses, medications, supplements, recent test results and past anesthesia problems.
- Bring enough medication for the whole trip plus a buffer, in your carry-on, in original packaging, with prescription copies.
- Never stop or adjust a medicine before surgery on your own. Get written instructions that your surgeon and home doctor agree on.
- Build extra days into your plan; chronic conditions can make recovery less predictable.
Start with your home doctor
Your doctor at home knows your history and trends: how your blood sugar or blood pressure has really been over the past year, not just on the day of a consultation. Before you commit to a date, book an appointment specifically to discuss the trip.
Questions worth asking:
- Is my condition controlled well enough for this procedure and this much travel right now?
- Are there tests I should have done before going (recent bloodwork, an ECG, a sleep study)?
- Which of my medications are likely to need adjusting around surgery, and who should decide that?
- Will you follow up with me after I come home, and what records will you need?
- What warning signs would mean I should get care urgently, given my condition?
Some home doctors are wary of treatment abroad. That's fine; you aren't asking for their blessing, you're asking for their information. Our guide to telling your doctor you're going abroad covers how to have that conversation.
Tell your surgeon everything
Patients sometimes minimize their conditions to an overseas clinic: "my blood pressure's basically fine," or forgetting the sleep apnea diagnosis they never really accepted. The reason is understandable: you've invested in this trip and you don't want it cancelled. But your surgeon and anesthesiologist plan your safety around what they know. Things they don't know about can't be planned for.
- Every diagnosis, even ones that feel unrelated or minor.
- Every medication and dose, including injectables, inhalers, eye drops and patches.
- Supplements and herbal products, since some affect bleeding or interact with anesthesia.
- Recent results: HbA1c, kidney function, blood pressure readings, ECG, sleep study.
- Past surgeries and any problems with anesthesia, for you or close family members.
- Smoking, vaping, alcohol and other substances, honestly. These all affect healing and anesthesia.
- Allergies, including to latex, tape, antibiotics and pain medications.
Ask for a pre-operative assessment with the anesthesiologist, not just the surgeon, and ask if they'd like any extra tests before you travel. Ask, too, where the procedure will take place and what happens if you need more monitoring than planned. Your questions for the clinic should include this.
Condition by condition: what to plan for
This isn't a full list, and your doctors may have different priorities. It's a starting point for your conversations.
| Condition | Why it matters for surgery and travel | Ask about / plan for |
|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | Blood sugar control affects wound healing and infection risk; fasting and stress change your needs | How to manage medication while fasting; target ranges; testing supplies; how insulin will be handled during and after surgery |
| High blood pressure | Affects anesthesia and bleeding risk; some medications need special timing | Which pills to take on surgery morning; bringing a home monitor; recent readings |
| Sleep apnea | Anesthesia, sedatives and opioid pain relief can worsen breathing problems | Bringing your CPAP; using it in recovery; monitoring plans; pain medication choices |
| Heart or lung conditions | Affect anesthesia, oxygen levels and fitness to fly | Specialist clearance; any changes needed for altitude (relevant in Bogotá) |
| Blood clotting history or blood thinners | Must balance bleeding risk in surgery against clot risk | Who decides when to pause and restart; clot prevention for the flight home |
| Kidney or thyroid conditions, autoimmune disease | Can affect drug choices, healing and infection risk | Recent labs; whether any treatments (like immune-suppressing drugs) need adjusting |
Diabetes in practice
Pack all testing supplies, insulin or other injectables, needles, a glucose meter or sensor with spares, and fast-acting sugar for lows, in your hand luggage. Insulin should be kept away from extreme heat, and never in checked luggage, where temperatures can be extreme. Plan meals around surgery-day fasting with your doctors. If you wear a sensor or pump, ask the clinic how it will be managed in the operating room.
Sleep apnea in practice
Bring your CPAP (or other device), mask and tubing. Contact your airline ahead of time; many airlines allow CPAP machines as an extra carry-on item, but rules vary. Colombia uses 110-volt power with plugs like those in North America, so visitors from those countries usually don't need an adapter; travelers from elsewhere should check. If you have untreated or suspected sleep apnea, tell your surgeon. It matters.
Weight-loss and newer medications
If you take a GLP-1 medication (such as semaglutide or tirzepatide) for diabetes or weight, tell your surgeon and anesthesiologist. These drugs slow stomach emptying, and anesthesia teams may give specific instructions about them before surgery.
Medication supply: bring more than you need
Treat your medications as the single item you can't replace easily. Brands, strengths and availability in Colombia may differ from home.
- Count your trip days, then add a buffer, enough for at least an extra week or two, in case your stay is extended.
- Ask your doctor and pharmacy about an early refill or a travel supply; insurers sometimes allow this with notice.
- Keep everything in your carry-on, in original pharmacy packaging with labels.
- Split the supply between two bags if you're travelling with a companion.
- Carry copies of your prescriptions with generic (chemical) names, not just brand names.
- Check rules for controlled medicines (some pain, ADHD, sleep and anxiety medications) with the Colombian embassy or consulate before travelling.
- Write a dosing schedule that includes surgery-related changes, and share it with your companion.
Our guide to travelling with medication after treatment covers bringing new prescriptions home too.
Some medications are commonly paused or changed before surgery: some diabetes drugs, blood thinners, certain blood pressure medicines and some weight-loss drugs. Changing these without guidance can be dangerous. Get your instructions in writing, and if the Colombian team's advice differs from your home doctor's, ask them to talk to each other, or at least make sure each knows what the other said.
The letter from your home doctor
A concise letter from your home doctor gives the Colombian team the full picture in one place. It also helps you at customs and in an emergency. Ask for it on letterhead, signed, with these items:
- Your diagnoses, and how well controlled each one is
- Current medications: generic name, dose and timing
- Allergies and the reaction you had
- Relevant recent results (attach the reports)
- Past surgeries and any anesthesia problems
- Devices you use, such as CPAP, pump, sensor or pacemaker
- Your doctor's contact details and willingness to be contacted
Have a one-page summary translated into Spanish as well. It's quick for any nurse or emergency doctor to read. See medical records to bring to Colombia for the full document list.
Planning your recovery around your condition
- Add buffer days. Chronic conditions can make recovery less predictable. A few extra days in Colombia cost far less than an unplanned flight change.
- Choose your recovery base for your needs: a fridge for insulin, a working outlet by the bed for your CPAP, easy access to a pharmacy, and somewhere you can actually rest.
- Keep monitoring. Bring your home blood pressure monitor or glucose meter and keep a log your surgeon can see.
- Consider the city's climate and altitude. Bogotá's altitude may matter for some heart and lung conditions; hot cities can affect hydration and blood sugar. Ask your doctors.
- Bring a companion if you can, especially for the first days after surgery.
- Arrange follow-up at home before you leave, so your own doctor sees you soon after you return.
FAQ
Can I have surgery abroad if I have diabetes or high blood pressure?
Many people with well-managed chronic conditions have planned treatment, at home and abroad. Whether it is right for you depends on how well controlled your condition is, the procedure, and your surgeon's and anesthesiologist's assessment. Start with your home doctor, and give the Colombian team your full history before you book.
Should I bring my CPAP machine?
Yes, if you use one. Tell your surgeon and anesthesiologist that you have sleep apnea, bring the machine and its accessories, and ask whether to use it in recovery. Contact your airline ahead of time about carrying it onboard, and check whether you need a plug adapter or voltage converter.
How much medication should I bring?
Enough for the whole trip plus a buffer in case your stay is extended, carried in your hand luggage in original packaging, with copies of your prescriptions. Ask your home doctor and pharmacy how to get an early or extra supply, and ask your surgeon which medicines to pause or adjust around surgery.
Do I need to stop my medications before surgery?
Some medications need to be paused or adjusted before surgery, including some diabetes medicines, blood thinners, certain blood pressure medicines and some weight-loss drugs. Never stop or change a medicine on your own. Your surgeon or anesthesiologist, working with your home doctor, should give you specific written instructions.
What should a letter from my home doctor include?
Your diagnoses, how well controlled they are, current medications with doses, allergies, relevant recent test results, past surgeries and any anesthesia problems, plus the doctor's contact details. A short version translated into Spanish is a useful addition.
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