The Companion's Guide: How to Look After Someone Having Plastic Surgery in Medellín

Most writing about plastic surgery in Medellín speaks to the patient. This piece is for the other person in the taxi: the partner, sister, best friend or adult child who has agreed to come along. You may have imagined the trip as a few days of keeping someone company. In reality you will be part nurse's aide, part logistics manager and part advocate. That is a real job, and doing it well makes a difference.

Why the companion matters

Patients recovering from anesthesia and major surgery are not in a good position to manage their own care in the first days. They may be drowsy from medication, uncomfortable, and unable to bend, lift or reach. They are also in a foreign city where they may not speak the language. You are the person who keeps track of what the surgical team said, notices when something changes and makes the phone call.

The CDC Yellow Book notes that air travel and surgery each raise the risk of blood clots, and that the risk compounds when a patient sits for long periods afterwards (CDC Yellow Book, 2026). Gentle encouragement to walk as directed, and a watchful eye for warning signs, are exactly the kind of things a companion is there for.

Before you leave home

Good caregiving in Medellín starts weeks earlier.

• Attend the video consultation if the patient is comfortable with that. You will hear the plan first-hand and can ask your own questions.
• Get the patient's permission in writing to speak with the surgical team about their care. Some clinics require it.
• Collect the essentials in one place: the patient's medication list, allergies, insurance details, passport copies, the clinic's address and phone numbers, and an emergency contact at home.
• Save the clinic's after-hours number on your phone and test the channel, whether that is WhatsApp or a phone line.
• Learn a handful of Spanish phrases for emergencies and the pharmacy. Our phrasebook is a start.
• Plan your own time off to cover the full stay, plus a buffer in case the surgeon delays clearance to fly.

Surgery day

Surgery days are long and mostly involve waiting. Bring a phone charger, snacks, something to read and the patient's documents. Before the operation, confirm with the team how you will be updated and roughly when to expect news.

When the patient is discharged, whether that evening or after a night in the clinic, ask the nurse to walk you through the written instructions before you leave. Do not rely on the patient to remember them. Make sure you understand:

• Which medications to give, at what times, and what each is for.
• How to care for dressings and drains, and how to record drain output if asked.
• How the compression garment should be worn, and when it can come off.
• When the first follow-up appointment is, and where.
• Exactly which symptoms should prompt an immediate call.

The first few days: a practical routine

Every surgery and patient is different, so the surgical team's instructions come first. In general, though, companions find it helps to set up a routine.

A note on the medication log

Post-operative patients often take several medicines on different schedules: pain relief, antibiotics, sometimes blood-thinning injections. Confusion is common, especially at night. A simple notebook with the time and name of every dose is one of the most useful tools you can bring. Show it to the surgical team at follow-up visits.

Signs that mean you call right away

Your surgical team should give you a written list of warning signs. Keep it visible. In general, these are the kinds of changes that should prompt an immediate call, and in some cases emergency care:

• Shortness of breath, chest pain, or coughing up blood.
• Pain, swelling or warmth in one calf or leg.
• Fever, chills, or a wound that becomes red, hot or leaks cloudy fluid.
• Rapidly increasing swelling or firmness on one side.
• Confusion, fainting or unusual drowsiness.
• Bleeding that soaks through dressings.

Breathing problems, chest pain or collapse are emergencies. Call local emergency services first and the clinic second. For everything else, call the clinic as soon as you notice the change. It is always better to call about something that turns out to be normal than to wait.

Being an advocate without being a nuisance

Part of a companion's role is speaking up. If the patient tells you something is wrong but downplays it to the nurse, it is fair to say what you have seen. If a follow-up appointment feels rushed, it is fair to ask the surgeon to explain a point again. If the plan changes, ask why.

At the same time, remember who the patient is. Decisions about their care are theirs, guided by their surgical team. Your job is to make sure they have the information they need and that the team hears what is happening, not to make choices for them.

Recovery housing versus a rental

Some patients stay in a recovery house with nursing staff, and some stay in a hotel or apartment with a companion. A recovery house can take on some of the hands-on care, which leaves you free to rest and handle logistics. If you are in a rental, more falls to you, so make sure you have practised the tasks you will need to do. Our guide to recovery houses in Medellín explains the options.

Whichever you choose, check the practical details: an elevator or ground-floor access, a bed that is easy to get in and out of, a shower the patient can use safely and a quiet room.

Looking after yourself

Caregiving is tiring. You will sleep less, spend a lot of time indoors and carry some worry. A few things help:

• Take short breaks outside when the patient is resting, after checking they are settled.
• Eat properly and stay hydrated yourself.
• Keep someone at home updated so you are not carrying everything alone.
• If you are sharing duties with another person, split the night shifts.

The NHS advises patients against going on holiday straight after surgery, including sightseeing and drinking alcohol (NHS, accessed 2026). As a companion, you set the pace. A long day out while the patient waits in a hotel is not a good idea in the early days, and pressuring them to come along is worse.

The journey home

Before you fly, make sure the surgeon has cleared the patient in person. Collect the operative report, discharge summary and medication list in English, as the CDC recommends, and put them in your carry-on. At the airport, request wheelchair or assistance services if needed, help the patient move around during the flight as advised and carry anything they should not lift.

When you get home, your role does not end immediately. Help set up any follow-up with the patient's local doctor and keep an eye out for the same warning signs for the next few weeks.