Out-of-Town Patient Info

Planning the Trip

Most patients traveling for facial surgery make two trips rather than one. The first is the in-person consultation and the second is the procedure itself, though for patients traveling a long distance these are sometimes combined, with the consultation and examination taking place the day before surgery.

Combining them works when the plan is already well established. That usually means a virtual consultation has taken place first, photographs have been reviewed, and the direction is agreed in principle. What the in-person visit then adds is the examination, which confirms the plan rather than setting it. Where the examination changes the plan materially, having built in a day before surgery allows that conversation to happen without anyone feeling rushed.

How long to stay afterward depends on the procedure. More extensive work on the face and neck involves a longer local stay than a shorter procedure or a non-surgical treatment. Swelling and bruising follow a predictable arc, and the first post-operative visit falls within the earliest part of it. The practice will advise on a specific number of days for the planned procedure at the consultation, and that figure is worth confirming before booking return travel rather than after.

It is worth booking accommodation with some flexibility. Recovery is individual, and a patient who needs an extra two days should be able to take them without a cancellation penalty.

Bringing Someone With You

Patients having surgery under anesthesia cannot drive themselves afterward and should not be alone for the first night. For patients who are local this is usually straightforward. For patients who have traveled it needs planning.

A traveling companion is the simplest arrangement and the one most patients make. Where that is not possible, private nursing or recovery accommodation can be arranged, and the practice can advise on local options. This is worth raising at the consultation rather than the week before surgery, because it occasionally affects which dates work.

Follow-Up When You Live Elsewhere

The first post-operative visit happens in person, locally, before the patient travels home. That visit covers wound checks, suture or dressing removal where applicable, and the initial assessment of healing.

Subsequent follow-up is more flexible. Later visits are often conducted remotely, with photographs taken at home and reviewed by the practice, which spares patients repeated journeys for appointments that are largely about confirming that healing is proceeding normally.

Two things are worth agreeing before traveling home. The first is who the patient contacts, and how, if something concerns them at week three. The second is whether a local physician should be identified in advance for anything that needs hands-on attention closer to home. Most patients never need either, and having both arranged costs nothing.

Traveling Home After Surgery

Flying after facial surgery is generally possible once the practice confirms the patient is ready, and the timing depends on the procedure.

A few practical points apply regardless. Cabin pressure and the dry air in an aircraft can increase facial swelling, so hydration matters more than usual. An aisle seat is easier than a window seat when getting up repeatedly. For nasal procedures in particular, the practice will give specific guidance on flying, since nasal packing, splints and congestion all affect how comfortable a flight is.

Patients should not book a flight that depends on being cleared at a specific appointment, because if the clearance does not come that day, a non-refundable ticket becomes a problem. Flexible travel, where it is affordable, removes that pressure entirely.

Procedures Patients Commonly Travel For

Patients travel in for the full range of procedures offered, though some more than others. Facelift and extended deep plane facelift involve the longest local stay. Rhinoplasty and revision rhinoplasty require specific guidance on flying afterward. Eyelid surgery and neck lift sit in between.

Surgical procedures are performed at the practice's accredited private surgical suite in Beverly Hills.

Background on the practice is on the about our practice page, and payment and financing information is on the financing page.

To start the process, request a virtual consultation or contact the practice through the contact page.