Your stay length should come from your surgeon's written plan, not from a package or a guess: hospital nights, therapy sessions, follow-up visits and the earliest date they'll clear you to fly. Before you pay anything, lock in who provides physical therapy, how clot prevention is handled for the flight home, what implant records you'll leave with, and who takes over your care once you land.
This guide walks through each of those pieces in the order you'll need them, with a copy-ready message you can send to the clinic today.
Why a joint replacement trip is booked differently
Many elective procedures are planned around a short recovery window and one or two check-ups. A knee or hip replacement is different in a few practical ways that change how you book:
- Mobility is limited at first. Stairs, curbs, low beds, long walks through airports and getting in and out of cars all become planning problems.
- Rehab starts early and is part of the result. The surgery is one event; the therapy afterward is a series of appointments you have to get to.
- The flight home carries its own risk. Long periods of sitting after lower-limb surgery are something surgeons plan around, which is why clearance to fly is a medical decision, not a calendar choice.
- You'll need follow-up for months. Someone at home has to be ready to see you, read your records and handle anything that comes up.
So the booking question isn't only "how many nights?" It's "what has to happen before I can safely leave, and who does each part?"
Recovery timelines vary widely with the procedure, the approach the surgeon uses, your age, fitness, other health conditions and how rehab goes. That's why this guide gives you questions to ask rather than numbers to plan around. Your surgeon's written answer is the number that matters.
Get the timeline in writing: hospital nights and clearance to fly
Before you size your stay, ask the operating surgeon (not only the coordinator) for a written outline of the expected recovery path. You're asking for their usual plan for a patient like you, understanding it may change.
- Expected hospital or clinic nights
How many nights do they typically keep a patient like you after this procedure, and what has to happen before discharge?
- Scheduled follow-up visits
On which days after surgery do they want to see you, and is wound or staple/suture care part of those visits?
- Earliest clearance-to-fly date
What's the earliest date they would normally clear you to fly home, and what would make them push it back?
- The written clearance itself
Will you receive a signed fit-to-fly note, and in English if your airline or insurer asks for one?
Once you have those answers, add buffer days on top. If the surgeon would want to see you once more before clearing you, or a check-up slides by a day, you don't want a non-refundable flight forcing the decision.
Hello, I'm planning my stay for a [knee / hip] replacement and want to book lodging and flights around the surgeon's plan. Could the surgeon confirm in writing: 1. The expected number of hospital or clinic nights 2. The days of planned follow-up visits after discharge 3. The earliest date they would normally clear me to fly home, and what could delay that 4. Whether I will receive a signed fit-to-fly letter I understand these are estimates. Thank you.
Why: you get the surgeon's own estimates, dated and in one place, before you commit to non-refundable travel.
Physical therapy: how many sessions, where, and who books
"Physical therapy included" can mean very different things. One clinic might mean a therapist visiting you in the hospital before discharge. Another might mean a set of outpatient sessions across town. Pin it down:
| Question | What to get in writing | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Included sessions | Number of sessions in the quote, and which are in hospital vs. after discharge | Extra sessions are a common add-on cost |
| Location | Hospital room, outpatient center, or therapist coming to your lodging | Decides whether you need daily transport |
| Who books | Clinic schedules them, or you do | Avoids arriving with no appointments set |
| Language | Whether the therapist can work in English, or an interpreter is arranged | Home exercises only help if you understand them |
| Home program | A written exercise plan you can hand to your home therapist | Keeps rehab continuous after you fly |
| Equipment | Walker, crutches, raised toilet seat, cold therapy: supplied, rented or bought | You may need these on day one at your lodging |
If sessions happen outside your lodging, ask how patients usually get there. A ride that's easy to find on a normal day can be hard to manage with a walker, so plan this before you book where you'll stay.
The flight home: ask about clot prevention
Blood clots are a known concern after hip and knee replacement, and long flights involve hours of sitting. What you should do about that is a decision for your surgeon, based on your history. Your job when booking is to make sure the question gets asked and answered on paper before you travel.
Questions for your surgeon
- What clot-prevention plan do you want me on, and until what date?
- If medication is part of it, will I leave with enough to cover the trip home and the days until I see my home doctor?
- Do you want me to wear compression stockings on the flight, and will you size them?
- What should I do during the flight itself (movement, seating, aisle access)?
- Do you recommend a particular seat or an upgrade for leg room or extension?
- Which warning signs mean I should seek care immediately, during travel or after I land?
Also ask the airline about wheelchair assistance at each airport. It's usually requested in advance through your booking, and it can make connections far more manageable.
Implant documentation to bring home
Your future surgeons will want to know exactly what was put in. If you ever need a revision, or if a device is subject to a manufacturer notice years from now, a vague "titanium hip" won't help. Before discharge, ask for:
- The implant record: manufacturer, model or product name, size, and lot or serial numbers for each component. Hospitals often keep this as stickers or entries in the operative record. Ask for a copy.
- An implant card, if the manufacturer or hospital issues one.
- The operative report and the discharge summary, ideally with an English version or translation.
- Imaging: post-op X-rays as image files, not just a printed report.
A joint implant may set off airport metal detectors. A card or letter can help explain, but it doesn't exempt you from screening, so allow extra time at security.
Lodging: ground floor or elevator, and a bathroom you can use
Recovery lodging for a joint replacement has stricter requirements than a normal trip. Hilly neighborhoods and walk-up buildings are common, so confirm the details before you pay:
Lodging must-haves
- Ground-floor unit or a working elevator, with no steps between the street and the door (ask for photos)
- A step-free path from the building entrance to where cars can stop
- Walk-in shower or a shower you can safely sit in, and grab bars or room to add a seat
- A bed and toilet height you can manage, or room for a raised seat
- Floors without loose rugs, and enough space to move with a walker
- A reasonable drive to the clinic and to therapy
- Flexible or extendable dates in case clearance to fly moves
If you'll have a companion or a hired caregiver, make sure the space works for two, and that someone can help with meals and errands in the first days.
Line up your home-side surgeon or PT before you leave
The step people most often skip is arranging care at home before departure. Some surgeons and therapists are reluctant to take on a patient whose surgery happened elsewhere, and waiting lists can be long. Find that out while you still have time to change plans.
- Tell your primary care doctor about the plan
Ask who they'd refer you to for follow-up and whether they'll manage medications after you return.
- Book a physical therapist at home
Ask whether they'll take a post-op patient from abroad and what records they need. Get a first appointment on the calendar for shortly after your return.
- Identify an orthopedic contact
Know who will see you if something goes wrong after you're home, and how your insurance treats complications from surgery abroad.
- Connect the two sides
Ask your Colombian surgeon whether they'll answer questions from your home doctor, and how (email, video call, report).
Putting it together: how to size your stay
Instead of picking a number of days, build the stay from components. Fill in each line from the written answers you collected:
| Component | Source | Your number |
|---|---|---|
| Arrival and pre-op | Clinic: consult, labs, imaging before surgery day | Days before surgery |
| Hospital nights | Surgeon's written estimate | Nights in hospital |
| Lodging recovery | Surgeon: earliest clearance-to-fly date | Days from discharge to clearance |
| Therapy sessions | Clinic's PT schedule | Fits inside the recovery window? |
| Buffer | Your choice | Extra days for a slipped check-up or delay |
Then book flights and lodging with change flexibility that matches that buffer. If the numbers don't fit your time off, it's better to learn that now than in a recovery bed.
Be cautious with any offer that quotes a fixed short stay before a surgeon has reviewed your case, or that can't say who provides therapy. Also check the professionals and facility yourself: Colombia's RETHUS registry lists licensed health professionals, and REPS lists registered health service providers.
Frequently asked questions
How long should I stay in Colombia after a knee or hip replacement?
There's no single right number. Ask the operating surgeon in writing for the expected hospital nights, follow-up visit days and the earliest date they would normally clear you to fly, then add buffer days on top. Build your lodging and flights around that written plan.
Is physical therapy usually included in a joint replacement quote?
It depends on the provider. Some include therapy only during the hospital stay, others include a set number of outpatient sessions. Get the number of sessions, their location, who schedules them and whether an English-speaking therapist is available, all in writing, before you pay.
What should I ask about blood clots before flying home?
Ask your surgeon what clot-prevention plan they want you on and until when, whether you'll leave with enough medication if any is prescribed, whether compression stockings are recommended, what to do during the flight and which warning signs need urgent care. The decisions are medical; your job is to get them on paper.
What implant paperwork should I bring home?
Ask for the implant record with manufacturer, model, size and lot or serial numbers for each component, any implant card, the operative report, the discharge summary and post-op X-ray image files. Future surgeons will need these for follow-up or any revision.
Do I need to arrange follow-up care at home before I travel?
Yes. Line up a physical therapist and an orthopedic contact at home before departure, and confirm they'll see a patient whose surgery happened abroad. Ask your Colombian surgeon how they'll share records and answer questions from your home team.
Plan the booking side
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