Guide

Treatment abroad: how to bring your results home so your doctor can use them

A scan or an operation abroad is only half done until your doctor at home has the paperwork. Ask for these before you pay, not on the way to the airport.

Before you book

• Tell your doctor or dentist at home what you plan, and ask what they will need to act on the result or look after you afterwards.
• Ask the clinic in writing which language the report will be in, how long it takes, and whether it can be emailed if it is ready after you leave.
• Take your referral letter, current medicines and any earlier reports with you, in English if possible.

After an MRI scan

• Ask for the images in DICOM format (on a disc, a USB stick or a download link), not only printed film or photos. DICOM lets a radiologist at home look at the full scan.
• Ask for the radiologist's written report, signed and dated, with the body area and whether contrast was used.
• Keep the report and images together; a follow-up scan is compared with the first one.

After a colonoscopy or gastroscopy

• Ask for the endoscopy report with photos, the sedation used, and a list of any polyps removed with their size and position.
• Biopsy and polyp results come from a laboratory days later. Agree how the clinic will send them, and to whom.
• The report usually says when the next check is due; give it to your doctor so it goes on your record.

After a health check-up

• Ask for the full results with reference ranges, not just the summary page.
• Anything marked “follow up” or “borderline” is a reason to see your doctor, not a diagnosis.

After cataract surgery

• Ask for the operation note with the lens make, model and power for each eye. Your optician and any future eye surgeon need it.
• Bring the eye-drop schedule in writing, and know who to call at the clinic if your eye gets worse after you fly home.

After a dental implant

• Ask for the implant brand, system, diameter and length, and the abutment type, plus the X-rays before and after.
• Without these, a dentist at home may not be able to repair or replace the crown.

If the report is not in English

Ask the clinic for an English version before you leave; many clinics that treat visitors provide one. If not, a certified medical translation at home takes time and costs money, so budget for it.

Compare procedures and countries from the home page calculator, or start with MRI, colonoscopy, health check-ups, cataract surgery or dental implants.