Aftercare starts before you travel. Tell your GP your plans, come home with your medical reports in English, and agree how you will keep in touch with the team who treated you. Below is what our 2-year aftercare covers and how it fits alongside NHS services.
What does MYK Healthroutes' 2-year aftercare cover?
Every MYK package includes 2 years of aftercare. You send updates, photos and questions on WhatsApp, and we get answers from the doctors and team who treated you. It does not replace local emergency care, but it gives you a direct line to the people who know your case.
In practice that means:
- Check-ins. Messages and video calls on WhatsApp at agreed points in your recovery, and any time something worries you.
- Contact with your surgeon. We pass your questions, photos and updates on and come back to you with the surgeon's advice.
- Next steps. If the surgeon thinks you need to be seen in person, we help you work out what to do locally or how to arrange a review.
- Paperwork. If your GP or a UK clinician needs details of your operation, we get them from the treating team.
Aftercare from abroad works alongside your GP and the NHS, not in place of them.
Should I tell my GP before travelling for surgery?
Yes. NHS guidance encourages you to talk to your GP before going abroad for treatment. Your GP knows your history, can flag anything that affects your suitability, and will be better placed to help when you come back.
Things to mention:
- the procedure you are considering and where it will happen
- any long-term conditions and the medicines you take
- whether you will need wound checks, stitch removal or blood tests when you get back
- who your treating team is and how to reach them
Ask what your practice can offer and plan around that.
Which medical reports should I bring home?
A full set in English. That means the operation note, discharge summary, details of any implants, your medicine list and your aftercare instructions. If you need care later, these tell your GP, a practice nurse or an NHS hospital exactly what was done.
Keep together:
- operation note naming the procedure and surgeon
- discharge summary, including any test results
- implant cards or product details, where relevant
- prescriptions and dosage instructions
- written aftercare instructions, including wound and garment care
- contact details for MYK and your treating team
Carry paper copies in your hand luggage and keep digital copies on your phone. We sort these reports out with the hospital before you leave.
How do I look after my wounds at home?
Follow the written wound care instructions you were given. As a general rule, keep dressings clean and dry, wash your hands before touching the area, and leave scabs and stitches alone. Ask when you can shower, and when and by whom stitches or clips should come out.
Also:
- If compression garments are part of your plan, keep wearing them for as long as advised.
- Stay out of baths, pools and saunas until you are told the wounds have healed.
- Hold off on heavy lifting and hard exercise for the period you were given.
- Do not smoke. It slows healing.
- If you need to send your team an update, photograph the wound in good light.
Which warning signs need urgent care in the UK?
Some symptoms need a local doctor quickly, not a WhatsApp message. In an emergency, such as chest pain, sudden breathlessness or heavy bleeding, call 999. For urgent symptoms that are not life-threatening, call NHS 111. Then let your treating team know through MYK.
Get urgent help if you have:
- chest pain, sudden shortness of breath or you are coughing up blood
- pain, swelling or redness in one leg, especially the calf
- a high temperature, shivering or you feel very unwell
- a wound that is hot, getting redder, swollen, or leaking pus or bad-smelling fluid
- bleeding that does not stop with gentle pressure
- severe or worsening tummy pain, or you cannot keep fluids down after bariatric surgery
- sudden swelling or pain around a breast implant
Take your English medical reports with you. Our guide to flying after surgery has more on the warning signs of a blood clot.
What follow-up is needed after bariatric surgery?
Weight loss surgery needs long-term follow-up. You move through diet stages, usually liquids, then purées, then soft food and finally normal textures. You also take vitamin and mineral supplements for life and have regular blood tests to catch deficiencies.
What that involves:
- Diet stages. Stick to the timings in your plan and do not move on early. Your surgeon sets the pace.
- Fluids and protein. Sip fluids through the day and put protein first at meals.
- Vitamins and minerals. Take what has been prescribed, often for life.
- Blood tests. These pick up low iron, vitamin B12, vitamin D and other nutrients. Ask your GP how to arrange them locally.
- Long-term monitoring. Weight, nutrition and other conditions, including any type 2 diabetes medicines, need reviewing over time.
There is more on our bariatric surgery in Türkiye page.
How MYK Healthroutes can help
MYK Healthroutes is a licensed health tourism agency in Antalya, Türkiye, coordinating bariatric, plastic, dental, hair and dermatology treatment for international patients. Your surgeon reviews your suitability on WhatsApp first, we coordinate treatment, reports and check-ups in Antalya, and 2-year aftercare keeps you in contact with your treating team at home. Read how we work and meet our doctors, or Message us on WhatsApp.
Frequently asked questions
Will my GP provide follow-up care after surgery abroad?
Many GPs will help with general care such as blood tests or wound checks, but it varies. Talk to your GP before you travel so you know what to expect.
How do I contact my surgeon after I return home?
Message MYK on WhatsApp. As part of your 2-year aftercare, we pass your questions and photos to your treating team and send their advice back to you.
What should I do in an emergency?
Call 999 for emergencies such as chest pain or sudden breathlessness. For urgent symptoms that are not life-threatening, call NHS 111. Then let your treating team know.
Do I need vitamins for life after bariatric surgery?
Most patients need long-term vitamin and mineral supplements and regular blood tests. Your surgeon and dietitian will give you a personalised plan.