--- title: "Plastic Surgery in India for International Patients - Dr. Shikha Bansal" description: "Coming to India for plastic surgery? A video consultation with Dr. Shikha Bansal first, then how long to stay in Gurgaon and how follow-up works once you're home." url: https://drshikhabansal.com/international-patients/ author: "Dr. Shikha Bansal" --- # Planning your surgery in India from abroad > Coming to India for plastic surgery? A video consultation with Dr. Shikha Bansal first, then how long to stay in Gurgaon and how follow-up works once you're home. Wherever you live, you can start with a video consultation with Dr. Shikha. She goes through your case herself, answers your questions, and helps you plan your time in Gurgaon around your recovery. ## One surgeon, from your first consultation - **She talks to you herself.** Your video consultation is with Dr. Shikha. She looks at your photos and answers every question you bring. - **Decide in your own time.** You get the whole picture: what surgery will and won't do, the risks, the scar and the recovery. Nobody asks you to decide on the call. - **She follows your recovery.** She operates and sees you at every follow-up while you are in Gurgaon, and you can keep in touch with the clinic on WhatsApp once you are home. ## How it works 1. **Talk to Dr. Shikha.** Send your photos and questions on WhatsApp, or book a video consultation online, where Dr. Shikha goes through your case herself: what surgery can and can't do for you, the risks, the scar and the recovery. 2. **Plan your dates.** If you decide to go ahead, she tells you how many days to keep free in Gurgaon. You book your flights and your stay around that, with a return ticket you can change. 3. **Surgery in Gurgaon.** An in-person consultation and tests come first. The plan is final only after them, and now and then they show a reason to change or delay surgery. Then the operation at Dr. Shikha Aesthetics in Sushant Lok 1, and your follow-up visits before you leave. 4. **Recovering at home.** Keep in touch on WhatsApp with photos and questions as you recover. If you need an examination, a doctor near you can see you in person. ## How many days to keep free These are typical stays for patients who travel in, in line with each procedure page and counted from the day of surgery. Add a day or two before it for your in-person consultation and tests. Your own number depends on your operation and how you heal: Dr. Shikha gives it to you at the video consultation and checks you before you fly. | Procedure | Plan to be in Gurgaon | What the stay covers | |---|---|---| | [Breast augmentation](https://drshikhabansal.com/procedures/breast-augmentation/) | About 7 days after surgery | A wound check about a week after surgery, before you fly. With the consultation and tests, 9 to 12 days in all. | | [Breast reduction](https://drshikhabansal.com/procedures/breast-reduction/) | 7 to 10 days after surgery | The first dressing review and wound check. | | [Breast lift](https://drshikhabansal.com/procedures/breast-lift/) | At least 7 days after surgery | The first dressing review, before you fly back. | | [Tummy tuck](https://drshikhabansal.com/procedures/tummy-tuck/) | At least 2 weeks after surgery before a long-haul flight | A 7 to 10 day stay usually covers drain removal and the first dressing check. Long-haul flights wait at least two weeks, because the risk of a blood clot is higher after abdominal surgery. | | [Rhinoplasty](https://drshikhabansal.com/procedures/rhinoplasty/) | About 10 days after surgery | The splint comes off at day 7 to 10. | | [Eyelid surgery](https://drshikhabansal.com/procedures/blepharoplasty/) | 7 to 10 days after surgery | Stitch removal and the first wound check, in person. | For other operations, including liposuction, gynecomastia surgery and a mommy makeover, ask at your video consultation. A long-haul flight can mean a few more days than a short one, and so can anything that needs treating before you leave. Book a return you can change: moving a flight is easier than flying before your check. ## Planning your trip You book your flights and where you stay, as you would for any trip. Dr. Shikha and the clinic look after the medical side. **Dr. Shikha and the clinic** - A video consultation with Dr. Shikha before you travel - How many days to keep free in Gurgaon for your operation - Your in-person consultation, the tests before surgery, the operation and every follow-up visit while you are here - Your discharge papers and prescriptions to take home - Replies to your questions on WhatsApp after you fly home, in clinic hours **Good to sort before you fly** - A return flight you can change, and travel insurance - The right visa for your trip - A place to stay close to Sushant Lok 1 - Someone to be with you for the first few days after surgery - A doctor near home for any in-person check after you return ## Flying home after surgery Sitting still on a long flight after surgery raises the risk of a blood clot in the leg (deep vein thrombosis). Dr. Shikha goes through your own plan before you leave. The usual advice: - Book an aisle seat, and get up and walk every hour or two on a long flight. - Wear compression stockings if Dr. Shikha advises them. - Drink water through the flight, do calf exercises while you sit, and avoid alcohol and sleeping tablets. - Tell Dr. Shikha if you have had a blood clot before, have been pregnant recently, or take the contraceptive pill or HRT. - Keep your prescriptions and discharge papers in your hand luggage. **Sudden breathlessness, chest pain, coughing up blood, or a swollen, painful calf, in the days or weeks after you fly, needs emergency care straight away, wherever you are.** ## Follow-up once you are home Recovery carries on for weeks after you fly. Here is what works from a distance, and what doesn't. - Send photos and questions to the clinic on WhatsApp as you recover. Replies come in clinic hours, India time, so WhatsApp is not for emergencies. - A photo can't replace an examination. Before you travel, find a doctor near home who can see you in person, and take your discharge papers to them. - If a problem needs further treatment, that can mean coming back to Gurgaon or seeing a surgeon near home. Ask about this at your video consultation, before you book. - Fever, spreading redness or discharge from the wound need to be seen in person the same day. Don't wait for a reply on WhatsApp. - Heavy bleeding, or swelling on one side that comes on quickly, needs urgent care straight away, wherever you are. - After eyelid surgery, severe eye pain, a bulging or tense eye, or any loss of vision needs emergency care straight away, wherever you are. ## Already living in India? If you live in Delhi NCR or elsewhere in India, none of the travel planning applies. Book a consultation at the clinic in Sushant Lok 1 like any other patient. ## Questions ### Can I talk to Dr. Shikha before I book flights? Yes. Book a video consultation online (choose Tele-Consult; the times show in your own time zone), or send your photos and questions on WhatsApp first. Book flights after the consultation, once you know the plan and how many days to keep free. ### How long do I need to stay in Gurgaon? It depends on the operation. As a guide, most breast, eyelid and nose operations need about 7 to 10 days after surgery (9 to 12 days in all for breast augmentation), and a tummy tuck at least two weeks before a long-haul flight. The table on this page gives each procedure, and Dr. Shikha gives you your own number at the video consultation. ### When can I fly home? After your last check before you leave, once Dr. Shikha has seen how you are healing. A long-haul flight can need a few more days than a short one, so choose a ticket you can change. ### Where should I stay? Anywhere close to Sushant Lok 1 works well: the follow-up visits are brief, and staying nearby makes the first days easier. ### Which visa do I need? That depends on your passport and the reason for your trip, so check the Indian government's visa website before you book. ### Do I need someone with me? Yes, for the first few days. Someone should be with you when you leave the clinic after surgery (the same day or the next morning, depending on the operation) and for the first night after that, and it helps to have them with you until your first check. ### Can I have tests done at home before I travel? Ask at your video consultation which tests you need, and whether recent reports from home can be used. Bring copies of your reports and a list of the medicines you take. ### What if I have a problem after I go home? Message the clinic on WhatsApp with photos, and see a local doctor in person, taking your discharge papers with you. Sudden breathlessness, chest pain, coughing up blood or a swollen, painful calf needs emergency care straight away, wherever you are. ### Does the clinic work with my insurance? The clinic has no insurance or cashless arrangements. Check with your insurer before you travel. ## Practice - Doctor: Dr. Shikha Bansal, Plastic Surgeon - Clinic: Dr. Shikha Aesthetics - Address: B-721, Ground Floor, Sushant Lok 1, Opposite Sushant Arcade Market, Gurgaon, Haryana 122009 - Phone and WhatsApp: +91 96021 73742 - Email: contact@drshikhabansal.com - Hours: Monday to Sunday, 7:30 AM - 9:30 PM - Registration: Haryana Medical Council Reg. No. 24859 ## Related - [About Dr. Shikha Bansal](https://drshikhabansal.com/female-plastic-surgeon-in-gurgaon/) - [All Procedures](https://drshikhabansal.com/procedures/) - [Contact](https://drshikhabansal.com/contact/)