Finish Healing First: Ekol Hospitals Urges Medical Travellers to Stay Until Fully Cleared
Photo: Ekol Hospitals via FL Communications
IZMIR, Türkiye, June 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As health-travel numbers continue to climb, people are crossing borders for faster appointments, personalised treatment, and more affordable surgical options. Yet every journey has one unbreakable rule: surgery is only the beginning. Recovery is not complete when a flight takes off but when the body has fully healed.
Why the message matters now
Several news stories in the United Kingdom this week have described patients who developed hard-to-treat infections after returning home just days after cosmetic or bariatric procedures performed abroad. Ekol Hospitals, a multidisciplinary medical center in Izmir that has treated more than 5,000 international surgical patients over the past eighteen years, views these reports not as cause for panic but as a necessary reminder of shared responsibility and the importance of informed post-operative decisions.
“A perfect operation can still be compromised if travel plans are prioritized over medical advice or if symptoms such as fever go unreported,” says Dr Arif Aydın, Chief of Surgery at Ekol Hospitals.
A care pathway designed for safety
Photo: Ekol Hospitals via FL Communications
Ekol’s post-operative infection rate remains below one percent, significantly under international averages, thanks to accredited hygiene standards, single-use sterile instruments, and round-the-clock nurse monitoring. Still, the hospital emphasizes that the most vulnerable period often begins after discharge. Patients are strongly advised to remain in Izmir until they have been fever-free for at least two full days, are walking comfortably without assistance, have fully sealed incisions, and show no signs of clotting or systemic infection. These key indicators are typically achieved around the fifth day after surgery, which is when the majority of complications tend to arise according to internal data and global trends.
According to the World Health Organization, surgical site infections account for roughly twenty percent of all healthcare-associated infections worldwide. Yet up to sixty percent of these are considered preventable with proper post-operative care. In fields such as cosmetic and weight-loss surgery, the risks are particularly tied to wound healing progress and patient adherence to discharge protocols. At Ekol Hospitals, continuous support systems such as follow-up calls, mobile check-ins, and secure data-sharing with home physicians have resulted in less than 0.5 percent of patients requiring further intervention after returning to their home countries within the past year.
Remaining under clinical supervision for just a few extra days also allows medical teams to detect early warning signs that may otherwise go unnoticed. One such concern is venous thromboembolism, which remains one of the most underdiagnosed complications among post-surgical travelers. Research published by the American College of Surgeons shows that patients who take long-haul flights within 72 hours after major abdominal surgery are more than twice as likely to experience serious blood clots compared to those who wait until clinical clearance is given. These are the kinds of risks that can develop silently and be detected too late if not managed proactively. Ekol’s advisory serves as a call for both vigilance and patience.
Practical guidance for travellers
Ekol recommends five clear and simple habits to help reduce risk. First, wait for written clearance from your surgical team before booking your flight home. Second, follow the full recovery plan provided by your doctor, including prescriptions, nutrition, and light mobility. Third, stay in contact with your care team via Ekol’s twenty-four-hour WhatsApp and phone support services. Fourth, request that your operative record be shared with a designated physician in your home country to ensure smooth follow-up care. Lastly, complete the brief online recovery survey on day thirty to provide valuable feedback that helps enhance safety for future patients.
“People choose Türkiye for speed, quality, and value, but a clinic’s reputation depends on what happens when things do not go as expected,” says Elif Güner, Director of International Patient Services. “Surgery is not a vacation. We remain by our patients’ side from the first consultation to full recovery, whether that takes a week or a month.”
About Ekol Hospitals
Founded in 2007, Ekol Hospitals offers bariatric, aesthetic, ENT, robotic, oncological and cardiac surgery to patients from more than forty countries. The hospital holds ISO 9001 and ISO 15189 certifications and operates under the Turkish Ministry of Health’s international-health-care framework, providing end-to-end coordination from airport arrival to long-term follow-up.
https://www.ekolhospitals.com/en/
Media Contact:
FL PR and Communications
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asset@flcommunications.co.uk
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https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/e901548a-4cbf-45dd-ac8a-081568d6a806
Ekol Hospital
Ekol Hospitals via FL Communications
Ekol Hospitals via FL Communications
Ekol Hospitals via FL Communications
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