Planning orthopaedic surgery in China: a preparation checklist
What actually has to happen between deciding on surgery and boarding the plane — records, remote review, an itemised quote, and a visa that fits the recovery rather than the operation.
This preparation checklist is an organising aid, not a six-week clinical timetable. The time needed depends on the procedure, urgency, records, entry permission and recovery plan. Agree the schedule with the treating team before making non-refundable bookings.
Use the steps to identify unanswered questions. Several can run in parallel; urgent care should not be delayed to follow this checklist.
Step 1: get the images, not the report
Ask the receiving clinician which records and imaging they need. A report and the underlying images serve different purposes; an image review also needs the clinical history and may require an examination.
Request a DICOM export from the imaging provider — the underlying image data, on physical media or via a secure download. Ask for the report and the images together, and open the disc before you leave the department.
Ask whether the following records are needed:
- Prior imaging of the same joint, for comparison
- Operative notes from any previous surgery on that joint
- Current medication list, allergies, and relevant medical history
- Any additional imaging specifically requested by the reviewing clinician; do not arrange repeat scans solely on this checklist
Step 2: remote review, before anything is booked
Send the images for review while you still have time to act on the answer. A useful review is written, specific, and names the findings it relies on. It should also say what it would not recommend, and why.
Two things to ask for explicitly:
- Whether the imaging is adequate, or whether a different sequence or a weight-bearing view is needed
- Whether the proposed procedure addresses the finding, or whether a narrower option does
A review before travel may change the plan. Ask what it costs and whether it requires an in-person assessment.
Step 3: the itemised quote
Ask for the estimate as line items rather than a single figure. The purpose is not negotiation; it is to find out which numbers are fixed and which depend on intraoperative findings.
| Ask about | Why it moves the total |
|---|---|
| Implant brand and model | Confirm the device and whether alternatives affect the estimate |
| Included inpatient nights | Extra nights are usually charged at a daily rate |
| Anaesthetist | Sometimes billed separately from the surgical fee |
| Investigations | Pre-operative scans and bloods may be excluded |
| Interpretation | May be hourly rather than included |
| Complications | Establishes who pays if recovery is slower |
Step 4: entry permission that fits the recovery
China's 240-hour policy is a transit arrangement, not a general guarantee of entry for treatment. The National Immigration Administration requires eligible travellers to have an onward itinerary to a third country or region and to use permitted ports and areas.
Do not infer that a medical visit or your whole recovery fits a visa exemption. Ask the appropriate Chinese consulate or immigration authority about your nationality, route, purpose and intended stay. Have the treating team estimate recovery and travel restrictions separately from the procedure date.
Step 5: on-the-ground arrangements
- Confirm medical interpretation in writing, and in which language. Clinical vocabulary is not conversational fluency.
- Book accommodation by proximity and step-free access rather than price, if mobility will be restricted.
- Arrange a working phone and messaging route.
- Ask the 2am question now: who do you call out of hours, and in which language?
- Confirm who holds your records during the stay, and that you get a copy at discharge.
Step 6: departure, and what to carry in hand luggage
- Passport and visa, plus a photocopy
- Imaging on physical media, with the report
- Medication list, allergies, and current medicines in original packaging
- The itemised quote and any written clinical plan
- Insurance policy wording, including any exclusion for planned procedures
- Contact details for the coordinating service
After: the return leg
Do not fly without a written discharge summary, the implant or device record, a medication list, post-procedure imaging, and a clear statement of warning signs. Ask specifically when it is safe for you to fly — long-haul travel after surgery carries a thromboembolic risk that depends on the procedure, the interval, and your own risk factors. Do not infer the answer from the discharge date.
Where this guide stops
This page covers logistics. It does not tell you whether the procedure is the right one. If you have been offered surgery and want to check that recommendation before committing, that question belongs on Before You Decide Care.
Sources
Next step
Cross-Border Care Guide explains the process; it does not run it. If you want a coordinator to handle scheduling, interpretation and records transfer, NEXA Longevity does that: www.nxlongevity.com. This site is a NEXA Longevity content project. NEXA Longevity operates it and oversees publication. Links to NEXA Longevity promote its services; they are not independent third-party endorsements.