Follow-up after returning home

Do not rely on your memory or on a WhatsApp conversation.

Before departure, ask for the documents relevant to your treatment, such as:

• discharge summary;
• operative report or procedure summary;
• prescriptions;
• medication list;
• important laboratory or imaging results;
• implant or device information where relevant;
• postoperative instructions;
• follow-up schedule;
• surgeon and clinic contact details;
• invoices and payment records if you may need them later.

CDC medical-tourism guidance recommends obtaining copies of medical records before returning home so they can be shared with healthcare professionals who provide later care.

For the broader paperwork checklist, see Travel documents for a medical trip to Tunisia.

If ongoing follow-up may be needed, identify who you can contact in France.

For many patients, the médecin traitant is the natural first point of coordination. Assurance Maladie describes the médecin traitant as the doctor who knows and manages the patient’s medical file, provides initial medical advice and coordinates referral to other professionals when needed.

Depending on your procedure and recovery, local follow-up may also involve:

• a surgeon;
• a specialist;
• a nurse;
• a physiotherapist;
• an emergency department.

Do not assume that a French surgeon will automatically take over routine follow-up for surgery performed elsewhere. If specialist care may be necessary, try to identify options before you travel.

When you see a clinician in France, bring more than the name of the procedure.

Useful information includes:

• operation date;
• exact procedure;
• surgeon name;
• clinic or hospital;
• anesthesia type if known;
• implants or devices used;
• current medicines;
• allergies;
• complications or unexpected events;
• follow-up already completed;
• date of return travel.

This helps the clinician understand the context without having to reconstruct it from incomplete information.

You can keep paper and digital copies of your records.

In France, Mon espace santé allows users to store health documents and control access to health professionals. It can be useful for keeping reports, prescriptions and test results together.

Before uploading or sharing documents, check that:

• your name and date of birth are correct;
• the report clearly identifies the procedure;
• the surgeon/facility details are legible;
• important results are included;
• translations are available if a French clinician may not understand the original language.

Do not post medical documents in public cloud folders or messaging groups.

The surgeon who operated on you may still be responsible for part of the postoperative plan.

Before leaving, clarify:

• which appointments are still expected;
• whether follow-up is by video, message or photo;
• who reviews your updates;
• how quickly non-urgent questions are answered;
• whether the surgeon can communicate with a clinician in France;
• what happens if a French doctor recommends a different course of action.

For the communication structure, see Communication after surgery.

A message from the original clinic can be helpful, but it cannot replace local assessment when symptoms are serious.

If you develop severe or rapidly worsening symptoms after returning to France, seek local medical care.

In France:

• 15 is the SAMU medical-emergency number;
• 112 is the European emergency number.

Service-Public lists both among France’s emergency services.

Do not spend hours sending photographs abroad if you are acutely unwell.

For a decision framework, see What to do if you are worried after surgery abroad.

Before you travel, ask the surgical team what still needs to be done after arrival.

Examples can include:

• dressing changes;
• wound checks;
• suture removal;
• drain management;
• compression-garment review;
• medication review;
• physiotherapy or mobility advice.

Then identify who in France is expected to perform those tasks.

Do not assume that every local healthcare professional will be willing or equipped to provide procedure-specific follow-up without documentation.

Your médecin traitant can help coordinate care and refer you when appropriate within the French healthcare system.

When requesting specialist review, provide:

• procedure summary;
• reason for the review;
• current symptoms;
• relevant photographs only if the professional requests them;
• reports and test results;
• original surgeon’s contact details.

Be clear that the surgery was performed abroad.

This can happen.

Do not try to act as the sole translator between two contradictory medical opinions.

Ask whether:

• the French clinician can send a report;
• the original surgeon can respond in writing;
• imaging or test results can be shared securely;
• an in-person specialist opinion is needed.

When you are physically in France, a clinician examining you directly may have information that a remote surgeon does not.

If symptoms are serious, prioritize immediate local medical assessment.

A timeline makes follow-up easier.

Record:

• surgery date;
• discharge date;
• flight date;
• medication changes;
• follow-up appointments;
• symptoms and when they appeared;
• tests performed;
• advice given by the original team;
• advice given by French clinicians.

You do not need a complex app. A clear note can be enough.

Do not assume that treatment or follow-up will automatically be reimbursed because you are insured in France.

Assurance Maladie has specific rules for planned care abroad, and the rules differ depending on the country, the type of care and whether prior authorization applies.

Tunisia is outside the EU/EEA framework described by ameli for routine cross-border planned care. For any reimbursement question, check your exact situation with Assurance Maladie / CPAM rather than relying on the clinic.

Keep:

• paid invoices;
• proof of payment;
• prescriptions;
• medical reports;
• any prior-authorization documents.

For administrative questions, use the current ameli guidance for soins programmés à l’étranger.

The NHS warns that ordinary travel insurance may not cover complications from planned treatment abroad.

Before surgery—and certainly before any problem occurs—check:

• medical-treatment exclusions;
• emergency-care coverage;
• repatriation;
• additional hotel nights;
• changed flights;
• revision surgery;
• care in France after return.

Keep the policy and assistance number accessible.

If you have a médecin traitant, consider informing them that you have had surgery abroad, particularly if:

• you have chronic conditions;
• regular medicines were changed;
• you need ongoing wound care;
• you have an implant/device;
• you may need referral;
• recovery is not straightforward.

Assurance Maladie describes the médecin traitant as the central professional for coordinated care and medical-file continuity.

• Which follow-up tasks remain after I return?
• Who should perform them in France?
• Which documents will I receive?
• Can you communicate with my French doctor?
• What symptoms need local assessment?
• What symptoms are an emergency?
• How long can I contact the surgical team?
• What is the revision pathway?
• What should I do if a French doctor recommends different treatment?