What to Do If You Have Complications After Surgery

Dr. Killeen receives multiple comments and DMs every day from patients asking for help with complications from surgery done outside the United States. While she can't provide medical advice through social media, this highlights a major issue — patients left without proper follow-up care and unsure where to turn.

The first thing you should always do is contact the surgeon who performed your procedure. Your individual surgeon knows you, knows exactly what they did, and is the best person to help you manage any complications.

If your surgeon is not available or not helpful, the next step is to get an opinion from another surgeon who performs the same type of surgery you had.

Important to know: this will be a visit you need to pay for. You're now asking a different surgeon for their time and expertise — not the one you originally paid for your surgery. Many patients get frustrated about this, but it's the reality of seeing a new provider to manage complications.

This can be challenging because surgeons frequently don't want to take on complications from other surgeons' work.

If you're having difficulty finding a surgeon willing to see you, go through your primary care doctor. Your PCP will have surgeons they regularly refer to and work with, and they're more likely to help connect you with someone who can manage your complication.

Complications can happen absolutely anywhere — but the critical difference is having a surgeon who is there with you to help manage them. When surgery is done far from home or out of the country, patients can be left without access to the care they need when something goes wrong.

This is one of the most important things to consider when choosing where to have surgery. The emergency room is generally not the best option for most surgical complications — you need a surgeon who understands the procedure and can provide appropriate follow-up care.