01Article · Planning and consultation
Travelling for
cosmetic surgery.
Many patients seen at RevAesthetic do not live in Melbourne. They travel from across Tasmania, from regional Victoria, and from South Australia. The questions that come up most often are practical ones: how many trips will this take, when is it safe to fly home, and who looks after me once I am back. This page sets out what can be planned in advance, and what has to be settled with Dr Nara at consultation.
02The short answer
How many trips
will this take?
More than one. This is the part that surprises patients most, so it is worth stating plainly before any flights are booked.
Cosmetic surgery in Australia follows a pathway set by the Medical Board of Australia. It requires a GP referral, at least two pre-operative consultations with at least one held in person, and a cooling-off period of at least seven days after consent before surgery can be booked. Those requirements apply wherever you live. They are not a practice preference and they cannot be compressed into a single visit.
For a patient living in Melbourne this is inconvenient at worst. For a patient flying from Burnie or Adelaide it is the single most important thing to understand before spending money on travel. Plan for a sequence, not a trip.
These pathway rules apply to cosmetic surgery. They do not automatically apply to non-surgical procedures, so if you are enquiring about a non-surgical treatment the timeline may look quite different. Ask when you enquire.
03The required pathway
What has to happen
before surgery.
- 01 A referral from your GP
A GP referral is required before your consultation for cosmetic surgery. You can bring it with you or have your GP send it ahead. For patients outside Melbourne this is usually the one step that can be completed at home, so it is worth starting early. - 02 At least two pre-operative consultations
The pathway requires a minimum of two consultations before surgery, and at least one of those must be in person with Dr Nara. This is the requirement that shapes travel planning more than any other, because a single visit cannot satisfy it. - 03 A cooling-off period of at least seven days
After informed consent is given, a minimum seven-day cooling-off period applies before surgery can be booked or a deposit paid. The period exists so the decision is unhurried, and it cannot be shortened to suit a travel schedule. - 04 The procedure, and the recovery that follows it
Surgery is generally performed in Melbourne. How long you should remain nearby afterwards depends on the procedure and on your own recovery, and Dr Nara will discuss that with you directly.
04Splitting the journey
Can I consult in one state
and have my procedure in another?
This is common, and it is often the arrangement that makes travel manageable. Patients regularly have a consultation in Tasmania and the procedure itself in Melbourne. Reception can help with the timing so that a consulting visit and the rest of the sequence line up sensibly.
The constraint is that the Tasmanian and Adelaide rooms operate on selected dates each year rather than continuously, while the Melbourne rooms run most weeks. If your plan depends on a consulting visit to Cooee or Stepney, check the next available dates before committing to anything else.
- Most weeks, year-round Chadstone, Melbourne
The principal rooms, with on-site parking. Procedures are generally performed in Melbourne. - Selected dates each year Cooee, north-west Tasmania
Reachable from Burnie, Devonport, Launceston and the north-west coast. The clinic page lists the next consulting visit. - Selected dates each year Stepney, Adelaide
Reachable from metropolitan Adelaide and regional South Australia.
See all three locations, addresses and current consulting dates.
05Flying afterwards
When is it safe
to fly home?
There is no single answer to this, and you should be cautious of any source that offers one. How soon air travel is reasonable after a procedure depends on what was done, on your own medical history, and on how your recovery is progressing in the days afterwards. It is a clinical question about you, not a general rule.
What that means in practice is that the return leg is the part of your travel you should be most reluctant to lock in early. Where a flexible fare is available, it is generally worth the difference. Dr Nara will discuss expected recovery and any travel restrictions with you at consultation, well before you need to book.
If you have a history of clotting, a respiratory condition, or you are taking medication that affects healing, raise it early rather than at the final appointment. It may change the plan, and it is better to know at the start.
06Before you book
Questions worth asking
before booking flights.
Bring these to your first consultation. The answers vary from person to person, and they are the difference between a plan that holds and one that has to be rearranged at cost.
- 01 How many separate visits will my procedure require, and can any of them be done close to home?
- 02 How long after this procedure is air travel generally considered safe for someone in my circumstances?
- 03 How many nights should I plan to stay near the clinic after surgery?
- 04 Who reviews me for follow-up if I live interstate, and what is arranged if something needs attention once I am home?
- 05 Is there anything about my medical history that makes travelling around this procedure less suitable?
- 06 If a consulting visit to Tasmania or Adelaide is rescheduled, how does that affect the rest of my timeline?
You are also welcome to seek a second medical opinion at any stage, including after you have travelled to consult. Taking that step does not cause offence and it does not put you at the back of a queue.
07Risks
Travel does not
change the risks.
Every cosmetic procedure carries risk, including bleeding, infection, scarring, complications of anaesthesia and dissatisfaction with the result. Travelling for a procedure does not add to that list, but it can make a complication harder to attend to quickly, which is why the follow-up question above matters more for patients who live some distance away.
These risks are discussed openly and in person before any decision is made. Read the full risks of surgery page before you decide whether to proceed.
08Continue reading
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Dr Kishen Nara | AHPRA MED0001201549
Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS)
Fellow of the Australasian College of Cosmetic Surgery and Medicine (FACCSM)
Registered Medical Practitioner | General Registration
Disclaimer: All cosmetic procedures have inherent potential risks and complications. We encourage you to seek a second opinion from a qualified medical professional before any procedure. Material on this page is educational in nature and is not generalisable. Outcomes vary significantly between patients depending on genetic composition, medical history and individual circumstances.