Having Surgery Abroad, in Cyprus

Travelling for surgery is a reasonable decision made badly more often than it is made well. The failure mode is almost always the same: the patient assesses the destination and not the surgeon.

What to verify before you commit

Research properly, and early Not the clinic’s own marketing material — independent sources, the certifying body’s register, and patients who have actually been treated there.

Verify the surgeon’s qualifications and specialist training In Europe that means EBOPRAS certification, verifiable through the board’s own records rather than through a logo on a website.

Meet the surgeon in person before proceeding A video consultation is adequate for a first conversation and not for a decision. An examination is not optional, and a practice willing to operate without one is telling you something.

See the facility Where the operation will be performed, what happens if there is a complication overnight, and who is available if there is.

Do not select on cost The most expensive part of any operation is the one that has to be corrected, and revision surgery abroad is considerably harder to arrange than the original.

Plan the aftercare before you travel, not after Ask who provides follow-up, how you reach them once you have flown home, and what happens if a wound problem develops in week three.

Why Cyprus

EU regulatory framework Cyprus is an EU member state, and EU healthcare standards, professional regulation and patient rights apply. That is a meaningful difference from destinations where the regulatory position is unclear or unenforceable.

Accessibility Direct connections from most major European airports.

Climate for recovery A mild Mediterranean climate suits post-operative recovery, with the important caveat that sun exposure on healing incisions is to be avoided. Recovery here means shade, not the beach.

Recovering here

Nicosia has been continuously inhabited since around 3000 BC. It has more than fifteen museums, the Venetian walls of the old city, and the Cyprus Museum. Low effort, out of the sun, and enough to occupy the second week when you are well enough to be bored.

Limassol, on the south coast, is the island’s second city. The medieval castle and the old port sit within a short walk of each other, and the seafront promenade is a level, easy walk — which is precisely what is wanted during recovery.

About the practice

Dr. Demetris Stavrou is a board-certified plastic surgeon, certified by EBOPRAS and an International Member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. He is a Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Nicosia Medical School and completed a fellowship in advanced aesthetic surgery in Melbourne, Australia. He has run the European Institute of Plastic Surgery since 2012.