If you are travelling to London for PRP, settle the assessment and follow-up plan before committing to a treatment trip. Ask whether the concern can be assessed with the information available, whether treatment would be appropriate, and how recovery and any complications would be managed after you leave. A short stay is a scheduling constraint, not a clinical reason to proceed. [1,2]
Enquire with The London PRP Clinic. Tell the team where you will be staying, your travel dates and the concern you want assessed. Confirm availability, the consultation fee and any separate treatment costs. An enquiry is not confirmation that treatment can be fitted into the visit.
Start with a diagnosis, not a flight date
PRP is not one interchangeable treatment for every hair, skin, joint or tendon concern. The relevant assessment, evidence and alternatives depend on the diagnosis. A clinician may need an examination, records, imaging or other information before advising whether an injection is appropriate. A photograph or an overseas report may help prepare that assessment without replacing it. [2]
Do not interpret a clinic's ability to offer an appointment as evidence that treatment is suitable. Ask what can be decided before you travel, what must wait until an in-person assessment and what happens if the clinician recommends a different approach. That can prevent an avoidable journey built around an assumed injection.
What should you send before you travel?
Ask the team for its secure route and accepted file types. Useful information may include the problem's history, previous treatment, current medicines, allergies, relevant investigation reports and any existing rehabilitation plan. Keep original records and clearly label translations. If care has already been provided elsewhere, include the procedure details and the treating clinician's advice. [1,2]
A clear preparation question is: "What information would change whether this visit is worthwhile?" Do not pay for a new scan or broad blood panel solely to fill a presumed checklist. Ask the assessing clinician whether it is needed and what clinical question it would answer.
Can you fly after PRP?
There is no single flight interval in this guide. Advice depends on the injection site, symptoms, mobility, other treatment, your medical history and the journey. Guidance about waiting after major surgery must not be copied into a universal PRP rule. Equally, an injection should not be treated as proof that travel is risk-free. [1,3]
Discuss long journeys, previous blood clots, mobility limits and the practical ability to obtain help. The CDC describes prolonged travel and individual risk factors in its guidance on travel-related thrombosis. Ask for an individual plan rather than starting aspirin, anticoagulants or another preventive medicine yourself. [3]
Build the return journey around function
Airport walking, luggage, stairs and transfers can matter after a joint or tendon procedure. Tell the clinician what the return trip actually involves. Ask whether someone should accompany you and whether you will need help with transport. Do not plan to drive simply because the flight is short or the injection uses your own blood. Local anaesthetic, pain and reduced movement can affect the journey home. [4]
If a treating service gives a specific recovery instruction, ask it to explain how that applies to your itinerary. Do not replace written advice with another clinic's generic internet timeline.
Agree follow-up before leaving
Know who will review progress, what information they will need and whether review requires an examination. Ask what happens if you are in another country at the planned review. Remote follow-up may have practical and regulatory limits, so it should be agreed rather than assumed. The CDC recommends planning for complications and obtaining records when travelling for medical care. [1]
Request a procedure summary and clear aftercare instructions if treatment takes place. It should be obvious how to contact the treating service and when to seek urgent local care instead of waiting for a reply. Do not travel with worsening symptoms simply to get back to the original clinic. [1]
Questions about the complete cost
Ask separately about assessment, treatment, investigations, planned review and care if the plan changes. Check your own insurer's position and travel arrangements. A treatment quote does not necessarily cover accommodation, changed flights, repeat appointments or care in another country. No package inclusion or refund entitlement is assumed here. [1]
Contact the clinic before arranging the trip. A useful enquiry includes the intended dates, diagnosis if known, previous treatment and the follow-up you can realistically attend. The next step is a suitability assessment, not a promise of a particular treatment or outcome.