Agree on the support needed
- Ask the patient what help they want and what they prefer to handle privately.
- Confirm who can accompany them, help with travel and attend teaching if invited.
- Discuss meals, household tasks, pets and other caregiving responsibilities.
- Arrange a backup if the main support person becomes unavailable.
Plan the trip
Local stay and flying
- Abdominal or radial forearm phalloplasty: after stage 2 without urethral join-up, plan about two weeks locally. With join-up, remain until all catheters are removed, usually about four weeks. Other phalloplasty stages generally use a two-week local-stay planning estimate, confirmed individually. Flying is generally restricted for two to four weeks; individual clearance may be earlier, but does not replace required local follow-up.
- Metoidioplasty: remain until the required catheter/drain removal for your stage—usually about four weeks for the main urethral-lengthening reconstruction, or about one week without lengthening. The initial superextended operation requires about one week locally until catheter and bolster removal. You may fly after completing the required local stay and receiving team clearance; no additional flying waiting period applies.
- Penile implants, with or without testicular implants: stay locally until the drain-removal visit on days five to seven. Return for the four-week visit. Confirm flying separately with the team.
- Monsplasty with testicular implants: stay until drain removal on days five to seven. Testicular implants alone have same-day discharge, no drain and routine follow-up at about four weeks. Confirm your travel plan for either operation.
Confirm accessible lodging, transport to follow-up visits and how to obtain supplies. Avoid assuming that an expected discharge date is a guaranteed travel date.
For penile-inversion vaginoplasty, robotic-assisted peritoneal vaginoplasty and vulvoplasty, plan a minimum two-week local stay measured from the day of surgery, including the hospital stay. One month from surgery is recommended for patients traveling from very far away, such as the West Coast. For these three procedures, flying is restricted for one month after surgery, even though the general minimum local stay is two weeks. Confirm your return-flight plan with the team. For other procedures, confirm the applicable travel plan.
Prepare the recovery space
- Ask the team for the current supply list before buying equipment.
- Choose a place to keep written instructions and contact numbers.
- Plan how prescriptions and meals will be obtained.
- Ask which tasks a caregiver should be taught before discharge.
Respect privacy and preferences
Agree on who can receive updates and how much information to share. Ask before taking photographs or sharing details about surgery. The patient can decide what support feels useful.
Questions for consultation
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My consultation questions
Caregiver and travel planning · Gupta Urology education · October 2026
Educational information; not an individual care plan.
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Sources and review
Based on supplied University Hospitals program handouts and Daly Horton’s educational illustrations (2024), with Dr. Gupta’s October 2026 clarifications. The handouts describe particular techniques and pathways; they are not a substitute for your individual instructions.
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