Coming to Jaipur for gynaecological surgery: a guide for women from outside Jaipur

Talk to the clinic before you travel

Call or WhatsApp the clinic on +91 78499 09109 before you book tickets. A short conversation saves wasted journeys. The team can tell you which days Dr. Vibha sees patients at Surya Hospital, what to bring and roughly how many days to plan.

Dr. Vibha needs to see and examine you before she can advise on an operation. Depending on what she finds and which tests are needed, surgery may be planned on the same trip or on a later date. Ask the clinic which is more likely in your case, so that the family can plan leave and travel.

Her OPD at Surya Hospital runs Monday to Saturday, 11 AM to 3 PM. When you call, tell the team which town you are coming from, your main problem, what your local doctor has said, which scans you have had, and any long-term illness such as diabetes or high blood pressure.

Documents and scans to bring

Old reports matter: comparing an earlier scan with a new one shows whether a cyst or fibroid is growing. Keep everything in one folder in date order, originals and photocopies.

• All ultrasound (sonography), CT or MRI reports, with the films or CD if you have them.
• Blood test reports from the last few months, such as haemoglobin, blood sugar and thyroid tests.
• Notes and discharge summaries from any earlier operation, including a caesarean section.
• Your current prescriptions and a written list of every medicine you take, with doses. Mention blood thinners, diabetes, blood pressure and thyroid medicines clearly.
• Details of any allergy to medicines.
• A photo ID, such as an Aadhaar card, for hospital registration.
• Your health insurance or government health scheme card and policy papers. Check your cover with the hospital before admission.
• The name and phone number of your local doctor.

How many days to plan, by type of surgery

The days you need depend on the operation, on your health and on how far you live. These are typical figures, not promises. The exact plan is given after Dr. Vibha has assessed you.

Allow for tests before surgery as well: blood tests, a scan if needed and a check by the anaesthetist. Families travelling a long way often keep one spare day, so that a delayed report or a slow first day after surgery does not upset the plan.

• Consultation only: usually a day, longer if tests are done and reviewed before you leave.
• Hysteroscopy: usually the same day or one night in hospital. Most women can travel home the next day.
• Laparoscopic (keyhole) surgery, such as ovarian cyst removal, endometriosis surgery or fibroid removal: usually 1-2 nights in hospital, plus a few days in Jaipur before a long journey home.
• Prolapse repair: usually 1-3 nights in hospital, then a few quieter days before travelling.
• Open surgery: a longer hospital stay of several days, and more time before a long journey.

Reaching Surya Hospital

Surya Hospital is at B-7, Sawai Ram Singh Road, opposite SMS Hospital, Panch Batti, Ashok Nagar, Jaipur 302001. SMS Hospital is the city's large government hospital and every auto and cab driver knows it, so asking for Panch Batti or SMS Hospital is the easiest way to get there.

From Jaipur Junction railway station or the Sindhi Camp bus stand it is a short auto or cab ride of about 4-5 km. Jaipur airport, in Sanganer, is farther out; allow roughly half an hour by cab, more at busy times.

Dr. Vibha also holds evening OPDs at Udbhav, Vidhyut Nagar, and VS Medihub, Nirman Nagar, which can suit a review visit, but operations are done at Surya Hospital.

Where to stay

There are hotels and guest houses at many budgets around Station Road, Sindhi Camp, MI Road and the area near SMS Hospital. Staying close to the hospital makes it easy for the family to go back and forth while you are admitted, and to come back quickly for a check before you leave Jaipur.

Ask the clinic about places to stay when you call. Look for a room with a lift or on the ground floor and a western toilet, which is easier in the first days after surgery.

Who should come with you

Plan for at least one adult to be with you throughout, ideally a woman relative who can stay with you in hospital. A second person helps a great deal on surgery day: one stays by your side while the other handles forms, the pharmacy and meals.

The hospital will explain its rules for attendants when you are admitted. If possible, leave small children at home with family, because hospital days are long and you will need rest afterwards.

Travelling home after surgery

A long journey is usually fine once you are walking comfortably, eating and drinking, passing urine normally, your pain is controlled with tablets and Dr. Vibha has said you are ready. That is often a few days after keyhole surgery and longer after open surgery.

• By car: sit in the front with the seat slightly reclined. Wear the seat belt, with the lap part low across the hips and a small folded towel or cushion over the abdomen.
• Stop every hour or two to walk a few steps and drink water. This helps prevent clots in the legs.
• By train: book a lower berth if you can, and let someone else carry the bags.
• Long bus journeys are harder in the first week, with bumps and few stops. A car or train is easier if you have the choice.
• Do not lift luggage yourself. Keep your discharge summary and medicines in your handbag, not in the boot.
• In summer, avoid travelling in the midday heat and keep drinking water through the journey.

Follow-up after you go home

A review is usually planned for about one to two weeks after surgery, to check healing and go through any biopsy report. Ask at your consultation how reviews after surgery can be planned around your journey, and note the date before you leave Jaipur.

Where advised, your local doctor can remove stitches or change dressings near home. Many keyhole wounds are closed with stitches that dissolve on their own; the discharge summary says which you have. Show the discharge summary to your local doctor, and call the clinic if anything in it is unclear.

Warning signs after you get home

Some discomfort, tiredness and light spotting are normal for a while. The signs below are not. If you notice any of them, call the clinic on +91 78499 09109 and go to the nearest hospital straight away. Do not wait to travel back to Jaipur, and take your discharge summary with you.

• Fever, or shivering and chills.
• Heavy vaginal bleeding, such as soaking a pad in an hour, or passing large clots.
• Pain in the abdomen that is getting worse instead of better, or is not eased by the prescribed tablets.
• Repeated vomiting, or being unable to keep down food or fluids.
• Difficulty passing urine, or burning and passing very little.
• A wound that becomes red, swollen or hot, or leaks pus.
• Breathlessness, chest pain, or pain and swelling in one calf.

Travelling for surgery: questions and answers