One rule that decides the rest
Pack for the recovery, not for the trip. Patients over-pack for the flight and under-pack for the three weeks after surgery, when you cannot easily shop and cannot carry anything.
Everything you genuinely need fits in one checked bag and one cabin bag, plus a folder of documents that never leaves your person.
Documents — carry these, do not check them
| Item | Why it must be with you |
|---|---|
| Passport, valid six months beyond return | Required at every hospital registration |
| Visa, or evidence of visa-free eligibility | Asked for at the border and sometimes at the hospital |
| Printed hospital appointment confirmation | Paper survives a dead phone |
| Medical records, imaging and reports | Originals plus copies; the hospital will want both |
| Medication list with doses and generic names | Brand names differ between countries |
| Insurance policy and emergency number | Needed before you are admitted, not after |
| Contact card: coordinator, hospital, hotel, in Chinese | Hand it to a driver or a receptionist |
Photograph every document and store the images in one album that works offline. A phone with no signal still shows a saved photo.
Medication
Bring enough of anything you take regularly for the whole trip plus a week, in the original packaging, with the prescription or a doctor's letter. Keep it in your cabin bag.
Chinese pharmacies cannot dispense prescription medicines — antibiotics in particular — without a Chinese prescription, so replacing a supply here is not a quick errand. Declare controlled medicines on arrival; carry the letter rather than relying on an explanation.
Clothing
Loose clothing that opens at the front, and footwear you can step into without bending. After abdominal or joint surgery, both matter more than anything you would normally pack for a city break.
Bring one warm layer regardless of the season: hospital wards and imaging rooms are air-conditioned hard in summer and variably heated in winter. Bring more underwear than feels reasonable and fewer outfits than you think.
The recovery kit people forget
- A long charging cable — hospital beds are not arranged around your socket.
- An extension lead or a multi-plug — one socket, several devices.
- A universal adapter — China uses type A, C and I; the same adapter covers most of it.
- Slip-on shoes and a plastic bag for them — wards ask you to remove shoes at the door.
- Wet wipes and hand sanitiser — cheap here, but you will want them on day one.
- Something to do that is not a screen — a book, or downloaded audio. Recovery is boring.
If a companion is coming
Check whether the ward allows a companion to stay overnight before you pack for two. Some do, with a fold-out chair; some do not, and your companion needs a hotel.
A companion should carry their own documents, their own medication and a copy of yours. Two people with the same folder beats one person with the only folder.
What not to bring
Do not bring more than you can carry yourself. Do not bring food that customs will confiscate, and check the prohibited list before you pack gifts. Do not bring a second suitcase of things you might need — the hospital shop and the convenience store outside it will cover the rest, and you will be carrying it home one-handed.