Key takeaways
- A quote is a price for a patient who passes clearance; until your labs and history are reviewed, it is an estimate with a condition attached.
- The tests a surgeon asks for depend on your age, the procedure and your health, so ask for the list in writing with a reason for each item.
- Labs done at home and labs done in Colombia each have trade-offs; confirm which ones the surgeon will accept and how recent they must be.
- Get the deposit terms for a failed clearance in writing before you pay, including who decides and how fast a refund moves.
Most people read a Colombian surgery quote from the top: surgeon fee, facility, anesthesia, implants or garments, recovery nights. The line that decides whether any of that happens is usually near the bottom, and sometimes it is not on the page at all. It is the pre-op labs and medical clearance line.
Until a surgeon or anesthesiologist has reviewed your test results and your medical history, the quote is a price for a hypothetical patient. If you turn out to be that patient, the number holds. If a result raises a question, the plan can change, the price can change, or the surgery can be postponed or declined.
This guide walks through what that line should say, what it often leaves out, and what to get in writing before a deposit leaves your account.
Why the quote is conditional
A quote built from photos and a questionnaire answers one question: what would this surgery cost for someone who is a suitable candidate? It cannot answer whether you are that candidate. Only a licensed professional who has examined you and read your results can do that.
That is why careful providers word their quotes with conditions: "subject to pre-operative evaluation," "pending anesthesia clearance," or "final price confirmed after consultation." Those phrases are not fine print to skim. They are the hinge the whole quote turns on.
Read the conditions with three questions in mind:
- What exactly triggers a change? A lab value, a new diagnosis, a medication, a scan result, the in-person exam?
- Who makes the call? The surgeon, the anesthesiologist, an internist, or a coordinator relaying someone else's opinion?
- What happens to the money? Full refund, partial refund, credit toward a later date, or nothing?
If the quote does not answer these, that is not a reason to panic. It is a reason to ask before paying. Our 15 questions to send a provider includes several that cover this ground.
Which tests, and why the list varies
There is no single universal pre-op panel. What a surgeon or anesthesiologist asks for usually depends on your age, the type and length of the procedure, the anesthesia planned, and your personal health history. Two people booking the same surgery can receive different lists, and that is normal.
Line items that often appear on clearance request lists include blood work, a pregnancy test where relevant, a heart tracing for some patients, and specialist letters for people managing chronic conditions. Do not treat that as a checklist to complete on your own. Ask the surgeon which tests apply to you and why each one is on the list.
A useful request to send, word for word:
"Please send the full list of pre-operative tests and evaluations you require for my case, the reason for each, how recent the results must be, and whether you accept results from a lab in my home country."
A provider who answers that clearly and in writing is showing you how they run the rest of the process. A provider who replies "we handle everything when you arrive" has told you something too: your clearance will happen after you have already traveled.
Doing labs at home vs in Colombia
Many patients can choose where their labs happen, at least in part. Each option shifts risk and cost in a different direction.
| Factor | Labs at home before travel | Labs in Colombia on arrival |
|---|---|---|
| When you learn about a problem | Before you buy flights and lodging | After you have traveled and paid for the trip |
| Who orders them | Your own doctor, or a lab you pay directly | The clinic or surgeon's team |
| Acceptance risk | Surgeon may not accept outside labs, or may want them repeated | Results already in the format the team expects |
| Cost visibility | Billed separately by your home lab or insurer | May be bundled in the quote or added on arrival |
| Language and units | Results in English; units may differ | Results in Spanish; the team reads them directly |
| Freshness | Must stay within the surgeon's time window | Fresh by default |
A common middle path: complete the core screening at home, send results ahead for review, then repeat whatever the team requires locally. If you go that route, ask whether the local repeat tests are already in the quote or will be billed separately. That single answer can move your total.
Keep labs and clinical clearance separate from the travel budget when you compare offers. Our travel logistics guide explains why mixing the two hides what you are actually paying for, and the whole-trip estimator lets you model them side by side.
Who reviews your results, and when
"Medical clearance" can mean very different things depending on who signs it. Before you send anything, find out who will read it.
- The operating surgeon. Reviews whether the planned procedure fits your situation.
- The anesthesiologist. Reviews whether you can safely receive the anesthesia planned. In many practices this is a separate sign-off, and it can be the one that changes plans.
- An internist or specialist. Sometimes asked to weigh in if you have a heart, lung, blood, or metabolic condition.
- A patient coordinator. Collects documents and relays messages. Useful, but not a clinical reviewer.
Ask when each review happens. "Before your deposit," "before you book flights," and "the day before surgery" are three very different points in your timeline, and only the first two leave you room to change course cheaply.
It is also fair to ask for the reviewer's full name so you can check their professional registration. Our guide on checking ReTHUS and REPS before a deposit shows how.
Medical history and medications to disclose
Clearance is only as good as what you tell the team. Patients sometimes leave things out because they seem minor, embarrassing, or unrelated to cosmetic surgery. Disclose all of it and let the professionals decide what matters.
Put together one document, in English, that lists:
- Diagnoses, past and current, including ones that are controlled.
- Every medication, prescription and over-the-counter, with the name you see on the label.
- Supplements, vitamins and herbal products. People often forget these.
- Weight-loss medications, including injectables, with when you started and your current status.
- Prior surgeries and anesthesia, including any reaction you or a blood relative had to anesthesia.
- Allergies, to drugs, latex, adhesives, or anything else.
- Bleeding or clotting history, personal or family.
- Tobacco, nicotine and vaping, plus alcohol and any other substances.
- Pregnancy status or plans, where relevant.
- Recent illness, travel, or hospital stays.
Do not change or stop any medication on your own because of something you read online, including here. Ask the surgeon and your prescribing doctor together what should happen to each item, and get that instruction in writing.
If you are coming off GLP-1 medication or have lost significant weight, the clearance conversation is often more involved. See body contouring after GLP-1 weight loss for how that shows up in a quote.
What happens if a result disqualifies you
This is where deposits get lost. A result can lead to several outcomes, and each one should have a stated financial consequence.
- Proceed as planned. No change.
- Proceed with conditions. Extra tests, a specialist letter, a longer stay, or a different facility. Ask what each condition adds to the bill.
- Change the plan. Fewer procedures in one session, or a staged approach. A combined quote may need to be split, which is covered in one surgery or two.
- Postpone. Your deposit may move to a new date. Ask how long the credit lasts.
- Decline. The surgeon decides surgery is not appropriate. Ask what is refunded and how fast.
The fairest arrangements tie the refund to the reason. If you are declined on medical grounds you disclosed honestly, many patients expect most or all of the deposit back. If you withheld something, terms are usually stricter. Neither is guaranteed; only the written agreement counts.
Our deposits, cancellations and refunds guide goes deeper, and it is worth reading before you sign anything.
The clearance line items to check
Use this table to check any quote's clearance section. Missing items are not automatically red flags, but each one is a question to send before paying.
| Line item | What to look for | Ask if missing |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-op lab panel | Named tests, or "per surgeon's list" with the list attached | "Which tests are included, and which are billed separately?" |
| Heart and other screening | Whether it applies to you and who reads it | "Do I need this, and is it in the price?" |
| Anesthesia evaluation | A named consult before surgery day | "When does the anesthesiologist review my case?" |
| Specialist clearance | Who provides it if needed | "If I need a specialist letter, who arranges and pays for it?" |
| Outside labs policy | Accepted or not, and the time window | "Will you accept my home lab results, and how recent?" |
| Repeat testing | Whether local repeats are included | "If you repeat my labs locally, is that in this quote?" |
| Clearance timing | Before deposit, before travel, or on arrival | "At what point is my clearance final?" |
| Disqualification terms | Refund, credit, or forfeiture, and on what grounds | "If I am not cleared, what happens to my deposit?" |
| Refund mechanics | Method, currency and processing time | "How and in what currency is a refund sent?" |
Paste the provider's answers into your case file so everything sits in one place, and run the full quote through the Quote Breakdown tool to see what is and is not itemized.
Getting it in writing
Phone calls and voice notes are fine for first contact. Clearance terms belong in writing, ideally in the same document as the quote or in an email you can save.
Before paying a deposit, you want a written answer to four things: the test list, who reviews it, when clearance is final, and what happens to your money if it is not. If you are comparing several providers, put those four answers side by side in Compare Quotes. The provider with the lowest number is not always the one with the clearest conditions.
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Send one structured request. With your consent, it may be shared with up to three independent providers, so you can compare written quotes on the same terms.
Common questions
Is a quote binding before my labs are reviewed?
Generally no. Most quotes are conditional on the surgeon's and anesthesiologist's review of your results and history, so read the stated conditions and ask what could change the price.
Can I use labs from my own doctor at home?
Often yes, at least in part, but it depends on the surgeon. Ask in writing whether they accept outside results, how recent they must be, and whether any tests will be repeated locally.
Who decides if I am cleared for surgery?
Clinical clearance should come from licensed professionals, usually the operating surgeon and the anesthesiologist, sometimes with a specialist. A coordinator can relay the decision but should not be the one making it.
What if a test result means I cannot have surgery?
That depends entirely on the written deposit terms. Ask before paying whether a medical decline means a full refund, a partial refund, or a credit, and how quickly the money is returned.
Should I stop any medications before surgery?
Do not stop or change anything on your own. Give the surgical team a complete list and follow the written instructions from the surgeon and your prescribing doctor.
Planning tool, not medical advice. This site organizes price and logistics information. It does not diagnose, recommend treatment, assess surgical candidacy, or replace advice from a licensed clinician who has evaluated you. Do not delay urgent care because of anything you read here.
How provider matching works. If you ask for provider options and consent, your inquiry may be shared with up to 3 relevant independent providers. Provider introductions may be compensated. Verify credentials, facility status, pricing and medical advice independently before choosing care.