Translation Services: Medical interpretation, translated documents, and why consent in your own language matters

• Your coordinator, who speaks English and is the same person from first enquiry to your twelve-month review.
• Interpretation at every clinical consultation — assessment, pre-operative discussion, consent and discharge.
• Written quotes, treatment plans and consent forms in a language you read fluently.
• Your discharge summary, operation note and, where relevant, implant passport, provided in English.
• Aftercare instructions in writing, in your language, rather than explained once at a bedside and half remembered.
• Interpretation for aftercare contacts during the twelve months after you fly home.

1. 1Before you travel: your assessment and quote are handled in writing, in your language, with your coordinator available by WhatsApp for anything unclear.
2. 2Assessment day: an interpreter is present for your consultation with the surgeon or dentist. The plan, the alternatives and what will change if the imaging shows something unexpected are all gone through properly.
3. 3Consent: this conversation is slower than you might expect, deliberately. Risks, realistic outcomes, recovery restrictions and what happens if a complication occurs are all covered, and you are asked to repeat back the key points.
4. 4On the ward: nursing staff and interpreters are available for the practical conversations — pain relief, mobility, drains, what you may eat.
5. 5Discharge: your instructions are explained verbally and given to you in writing, in your language. These are the instructions that determine your result, so they are not left to memory.
6. 6After you fly home: aftercare check-ins are conducted in your language, and your surgeon's comments on your photographs are translated for you.

Medical interpreters, not general ones

There is a meaningful difference between someone who speaks two languages and someone trained to interpret clinical conversations. Anatomical terms, risk percentages, medication names and the distinction between "uncommon" and "rare" all need accurate rendering. Velsa uses interpreters experienced in medical settings for consent and clinical discussions rather than whoever is available.

This is the quietest failure in medical travel. A patient returns with a folder in a language their GP cannot read, develops a problem six weeks later, and nobody locally knows what was implanted, what was removed or what antibiotics were given. It is avoidable and it is included.

• Operation note: what was performed, by whom, and any findings. In English.
• Discharge summary: your stay, medication given, medication to continue, and follow-up arrangements. In English.
• Implant passport: brand, batch and dimensions for breast implants, dental implants and any device left in place. This matters years later, when a replacement part is needed.
• Imaging: X-rays, CBCT scans and ultrasound reports, provided digitally on request.
• Histology results: for any tissue removed — breast reduction, gynecomastia, capsulectomy — sent to you when available.
• Aftercare plan: written instructions and the schedule of your twelve-month check-ins.

• Request your preferred language at the enquiry stage, not on arrival. Arranging an interpreter for a specific consultation takes notice.
• There is no additional charge for interpretation included in your treatment plan.
• Certified translation of documents for insurance or legal purposes can be arranged at cost, and we will tell you the price in advance.
• If your language is not listed, ask. We will tell you honestly whether we can arrange it properly rather than improvising on the day.