Neurosurgery in Georgia: how an international patient can prepare for brain or spine surgery

What does neurosurgery cover for an international patient?

Neurosurgery is the surgical treatment of the nervous system. Its scope includes tumours of the brain and spinal cord, spinal conditions that press on a nerve or the spinal cord, problems with the blood vessels of the brain such as an aneurysm or a vascular malformation, hydrocephalus, when fluid builds up in the brain, and injuries to the peripheral nerves.

In this field a decision is rarely one doctor's alone. Together with the neurosurgeon, a case is often reviewed by a neurologist and a radiologist, and in the case of a tumour by an oncologist and a radiation oncologist as well. For an international patient this means that the preliminary assessment may need several specialists, and that the final plan, whether surgery, radiotherapy or observation, is not known until the records have been reviewed. General questions about tumours are covered in our cancer treatment guide, and the orthopaedic side of spinal problems in our orthopaedics guide.

Solidaroba.ge is not a clinic and does not give medical assessments. This page helps patients coming from abroad to prepare; state funding for Georgian citizens is discussed in the guide to funding for neurosurgery.

When should you not wait to travel?

In neurosurgery some conditions are measured in minutes or hours. Sudden weakness of the face or a limb, difficulty speaking, a severe headache unlike any you have had before, a seizure or loss of consciousness call for emergency help wherever you are, not for planning treatment abroad. While you are in Georgia, the emergency number is 112.

Medical travel for neurosurgery suits cases where the treating doctor sees that there is time to spare: for example, the diagnosis has already been made, the condition is stable and surgery can be scheduled as a planned procedure. With some brain conditions, flying requires an additional assessment, so before you travel ask your doctor whether you can take an ordinary scheduled flight. If not, the options for travelling with medical escort are on the page of our ICU ambulance and transfer service.

Which records does a neurosurgeon need?

A neurosurgeon plans the operation from the images themselves, so the radiologist's report alone is not enough. The most common mistake is that the patient sends a few pictures or a PDF from the MRI, whereas the surgeon needs the complete study, with every series.

If your records are in a language a Georgian specialist does not read, our diagnostic report translation service translates the reports. The images themselves need no translation.

Why are second opinions so common in neurosurgery?

With neurosurgical conditions, differences of opinion between doctors are not unusual: one specialist may suggest surgery, another radiotherapy, and a third observation and a repeat scan. This does not mean that any of them is wrong; there are often several reasonable paths, and the choice depends on the patient's age, condition and priorities.

The Law of Georgia on Patient Rights, which also applies to foreign nationals, expressly gives patients the right to consult another doctor or another facility freely for a second opinion. This right works in both directions: you can get a Georgian neurosurgeon's opinion on the recommendation of your doctor at home or, conversely, have the plan proposed in Georgia checked at home.

We arrange a remote written assessment or a video consultation with an interpreter through our second opinion service, before you decide to travel. How to frame your questions and which documents to prepare is described in general terms in our second opinion guide.

Consent, language and who receives information on your behalf

Under Georgian law, the doctor must explain to the patient fully and clearly the diagnosis, the proposed intervention, its alternatives and its risks, and needs the patient's written informed consent before surgery. The discussion of the risks of neurosurgery is often detailed and full of technical terms. The law requires the doctor to adapt the information to the patient's ability to understand it, but it does not provide a right to an interpreter and does not oblige the clinic to have staff who speak your language.

That is why we book a medical interpreter for this conversation in advance and, if the clinic shares the consent form with us beforehand, translate it before you arrive, so that you are not reading it for the first time on the morning of the operation. Our team works with you in English and Russian, and if your language is Arabic, Hebrew, Turkish, Azerbaijani, Armenian or another language, an interpreter makes the conversation possible.

What does a neurosurgery quote include?

The price of neurosurgery depends on the complexity of the procedure, the technology used, the days in intensive care and the implant, so you will not find figures on this page. The quote is drawn up by the clinic's neurosurgeon after reviewing your records. We ask the clinic to answer each of the points below in writing:

• Pre-operative tests on site: a neurosurgeon sometimes orders a new MRI or another test before the operation. Is it included in the price?
• Technology used during the operation: if the doctor plans navigation, intraoperative monitoring of nerve function or other specialised equipment, is this shown as a separate item?
• Implant: a spinal fixation system, a shunt or another device, with the manufacturer and price.
• Intensive care and ward: how many days are included and what each additional day costs.
• Histology: if tissue is examined, whether this is included in the price and in what language the report is issued.
• Early rehabilitation: physiotherapy or speech therapy in hospital, if the doctor considers it necessary.
• A check-up scan before discharge and an appointment before your flight.
• Complications or readmission: how they are priced and who pays.

Outside the clinic's quote are your flights, accommodation for you and your companion, the interpreter and our coordination fee. You pay for treatment directly to the clinic, and our fee separately, on terms agreed in writing before work begins. Payment methods are covered in detail in our guide to costs and payment.

How we handle your case and how the clinic is checked

A neurosurgical case follows the same path with us as other specialties: collecting and checking your records, sending them with your approval to neurosurgeons at licensed clinics, comparing their written plans and prices, and then the visa, insurance, travel, treatment and return home. The details are split across two pages: the selection and quote stage on the clinic selection page, and day-to-day organisation after you arrive on the coordination page.

Neurosurgery is performed in an inpatient facility, and in Georgia an inpatient facility needs a state permit to operate, issued by the Regulation Agency for Medical and Pharmaceutical Activities. Because we have not found a public register for patients, we ask the clinic for a copy of its permit, check that it covers neurosurgical activity and find out the name of the neurosurgeon who will operate. If the clinic mentions international accreditation, we ask for the certificate with its validity dates and tell you what we have seen; we never attribute an accreditation to any clinic ourselves.

After the operation: length of stay, flying, medicines and home

Length of stay and visa

How long you stay in Georgia after the operation is decided by the neurosurgeon according to your recovery, and this period is sometimes longer than planned. For citizens of many countries this is not a problem, as they can stay in Georgia visa-free for up to one year. A patient who has entered on an e-visa, however, has a relatively short period, and a short-term visa cannot be extended inside the country. So we choose the type of visa and its length before you travel, with days in reserve; more details on the visa and insurance page.

Insurance

Since 1 January 2026, foreigners entering Georgia need mandatory health and accident insurance for the entire visit, with a sum insured of at least GEL 30,000, in Georgian or English. If your stay is extended, the policy must be extended too. Such a policy does not normally cover a planned operation, so the terms for complications and additional days must be visible in the clinic's quote.

Flying

When it is safe to fly after brain or spine surgery is assessed only by the treating neurosurgeon. Some airlines require this conclusion in writing. We do not fix the return ticket until this confirmation is given, or we book it with the option to change the date.

Medicines

After neurosurgery, medicines that are controlled in Georgia are sometimes prescribed; the Revenue Service list includes, for example, pregabalin, gabapentin and tramadol. Carrying such a medicine across the border for personal use must not exceed a 31-day supply and requires a certified prescription and a doctor's certificate. Ordinary medicines pass without documents up to 10 standard packs. Our medicines service helps you prepare the documents.

Records for home

Your neurologist or neurosurgeon at home will need the operation notes, the discharge summary, post-operative MRI or CT in digital format, the histology report if tissue was examined, and the schedule of follow-up scans. In the case of a tumour, your oncologist may need the histology material for a second review, so ask the clinic in advance how it is released. We request copies of your records from the clinic in writing before discharge, and our discharge summary translation service translates them into your doctor's language.

Frequently asked questions about neurosurgery in Georgia