Traveling to San Antonio for Microtia Surgery
Families have traveled from more than 50 countries and all 50 US states for microtia reconstruction with Dr. Bonilla. This page covers what to expect from the initial consultation through surgery, recovery, and returning home.
Why Families Choose to Travel for This Surgery
Starting with a Virtual Consultation
For most out-of-state and international families, the process starts with a virtual consultation — a remote visit with Dr. Bonilla conducted via video call. This first contact allows Dr. Bonilla to review your child's photos and medical history, evaluate the grade of microtia, discuss whether surgery is appropriate and when, and answer the most important questions your family has — all before anyone gets on a plane.
Many families spend months researching before they first reach out. By the time they contact Dr. Bonilla's office, they often have detailed questions about surgical technique, timing, and outcomes. The virtual consultation is a genuine medical conversation, not a brief intake call.
Following the virtual consultation, Dr. Bonilla's team will discuss next steps: whether additional imaging or records are needed, when the best surgical timing would be, and how to plan the first trip to San Antonio. Most families travel to San Antonio only for the actual surgery — not for preliminary evaluations that can be conducted remotely.
How to request a virtual consultation: To request a virtual consultation, submit your information through the contact form and Dr. Bonilla’s team will be in touch to schedule a video appointment.
What to prepare for your virtual consultation
Having the right materials ready makes the virtual consultation far more productive. Before the call, gather: clear photos of the affected ear from multiple angles (front, side, above), photos showing the opposite ear for comparison, any prior medical records or imaging related to the microtia diagnosis, and a list of your most important questions. Write them down — it is easy to forget questions in the moment.
If your child has had prior microtia surgery, those surgical records and photos of the current result are particularly important. Dr. Bonilla is experienced with revision cases and needs to understand what was done previously before advising on next steps.
Spanish-language consultations are available. Dr. Bonilla and members of his staff are fluent in Spanish. For families in Mexico, Latin America, and Spanish-speaking communities across the US, the consultation can be conducted entirely in Spanish.
How to Plan Around Surgery and Recovery
Microtia reconstruction is a multi-stage process. Each surgical stage requires a separate trip to San Antonio. Understanding the timeline helps families plan far enough in advance — for flights, accommodations, school absences, and work arrangements back home.
Most families travel to San Antonio twice across the full reconstruction process — once for Stage 1 and once or twice for subsequent stages. Each trip is planned carefully, and the time in San Antonio is kept as focused and efficient as possible for families who have traveled far.
Book flexible airfare. When booking return flights, choose a fare that allows date changes — medical recovery occasionally requires staying an extra day or two. Most airlines accommodate medical date changes with documentation. Dr. Bonilla's office can provide a letter if needed.
School absence letters. Dr. Bonilla's office is happy to provide documentation for school administrators explaining your child's surgery and recovery timeline. Many schools have accommodations for medical absences, and this documentation helps ensure a smooth return.
San Antonio — Practical Information for Your Stay
San Antonio has a great deal to offer families during their stay — history, food, outdoor spaces, and family-friendly activities within easy reach of the hospital.
San Antonio has a warm climate year-round — surgery is possible in any season, though families often prefer to avoid the peak summer heat (June–August, when high temperatures regularly exceed 95°F / 35°C). Spring and fall offer the most comfortable weather for recovery walks and outdoor time.
Things to Do in San Antonio During Recovery Week
How Dr. Bonilla’s Team Supports Traveling Families
Traveling for your child’s surgery is a significant undertaking. Dr. Bonilla’s office has coordinated the logistics of traveling families’ care many times and is prepared to help.
Specific Guidance for Families Traveling from Outside the United States
International families make up a meaningful portion of Dr. Bonilla's patient base. Mexico, Colombia, Brazil, the UK, Germany, Australia, Saudi Arabia, Japan, and dozens of other countries have sent families to San Antonio. The office has navigated international logistics many times and can help you anticipate every challenge.
Visas and entry documentation
International families typically enter the United States on a B-2 tourist/medical visitor visa. Dr. Bonilla's office can provide a formal letter documenting the planned medical procedure, which supports the visa application and entry at the US port of entry. Apply for visas well in advance — minimum 3–4 months before the planned surgery date, longer for countries with slower processing times.
Canadian families do not require a US visa. Mexican families traveling by land typically use a valid B1/B2 visa or border crossing card. If you are unsure about your specific entry requirements, the office can advise based on experience with families from your country.
Currency and payment
All billing is in US dollars. Major international credit and debit cards are accepted. The hospital and Dr. Bonilla's office both accept payment by credit card. For families arranging international wire transfers, the billing team can provide the necessary bank information.
Language support
Dr. Bonilla and members of his staff are fluent in Spanish, and the consultation can be conducted entirely in Spanish for families from Mexico, Latin America, and Spanish-speaking communities. For other languages, the office works with interpreter services and can recommend translation support. The hospital has formal interpreter services available in multiple languages for surgery day.
Bringing family members
Most international families travel with both parents and sometimes additional family members or grandparents. San Antonio accommodates multi-person families well, and the hotel options on the Hotel Arrangements page include options with multiple bedrooms and full kitchens. The office can advise on accommodation options for larger family groups.
The most important thing for international families is to start early. Visa applications, insurance coordination, school or work arrangements, and international flight booking all require more lead time than domestic travel. Contact Dr. Bonilla's office as soon as you decide to pursue consultation — even if surgery is many months away — so the process can begin in parallel with other preparations.
Mexico and Latin America: Dr. Bonilla has treated hundreds of families from Mexico, Colombia, Brazil, Venezuela, Peru, and across Latin America. Spanish-language virtual consultations are available and the office team has deep experience with the specific logistics and questions these families bring. Spanish-language virtual consultations are available for families from Mexico, Latin America, and Spanish-speaking communities.
Families travel to San Antonio from across the United States and more than 50 countries
Dr. Bonilla's office coordinates all pre-operative paperwork remotely. Most families travel to San Antonio for the initial consultation and surgical stages, then return home between stages. Telehealth follow-up is available for families who cannot travel back for routine check-ins.
Dr. Bonilla's team has coordinated care for families from more than 50 countries. The office assists with documentation needed for medical travel. Telehealth consultations are available before families travel to San Antonio.
Traveling for your child’s surgery — especially from another country — is a significant undertaking. Dr. Bonilla’s team has supported families through this process many times and is familiar with the practical and logistical challenges involved.
Whatever question you have — whether it is medical, logistical, financial, or just “is this the right decision?” — Dr. Bonilla’s team is available to answer any question — medical, logistical, or otherwise — whenever you are ready to reach out.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes — for the initial evaluation, absolutely. With high-quality photos of the ear from multiple angles and any available medical records, Dr. Bonilla can assess the grade of microtia, evaluate surgical candidacy, and provide a detailed consultation by video. He has done this with families from every inhabited continent.
The in-person evaluation before surgery (at the pre-operative appointment the day before) is when Dr. Bonilla does his hands-on assessment of the ear, the child's rib cartilage development, and the final surgical plan. This is the necessary in-person visit — not the initial consultation.
Dr. Bonilla is an exclusively pediatric microtia surgeon — his practice treats patients from newborn through age 17, and he does not perform surgery on patients age 18 or older. This is a fundamental characteristic of his practice — every case, every day, for thirty years, has been a pediatric patient.
If you are an adult with microtia who was never treated as a child and you have questions, Dr. Bonilla’s office is happy to speak with you and help point you toward appropriate resources and surgeons. Call (210) 477-3277 — they will do their best to guide you.
Complications from rib cartilage surgery are extremely rare. Dr. Bonilla's team provides direct contact information for post-operative concerns, and they are reachable for international families. For straightforward concerns about dressings, appearance, or activity questions — the office handles these by phone and video without requiring return travel.
For genuine emergencies that require in-person care, the team will communicate with your local physician or emergency facility, providing medical records and surgical documentation to ensure continuity of care. Dr. Bonilla is available to consult by phone with physicians in other countries — this is a service his team has provided many times.
As explained above, return travel for serious complications is rare, but for situations that are required, Dr. Bonilla's team will coordinate the process and ensure your family is supported through it.
Dr. Bonilla's schedule is typically booked several months in advance. For international families with visa requirements, school calendar constraints, and international flight logistics, planning 4–6 months ahead is strongly recommended — and for families from countries with longer visa processing times, even earlier.
The process is: virtual consultation first (which can happen within weeks of first contact), then surgical scheduling once Dr. Bonilla confirms candidacy and timing. The office will give you a realistic timeline for scheduling when you make first contact.
No — the stages of reconstruction are separated by healing periods of approximately 2 months each. A two-stage reconstruction is complete in approximately 2 months. A three-stage reconstruction is complete in approximately 4 months. Each stage requires the previous stage's result to have healed fully before the next procedure.
Yes. Dr. Bonilla evaluates and treats revision cases — patients who had prior microtia surgery, whether natural cartilage or synthetic implant, that did not achieve the desired result or that experienced complications.
Revision cases are more complex, and the evaluation requires detailed information about what was done previously — surgical records, operative notes if available, and current photos of the ear. Dr. Bonilla will review all of this before the virtual consultation to arrive at an honest assessment of what is possible. Not all revision cases are surgically addressable, but many are, and the consultation will give you a clear-eyed picture of your options.
To request a virtual consultation, submit your information through our contact form and Dr. Bonilla’s team will be in touch to schedule a video appointment.