The first message we receive from patients abroad almost always opens with the same two sentences: “I’m thinking about having surgery in Turkey but I don’t know how the process works.” and “How am I supposed to decide without ever seeing you?” Both are fair questions. In this article we explain, step by step, how things proceed from that first message to the follow-ups after you’re back home. It was written for patients coming from abroad, but most of it applies equally to our patients travelling from other cities in Turkey.
Let’s start with a reality
The number of people coming to Turkey for aesthetic surgery grows every year, and the main reason isn’t price alone; it’s price and experience coming together. A plastic surgeon in Istanbul sees several times the caseload of a colleague in Europe, and that means experience. On the other hand, the same sector also has intermediaries, agencies selling packages, and “clinics” that won’t even tell you the surgeon’s name. Most of the problems patients run into stem not from the surgery itself but from not knowing who they’re actually dealing with.
So our first piece of advice is simple: talk to whoever is going to operate on you. Find out the surgeon’s name, their qualifications and specialty certification, and which hospital they work in. We share this information in our very first message; you should be able to ask the same of any surgeon.
Step 1: Preliminary assessment and photographs
The process starts when you get in touch. We ask which procedure you have in mind, your age, height and weight, previous operations, medications and whether you smoke. Then we ask for photographs: from the front, both sides and, depending on the area, sometimes seated, in flat light, without filters. The surgeon reviews these and sends you a preliminary assessment: whether the procedure you have in mind suits you, whether there’s an alternative, whether your expectation is realistic.
At this stage we sometimes say “no.” If the photos show that someone’s expectation doesn’t match their anatomy, or that they need to lose weight first, we write that plainly. Better to hear it now than after you’ve bought the plane ticket.
Step 2: Video consultation
If the preliminary assessment is positive, we schedule a video call with the surgeon. It lasts twenty to thirty minutes and is one of the most important steps. The surgeon listening to you, you seeing the surgeon, and asking your questions without an intermediary are all necessary for mutual trust. In this call we discuss the surgical plan, the technique to be used, scar locations, recovery time, risks and the overall timeline. A written plan and cost summary is sent after the call; it states clearly what is included and what isn’t.
Don’t worry about language. Our team includes coordinators who communicate in several languages, English first among them; an interpreter joins the calls when needed.
Step 3: When to come, and how long to stay?
This is the most frequently asked question, and the answer depends on the procedure. As a rough framework: for breast surgery and liposuction, a total of seven to eight days in Istanbul is enough. For a tummy tuck, a facelift, or operations combining several procedures, we ask you to plan ten to fourteen days. That period includes the in-person examination and blood tests the day before surgery, the operation itself, one or two nights in hospital, rest at the hotel, and a final check before your return flight.
Season is a factor too. Istanbul is hot and humid in summer; days spent in a compression garment or support bra are harder in that weather. When choosing a surgery date, we suggest looking not only at your own leave calendar but at which season your recovery will fall in. Spring and autumn are the most comfortable periods, both for the weather and for the city’s crowds.
We particularly recommend bringing a companion. Having someone with you in the first days makes a difference for both safety and morale. For patients who come alone, we arrange hotel and transport accordingly.
Step 4: Your days in Istanbul
You’re met at the airport and taken to your hotel. The next day is the examination: we confirm in person everything we saw in the photographs, take measurements, do the markings, and you meet the anaesthetist. The plan changing at this stage is rare but possible; an examination always shows more than a photograph. Surgery is the following day, in a fully equipped hospital. After discharge you rest at the hotel and come in for checks on the scheduled days. Dressings, drain removal and suture checks happen on those days.
A word of warning here: having come to Istanbul, you’ll want to see the city, which is entirely understandable. But the days after surgery are recovery days. Short walks do you good; excursions lasting hours, time in the sun and getting tired in crowds do not. Save the sightseeing for the day before surgery, or for a future visit.
Step 5: The flight home and afterwards
A final check is done the day before you leave. Stitches, drains and wound condition are reviewed, you’re cleared to fly, and you’re given a written care plan explaining what to do and when. On the plane you need to wear your support garment, drink plenty of water, get up and walk every hour, and not carry your luggage. On long flights we adjust medication if needed to guard against clots.
Follow-up doesn’t end when you get home. We do video check-ups with photographs at one month, three months and six months. For any question in between, you can reach the team directly. This is the point that reassures patients most: we don’t disappear once you’ve boarded the plane.
What should a quote include?
The thing patients from abroad most often get wrong is not knowing what their quote covers. A figure that looks low may not include the hospital fee, anaesthesia, implants or consumables, follow-up visits, the compression garment or the hotel; once those are added one by one, the total ends up somewhere quite different. The written plan you receive from us lists the hospital, anaesthesia, surgery, materials used, hospital stay, transfers and follow-ups item by item. Accommodation we arrange if you wish, or you choose it yourself; we discuss what each option means from the outset. When comparing prices, compare the list, not the number.
What if something goes wrong?
Every operation carries a possibility of complications; don’t trust anywhere that tells you otherwise. What matters is that what happens in that case has been discussed in advance. Anything that arises while you’re in Istanbul is handled directly by our team. If something requiring attention comes up after you’re home, we first assess it by video, then if necessary contact a colleague in your country or invite you back to Istanbul. Who does what in each of these scenarios is set out in the written plan. A quote that doesn’t address complications is an incomplete quote.
Five things to check before you come
The name and specialty certification of the surgeon who will operate. That the hospital where the surgery will take place is a licensed hospital. What the price includes and what happens in the event of a complication. Whether you can speak to the surgeon directly. And how follow-up will be handled after you return. Don’t have surgery anywhere that can’t give you clear answers to these five questions; we expect you to ask us the same ones.
Finally: medical tourism is not a travel package, it’s a course of treatment. Planned well, it proceeds safely and efficiently; rushed, it puts both your result and your health at risk. Before deciding, write down your questions, send your photographs, talk to the surgeon. We’ll plan the rest together.