For patients who travel to Istanbul from abroad for their operation, the practice follows a simple sequence, and this article sets out what to expect from the first message to the last check-up.
Step one: a message on WhatsApp
Everything starts with a message. Tell the practice which procedure you are considering and when you could travel. WhatsApp is the channel the practice prefers; the number is on every page of this site. Medical details are discussed at the consultation, not by message.
Step two: dates are arranged
The practice proposes dates for the consultation, the operation and the check-up, and answers your questions about the visit: how long to stay, where the practice and the hospital are, and what to bring. The examination, the assessment of what is realistic and the surgical plan are made with Dr. Teker in person, on your first day in Istanbul.
Step three: how long to stay
Plan for seven to eight days in Istanbul. The sequence is usually: arrival and consultation in person on day one, when Dr. Teker examines the nose, draws up the plan with you on your photographs and checks the airway with an endoscope; surgery on day two, with one night in hospital; rest in your accommodation for the following days; the splint and any stitches removed around day seven; and the flight home the day after. Flying with the splint on is not advised, and the day-seven check is where the nose is examined and re-taped for the second week.
For tonsil or palate surgery the stay is longer, around ten days, because of the small risk of late bleeding. For septoplasty or sinus surgery alone, five to seven days is enough.
Where the practice is
The practice is in Bakırköy, on the European side of Istanbul, an established residential district on the Marmara coast with hotels of every category, good restaurants and the metro. Istanbul Airport and Sabiha Gökçen are both reachable by taxi, with journey times that depend on traffic, and the district is a quiet place to recover. The address and directions are on the contact page; the building has AlternatifBank on the ground floor, which taxi drivers find easily. Patients usually choose a hotel or apartment within a short ride of the practice and of the hospital where the operation takes place.
Language
Dr. Teker consults in Turkish, English, Arabic and French. You speak with him directly at the consultation and at every visit. This matters because the details of what you want shape the whole plan of surgery.
Ministry of Health authorisation
Dr. Teker’s practice holds the International Health Tourism Authorization Certificate issued by the Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Health. It is a formal recognition that the practice meets the requirements set for treating patients from abroad, and it is shown on the About page of this site.
Companion, accommodation and insurance
Coming with a companion is recommended for the first two or three days, when you will be tired and bruised and glad of help. You choose your own accommodation; somewhere a short ride from the practice and the hospital is practical. Consultations and surgery are self-pay; fees are discussed at the consultation. Check your travel insurance, and bring a list of any medicines you take, in particular blood thinners, which must be discussed before surgery.
After you go home
Before you fly you receive written aftercare instructions and the schedule of check-ups: two weeks, six weeks, three months and one year. A check-up you cannot attend in Istanbul can be done by an ear, nose and throat doctor where you live. For questions about the schedule you can write to the practice.
A short checklist
- A message on WhatsApp with the procedure you are considering and your dates.
- Answers to your questions about the visit before you travel.
- Seven to eight days in Istanbul for rhinoplasty; ten for throat surgery.
- A companion for the first days.
- Medication list, especially blood thinners.
- A hat and sunscreen for the flight home and the weeks after.
Knowing this sequence beforehand lets patients arrive prepared and leave with a plan for the months of settling that follow.