# How long to stay in Istanbul for rhinoplasty, and how to plan it > A practical guide for patients travelling to Istanbul: arranging dates by message, the consultation in person, how long to stay, where the practice is, and check-ups afterwards. Source: https://www.drcenkteker.com/en/blog/planning-rhinoplasty-in-istanbul-as-an-international-patient/ Updated: 2026-10-29 Published 2 September 2026 4 min read A practical guide for patients travelling to Istanbul: arranging dates by message, the consultation in person, how long to stay, where the practice is, and check-ups afterwards. In short Plan for about seven to eight days in Istanbul for rhinoplasty: a consultation in person on arrival, surgery the next day, and the splint removed around day seven before you fly home. Dates are arranged by message, but the examination and the surgical plan are made with Dr. Teker in person. 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](https://www.drcenkteker.com/en/procedures/septoplasty-deviation-surgery/) or [sinus surgery](https://www.drcenkteker.com/en/procedures/sinus-surgery-fess/) 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](https://www.drcenkteker.com/en/procedures/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. ## References 1. Regulation on International Health Tourism and Tourist Health. Official Gazette no. 32882 (Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Health). 2025. Available from: [resmigazete.gov.tr/eskiler/2025/04/20250426-2.htm](https://www.resmigazete.gov.tr/eskiler/2025/04/20250426-2.htm) \[cited 2026 Oct 12\]. 2. NHS. Cosmetic surgery abroad. NHS (National Health Service, UK). 2022. Available from: [nhs.uk/tests-and-treatments/cosmetic-procedures/advice/cosmetic-surgery-abroad](https://www.nhs.uk/tests-and-treatments/cosmetic-procedures/advice/cosmetic-surgery-abroad/) \[cited 2026 Oct 12\]. 3. Ishii LE, Tollefson TT, Basura GJ, Rosenfeld RM, Abramson PJ, Chaiet SR, et al. Clinical Practice Guideline: Improving Nasal Form and Function after Rhinoplasty. Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery. 2017;156(S2). [doi:10.1177/0194599816683153](https://doi.org/10.1177/0194599816683153). Medically reviewed by Op. Dr. Cenk Teker, 26 October 2026 ![Op. Dr. Cenk Teker, ear, nose and throat surgeon, standing by a window in a navy suit](https://www.drcenkteker.com/_astro/op-dr-cenk-teker-portrait-crop.BH1lhoBD_Z1TExjO.webp) By Op. Dr. Cenk Teker Updated 29 October 2026 [About](https://www.drcenkteker.com/en/about/) Related procedures [Combined Rhinoplasty (Septorhinoplasty)](https://www.drcenkteker.com/en/procedures/combined-rhinoplasty/) [Ethnic Rhinoplasty](https://www.drcenkteker.com/en/procedures/ethnic-rhinoplasty/) [Revision Rhinoplasty](https://www.drcenkteker.com/en/procedures/revision-rhinoplasty/) [Rhinoplasty](https://www.drcenkteker.com/en/procedures/rhinoplasty/) ## More articles [26 October 2026 · 6 min read A crooked nose after an injury: the first days, and straightening it later What to do in the first days after a blow to the nose, which signs need urgent help, why the septum bends too, and how a crooked nose is corrected later. Read more](https://www.drcenkteker.com/en/blog/crooked-nose-after-an-injury/) [14 October 2026 · 5 min read Revision rhinoplasty: when and why a second operation is done Why a second nose operation is sometimes needed, why surgeons usually wait about a year, what is assessed, and where cartilage grafts come from. Read more](https://www.drcenkteker.com/en/blog/revision-rhinoplasty-when-and-why/) [22 July 2026 · 4 min read Septoplasty or rhinoplasty: which one do I need? The difference between surgery for breathing and surgery for shape, how to tell which problem you have, and why the two are so often combined. Read more](https://www.drcenkteker.com/en/blog/septoplasty-vs-rhinoplasty-which-do-i-need/) [All articles](https://www.drcenkteker.com/en/blog/) ## Talk it through with Dr. Teker Write on WhatsApp or call to request an appointment. Consultations take place at the practice in Bakırköy. [Message on WhatsApp](https://wa.me/905324153539) [+90 532 415 35 39](tel:+905324153539) [Send a request](https://www.drcenkteker.com/en/contact/)