You might have heard about medical tourism and Istanbul being mentioned in the same sentence quite a lot. There’s a reason for that, in fact there are a few.
Turkey is one of the top 10 countries for medical tourism these days and the fact that the prices are much lower than the equivalents you’d find in the EU, USA, and UK means that more and more people are choosing to fly to Istanbul and have their treatments. Izmir is another popular city in Turkey for medical procedures, but Istanbul is without a doubt the top desitnation. Of course, that also means you can pair your procedure with a little sightseeing, once you’ve recuperated.
With lower prices, high quality of treatment and care, and packages available that combine flights, transfers, and hotels with the treatment, it’s no wonder more and more people are choosing Turkey for their medical needs.
While prices depend upon the treatment and any anomalies, you can usually expect to pay between 50-70% less than what you would pay in the EU. That’s a huge saving.
What Are The Most Popular Procedures?
There are a huge range of medical procedures on offer for patients who travel to Turkey but the most common include:
Botox and fillers
Hair transplants
Dental work
Rhinoplasty (nose job)
Breast surgery
Liposuction and weight loss surgery
Of course, you should always do careful research before you choose a clinic and before you decide to have any procedure done. Check in with your doctor at home and talk to them about the procedure and whether it’s a good choice for you. You should also remember to take copies of your medical records with you so that the doctors in Turkey and check over things before agreeing to do your desired surgery.
You should expect to have a consultation before the surgery, and there is no guarantee that your surgery will go ahead until you’ve had this consultation and the doctor has checked everything out. If they agree, you can expect to have your procedure done within days.
You only have to Google ‘medical tourism in Turkey’ and you’ll see countless entries, but remember, some are better than others. This is your health, so you need to make sure that you’re attending a clinic that is top class and offers a high level of service. Don’t always go for the lowest price – quality is always what you should be looking for.
To help you out, let’s check out some of the most popular procedures in Turkey and a few recommendations of places to contact.
Hair Transplants
The sheer number of men you see walking around Taksim with the tell-tale band around their head to say they’ve had a hair transplant that day or the day before, is astounding. That tells you a lot about how popular this procedure is. Turkey’s also within the top three countries in the world for this procedure. With low prices, it’s no wonder.
You can expect to pay somewhere in-between $1500 – $3000 for a procedure, but that will vary depending upon your personal circumstances. You can also book pages that include accommodation and transfers, etc.
A few clinic choices are:
Sapphire Hair Clinic in Sisli
Taksim Acibadem Hospital in Taksim (Dr Karaaltin Hair Istanbul)
Hermest Hair Transplant Clinic Istanbul in Uskudar
Rhinoplasty (Nose Job)
Whether you want to change the shape of your nose for aesthetic reasons or you have problems breathing, nose jobs are very popular in Istanbul. This is a procedure which is rising in popularity year upon year and after a detailed consultation, your procedure will be carried out, with extensive after-care.
A few clinic choices are:
Dr Salih Onur Basat at ClinicPlast Istanbul in Nisantasi
Dr Mehmet Emre Dinc in Sisli
Dr Ayse Sezim Safak in Pendik
Breast Surgery
Breast augmentation, lifts and reductions are much lower cost in Turkey than in most countries the world over. Many women attend for a consultation and explain their needs to their surgeon and with detailed aftercare available, it’s a very popular option.
Again, a few clinic choices you might want to look into include:
ClinicPlast in Nisantasi
Dr Asu Deniz Burhanoglu in Etiler
M.D. Huseyin Kandulu at the Private Acibadem Hospital
Laser Liposuction, Obesity & Weight Loss Treatment
Laser liposuction is extremely popular in Turkey and it’s considerably cheaper than you will find in EU countries, the UK and USA. Due to the fact that obesity is on the rise worldwide, weight loss treatment is regularly requested and many people choose to travel to Turkey for their procedure.
Dr Ceylon Aydogan in Maltese
Dr Firat Tutal in Sisli
Istanbul Bariatric Center in Sisli
Dental Treatments
One of the most popular reasons that people travel to Istanbul for medical work is on their teeth. You’ve no doubt heard of the fact that dental work, including implants and veneers, is much cheaper in turkey than anywhere else. Depending upon the procedure and how much extra work may be required, you can expect to pay around $500 – $750, which is a huge 70% cheaper than the EU, USA, and UK.
There are countless clinics offering teeth whitening and other procedures and it’s important to do your research beforehand. However, these are three of the best and ones you might like to check out:
Dentfix Istanbul Dental Clinic, Sisli
Eternes Dental Clinic Istanbul, Sisli
Esthedent Dental Clinic, Sisli
What To Watch Out For
Again, always be very careful when choosing which clinic to attend. The clinics we’ve mentioned are all very highly regarded, but simply Googling your desired treatment isn’t going to give you the best results. There are many scams out there and you’ll find people attempting to show you lower prices than they will actually charge you in the end.
Basically, if you see a price that’s too good to be true, that’s because it is. However, do bear in mind that prices for medical treatments are lower in Turkey compared to other countries. Simply do your research and ask as many questions as you need to, before making a decision. If the clinic is a reputable and professional one, they will have no problems answering as many questions as you want to ask and they will reassure you of their quality.
There are some fantastic clinics in Istanbul. It’s really not a surprise that it’s one of the best places in the world for medical tourism. So, if you’ve been thinking about having a procedure for a while and you’re sure that it’s the right thing for you, maybe Istanbul could be the destination for you.
