Your Surgery Journey in Istanbul
A step-by-step guide for international patients – Anka Plastic Surgery
From the moment you land in Istanbul until your flight home, our team coordinates your airport transfers, hospital visits, clinic appointments and postoperative follow-up. This guide explains what to expect at each stage of your stay.
What Is Included in Your Surgery Package?
Your package includes the main arrangements needed for your surgery and stay in Istanbul:
- Surgeon and hospital fees
- General anaesthesia
- 1 night in hospital
- 6 nights in a hotel
- Airport transfer on arrival
- Transfers between your hotel, hospital and clinic
- Return transfer to the airport
- Postoperative clinic appointments during your stay
- Compression garment or surgical corset, if required for your procedure
- Mandatory medical travel insurance for international patients: €20 (charged separately)
On the day of surgery, you will check out of your hotel before going to the hospital, as your hospital stay is arranged separately from your hotel accommodation. After discharge the following day, your patient coordinator will take you back to the hotel for the remainder of your stay.
Before You Travel
Once your surgery has been planned, our team will confirm the recommended length of stay, hospital arrangements and your appointment schedule.
Use this checklist in the week before you travel:
- Send your flight details to your patient coordinator so that your airport transfer can be arranged.
- Make sure any regular medication and medical conditions have already been discussed with our team.
- Follow the instructions you were given about smoking, nicotine, blood-thinning medicines and supplements. Never stop prescribed medication without medical advice.
- Do not eat or drink anything, including water, for 8 hours before surgery. Your patient coordinator will confirm the exact time once your surgery is scheduled.
- Remove all jewellery and piercings before the hospital. Please do not wear nail polish or gel polish, and remove artificial nails (acrylic, gel or nail extensions) if you can. We check your oxygen levels through your fingertip during surgery, and polish or nail extensions can make this harder.
- Check that your passport is valid and that you meet Turkey’s entry requirements for your nationality.
- Pack the items listed in the FAQ below.
Arriving in Istanbul
When you arrive at the airport, your private transfer will meet you and take you to your hotel.
Arriving at Istanbul Airport
Watch where to meet your transfer at Istanbul Airport
- Leave the baggage reclaim hall: After collecting your luggage, head towards the large “EXIT” sign and go through the exit door.
- Walk to Gate 13: After that first door, you are still inside the terminal. Follow the route shown in the video to reach Gate 13.
- Turn left: After you exit through Gate 13, look to your left. You will see a meeting point with a large “SR 25” sign.
- Meet your transfer: Go to the SR 25 counter and tell the staff your full name. Our team will help with your luggage and take you to your private vehicle.
If you cannot find the meeting point or have any difficulty, message your patient coordinator on WhatsApp. If your mobile data is not working, you can connect to the airport’s “Free Wi-Fi” to contact us.
Arriving at Sabiha Gökçen Airport
Watch where to meet your transfer at Sabiha Gökçen Airport
- Exit the terminal: After collecting your luggage, walk through the arrival hall and out through the automatic glass doors.
- Cross the street: Use the pedestrian crossing directly in front of the exit doors.
- Turn left: After crossing, turn left and walk towards the TÜRSAB meeting point area.
- Find the SR-25 sign: Look for the outdoor SR-25 sign next to the TÜRSAB section. You do not need to enter the building.
- Meet your transfer: Go to the counter marked SR-25 and tell the staff your full name. Our team will help with your luggage and take you to your private vehicle.
If your flight is delayed or you have difficulty finding the meeting point, contact your patient coordinator by WhatsApp.
Your First Appointment
Depending on your arrival time, your patient coordinator will collect you from your hotel either on the same day or the following day.
If your arrival time allows, you will visit the clinic for your in-person consultation with your surgeon. Your preoperative tests will also be completed at the hospital before surgery.
If you arrive later in the day, your preoperative tests may be arranged for the following day and your surgeon can complete your final examination at the hospital before surgery.
During your consultation, the surgical plan will be reviewed with you and you will have the opportunity to ask any remaining questions.
The Day of Surgery
On the morning of surgery, your patient coordinator will collect you from your hotel and accompany you to the hospital. You will check out of the hotel before leaving, as you will stay in hospital after your operation.
Once you have been admitted, your surgeon will visit you in your hospital room. Preoperative photographs and surgical markings will be completed, and the final surgical plan will be reviewed with you before you are taken to the operating theatre.
Your informed consent forms will also be reviewed and signed in English, and you are welcome to ask any questions before signing.
After Your Operation
After surgery, you will return to your hospital room where the nursing team will monitor your recovery.
Approximately four hours after surgery, depending on your condition, you can usually begin drinking and eating. With the assistance of the nursing team, you will also be encouraged to stand and walk briefly as part of your early recovery.
Leaving the Hospital
Your surgeon will examine you again the following day.
If your recovery is progressing as expected, you will be discharged from hospital. Your patient coordinator will then accompany you back to your hotel.
You will receive information about your medication, wound care, compression garments where applicable and the activities you should avoid during the early recovery period.
Follow-Up Appointments
During the remainder of your stay in Istanbul, your patient coordinator will arrange your postoperative appointments and accompany you between your hotel and the clinic. Your surgeon will check your healing, dressings and surgical area, with the number and timing of visits depending on your procedure and recovery.
Returning Home
On your final day in Istanbul, your private transfer will collect you from your hotel and take you to the airport. Before you leave, we will provide any final postoperative instructions you need.
When to Contact Us
Your care does not finish when you leave Istanbul. Our team will remain in contact with you after you return home, and you can send photographs or questions during your recovery when required.
Companions
You are welcome to travel with a companion. Accommodation for a companion is charged separately:
- Hotel room for the 6 included nights: €25 per night, €150 in total
- Keeping the room on the night of your surgery: €90 (otherwise the room is checked out, as you stay overnight in hospital)
- Total if your companion stays for the whole trip and keeps the room on the night of surgery: €240
Medical Travel Insurance and Complication Cover
International patients are covered by the mandatory medical travel insurance required for treatment in Turkey. It is arranged for each patient at an additional cost of €20.
- If revision surgery becomes necessary within the first 6 months, the insurance provides up to €500 towards hospital costs, subject to the terms of the policy.
- If a complication requires treatment or surgical intervention, our surgeons do not charge an additional surgeon’s fee.
- Any hospital expenses not covered by the insurance, as well as accommodation and travel costs for returning to Istanbul, remain the patient’s responsibility.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can my companion stay with me in the hospital?
Yes. Your companion is welcome to stay with you in your hospital room, and having someone with you can be reassuring. There is a sofa in the room where your companion can sleep.
If your companion stays with you in hospital, they will not need to keep the hotel room for that night.
When and how do I pay for my surgery?
Payment is completed after your final in-person assessment and before surgery.
If you arrive in Istanbul during the day, your patient coordinator will bring you to the clinic for your consultation with your surgeon. Payment is then completed after this consultation.
If you arrive in the evening, your preoperative tests are usually completed at the hospital the following day. In this case, your surgeon will examine you at the hospital before surgery, and payment will be completed after your preoperative assessment.
50% of the surgical fee is paid in cash and the remaining 50% can be paid by credit card.
Do I need to check out of my hotel on the day of surgery?
Yes. On the morning of your operation, you will check out of your hotel before your patient coordinator takes you to the hospital. After your hospital stay, you will return to the hotel for the remainder of your recovery period.
How long should I stay in Istanbul?
Our standard package includes a 7-night stay in Istanbul. This is usually sufficient for the planned hospital stay, postoperative recovery and follow-up appointments before you travel home.
If there is a specific medical reason, an additional procedure, or your surgeon recommends a longer stay based on your recovery, we will let you know before you book your return flight.
What happens if my flight is delayed?
Please send your updated flight information to your patient coordinator as soon as possible. We will adjust your airport transfer whenever possible.
What should I bring with me?
Please bring your passport, any regular medications you take, and any medical documents or test results that our team has asked you to bring.
For your hospital stay and the first few days after surgery, we recommend comfortable, loose-fitting clothes that are easy to put on and take off. A front-opening pyjama top, shirt or zip-up top can be especially helpful after breast, arm or upper-body surgery. Comfortable slippers are also useful for the hospital.
You may also want to bring your phone charger, basic toiletries and a small overnight bag for your hospital stay. If a compression garment or surgical corset is required for your procedure, this will be provided as part of your package.
How will my recovery be followed after I return home?
Your postoperative follow-up continues after you return home. We usually monitor your recovery through WhatsApp, using photographs and short videos that you send at the recommended intervals.
You can also contact our team if you have questions or concerns during your recovery. Follow-up continues for up to one year after surgery, allowing us to monitor healing, scars and the development of your final result over time.
What happens if I develop a complication or need revision surgery?
International patients are covered by the mandatory medical travel insurance required for treatment in Türkiye. This is arranged for each patient at an additional cost of €20.
If revision surgery becomes necessary within the first 6 months, the insurance provides up to €500 towards hospital costs, subject to the terms of the policy.
If a complication requires treatment or surgical intervention, our surgeons do not charge an additional surgeon’s fee. However, any hospital expenses not covered by the insurance, as well as accommodation and travel costs for returning to Istanbul, remain the patient’s responsibility.
Do I need a visa to travel to Turkey?
Entry requirements depend on your nationality. Please check the official government guidance for your country before booking flights.
Can I sightsee after surgery?
Short, gentle walks are encouraged, but your first days are for resting and attending your appointments. Please avoid strenuous activity and follow your surgeon’s advice about what is suitable for your procedure and recovery.
How long do I need to fast before surgery?
You should not eat or drink anything, including water, for 8 hours before surgery. Your patient coordinator will confirm the exact fasting time once your surgery time is scheduled. If you eat or drink anything by mistake, please tell us immediately.
Which hospital will my surgery take place in?
Your surgery takes place at Istanbul Cerrahi Hospital. Your preoperative tests are completed there, and you stay in hospital for one night after your operation. Your patient coordinator will accompany you to the hospital and bring you back to your hotel after discharge.
Which hotel will I stay in?
Your hotel is NEX Hotel Şişli. Your package includes 6 nights at the hotel. On the morning of your surgery you check out before going to the hospital, and after discharge your patient coordinator takes you back to the hotel for the rest of your stay. Your private transfers between the airport, hotel, hospital and clinic are arranged by our team.
Planning Your Surgery in Istanbul
If you are considering surgery at Anka Plastic Surgery and have not yet had an assessment, you can contact our team for an initial consultation before arranging your journey.