International Patients: Planning Surgery in Istanbul
Short answer: If you live in the UK or Europe, planning starts before you book a flight. You send photos of your face for Assoc. Prof. Dr. Yalçın Bayram to review, and your plan is confirmed at a face-to-face consultation in Istanbul. Consultations and checks take place at his Nişantaşı practice; the operation takes place in a hospital.
Travel, surgery and follow-up should be planned together. This page brings together how the site already describes that process for patients travelling from abroad, mainly for facial procedures such as a facelift, neck lift or temporal lift. Before booking your trip, discuss the consultation schedule, hospital arrangements and postoperative checks with the team.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Yalçın Bayram completed his medical degree in 1994 and qualified as a specialist in Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery in 2002. You can view his official HealthTürkiye physician profile.
How planning works, step by step
1. Photo-based virtual consultation
Before booking your flight, you receive an evaluation from home. You will be asked to send clear photos of your face from the front and profile views, and at 45-degree angles. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Yalçın Bayram personally reviews your anatomy, skin quality and ageing signs, and you receive a surgical proposal that includes the recommended technique. The consultation request form on the treatment pages has a photo upload for this purpose.
2. Your plan is confirmed in person in Istanbul
Your plan is confirmed at your in-person consultation in Istanbul before surgery. At this detailed, face-to-face consultation you review your aesthetic goals together, and the surgical plan is tailored to your own facial structure rather than chosen by a general procedure label. Your health, medications and smoking are assessed as well. The necessary pre-operative blood tests and health checks are carried out at the hospital to confirm that you are ready for surgery.
3. Surgery in a hospital, consultations and checks in Nişantaşı
Two settings are involved:
- The practice in Nişantaşı (Harbiye, Şişli, Istanbul): examinations, consultations and postoperative checks.
- A hospital: the operation itself, under the surgical and anaesthetic plan agreed following the preoperative assessment. The hospital and surgical plan are discussed before surgery; which hospital is used is confirmed with the team as part of your individual plan.
4. Planning your length of stay
Consultation, surgery and follow-up dates are agreed as part of your individual plan. Plan your stay around the hospital nights and early check-ups, including stitch removal if needed, rather than the operation date alone. The length of the hospital stay and discharge arrangements depend on the operation and the postoperative assessment, and stitch timing differs between procedures, so the number of days you need in Istanbul is confirmed with the team as part of your individual plan. Your consultation dates, accommodation and transport should be clear before you travel.
5. Flying home after the surgeon’s assessment
Return travel is planned after postoperative assessment by the treating surgeon. The timing depends on the extent of surgery, your recovery and that assessment. Confirm the planned length of your stay before booking, and follow the surgeon’s advice before flying.
6. Follow-up and how to contact the clinic
Follow the written care instructions and the schedule for postoperative checks provided by the clinic. Before returning home, confirm the follow-up schedule and how to contact the clinic if you have a concern.
You can reach the practice at Harbiye Mah. Bostan Sok. Göksun Apt. No: 2/5, 34367 Şişli, İstanbul, Turkey, or by phone on +90 (542) 135 02 46. Working hours are 09:00 to 19:00 on weekdays and Saturdays. Email details and a message form are on the contact page.
At a glance
| Topic | What to expect |
|---|---|
| First step | Photo-based virtual consultation: front, profile and 45-degree views |
| Plan confirmation | Face-to-face consultation in Istanbul before surgery |
| Consultations and checks | Practice in Nişantaşı (Harbiye, Şişli, Istanbul) |
| Operation | In a hospital; arrangements discussed before surgery |
| Pre-operative tests | Blood tests and health checks at the hospital |
| Hospital stay | Depends on the operation and the postoperative assessment |
| Length of stay in Istanbul | Planned around hospital nights and early check-ups, including stitch removal if needed |
| Flying home | After postoperative assessment by the treating surgeon |
| Cost | Determined individually after consultation and examination |
| Working hours | Weekdays and Saturday, 09:00 to 19:00 |
What to confirm before you travel
- Your consultation, surgery and follow-up dates, agreed as part of your individual plan.
- Your health, the proposed operation, its risks, the hospital arrangements and the follow-up plan, discussed with the treating surgeon.
- The planned length of your stay, covering hospital nights, early check-ups and stitch removal if needed.
- Your accommodation and transport, arranged before you travel.
- The written care instructions and the schedule for postoperative checks.
- The follow-up schedule after you return home and how to contact the clinic if you have a concern.
Procedure pages with travel planning details
- Facelift surgery: how the virtual consultation works, the recovery timeline and when to fly back home.
- Neck lift: planning your neck lift trip, hospital stay and stitch removal.
- Temporal lift: planning a temporal lift in Istanbul from the UK or Europe.
- Blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery): assessment of the upper and lower eyelids at the Nişantaşı practice.
- Rhinoplasty: nose surgery in Istanbul.
- Contact: address, phone number and message form.
This content is for general information; the right approach for you is decided at consultation.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to come to Istanbul for the first consultation?
No. Planning starts before you book a flight: you send clear photos of your face from the front, in profile and at 45-degree angles, and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Yalçın Bayram personally reviews them. Your plan is then confirmed at a face-to-face consultation in Istanbul before surgery.
What photos should I send for the virtual consultation?
Clear photos of your face from the front and profile views, and at 45-degree angles. They allow Assoc. Prof. Dr. Yalçın Bayram to review your anatomy, skin quality and ageing signs. The consultation request form on the treatment pages includes a photo upload.
Where do the consultations and the operation take place?
Consultations and postoperative checks take place at Assoc. Prof. Dr. Yalçın Bayram’s practice in Nişantaşı (Harbiye, Şişli, Istanbul). The operation takes place in a hospital, and the hospital arrangements are discussed before surgery.
How long should I plan to stay in Istanbul?
It depends on the procedure and your recovery. Plan your stay around the hospital nights and early check-ups, including stitch removal if needed, rather than the operation date alone. The length of your stay is confirmed with the team as part of your individual plan, so confirm it before booking.
When can I fly home after surgery?
Return travel is planned after postoperative assessment by the treating surgeon. The timing depends on the extent of surgery, your recovery and that assessment. Confirm the planned length of your stay before booking, and follow the surgeon’s advice before flying.
What happens once I am back home?
Before returning home, confirm the follow-up schedule and how to contact the clinic if you have a concern, and keep following the written care instructions. How follow-up continues after you return is confirmed with the team as part of your individual plan.
How is the cost of surgery determined?
The cost is determined individually after a consultation and examination. The main factors include the technique, the extent of the procedure, the type of anaesthesia and the length of the hospital stay.
