Frequently asked questions

Send a WhatsApp message to +90 544 850 72 32 with a brief description and a few photos. Dr. Erdal will personally review your case and arrange a free video consultation — there is no obligation.

Yes. The initial video consultation and treatment plan are completely free with no obligation. You receive a transparent quote covering all costs before making any commitment.

It depends on the procedure: rhinoplasty 5–7 days, breast augmentation 4–5 days, facelift 7–10 days, liposuction 5–7 days, tummy tuck 7–10 days. A personalised timeline is provided during your consultation.

All surgeries are performed at A+ accredited hospitals in Istanbul that meet international JCI standards, with modern operating rooms, ICU availability, and comprehensive nursing care.

The quoted price is all-inclusive: surgeon fee, hospital charges, anaesthesia, pre-op tests, post-op garments, all follow-up appointments in Istanbul, and VIP airport transfers. Accommodation is coordinated separately. No hidden fees.

Dr. Erdal is fluent in English and Turkish. He completed his medical education in English at Hacettepe University and trained at Memorial Sloan Kettering (USA) and Ghent University (Belgium). All consultations are conducted directly by Dr. Erdal — no translators needed.

Dr. Erdal remains accessible via WhatsApp after you return. You can share progress photos and receive guidance throughout your recovery. In the rare case in-person follow-up is needed, arrangements can be made.

Many nationalities can obtain an e-visa online at evisa.gov.tr within minutes, and numerous countries have visa-free entry for medical visits. Our team will guide you based on your nationality.

Yes. He holds an International Health Tourism Authorisation Certificate from the Republic of Turkey Ministry of Health (No. 2026034015610080000444996). All treatment is regulated, documented, and protected under Turkish health tourism law.

Many patients add a few days to enjoy Istanbul's culture, cuisine, and history — before or after recovery, and always following Dr. Erdal's activity guidelines for your procedure.

Bank transfers (EUR, USD, GBP), credit cards, and cash. A deposit secures your surgery date, with the balance due before the procedure. Details are set out in your personalised quote.

Of course. Many patients travel with a partner, friend, or family member. Your companion can stay at the hotel and accompany you to appointments.

Flight clearance is procedure-specific and confirmed at your final in-person review in Istanbul — never assumed in advance. As a general guide, facial and local-anaesthesia procedures commonly fly at day 5–7, and breast and body surgery typically at 7–10 days, which is why the typical stays shown for each procedure follow the same pattern. Whatever you have had done, the flight itself has rules: an aisle seat, a walk every hour, steady hydration, compression garments worn exactly as instructed, and someone else lifting your bag into the overhead locker.

Often, yes — one anaesthetic and one recovery instead of two is a genuine advantage of travelling for surgery. The limit is cumulative operating time and physiological load: as anaesthesia hours stack, so do risks such as clotting, fluid shifts and slower wound healing. Combined cases are kept inside a conservative window — commonly around six hours as the working ceiling, and less for higher-risk patients — in an accredited hospital with an overnight stay. The decision is made by patient, not by menu: your health profile, BMI, smoking status and the specific operations set your ceiling, not a package price. Where a plan exceeds that window, the honest answer is two trips rather than one long day. Which plans usually combine and which are staged is set out on the procedures page.

Yes, and you must declare it. These medications slow gastric emptying. Anaesthesia teams internationally manage this with adjusted fasting and, commonly, a pre-operative pause of the medication in line with current guidance — routine when declared, and a genuine risk when hidden. Tell the surgical team exactly what you take and when. If the medication has also driven significant weight loss, the timing rule in the next answer applies.

Surgery is planned on a stable weight — typically six to twelve months at plateau. Operating mid-descent means the shape keeps changing under the tailoring: results loosen and revision risk climbs. If you are on a GLP-1, that means your maintenance dose and your weight have both flat-lined, not “almost there” — Dr. Erdal will ask for your weight curve, not just today's number. Skin stretched for years loses its elastic recoil, and no cream, exercise or further weight loss removes redundant skin; excision is the only mechanism, which is why this is its own discipline rather than a larger tummy tuck. Priority one is usually the trunk, with arms, thighs and chest commonly following as a second stage. The full sequence is here.

Through the 2010s the Brazilian butt lift recorded the highest mortality rate in cosmetic surgery, driven by one specific mechanism: fat injected into or beneath the gluteal muscle could enter large veins and travel to the lungs. Technique removes that mechanism — reassurance does not. Fat is placed in the subcutaneous layer above the muscle only; ultrasound guidance means the cannula's plane is seen rather than believed; volumes are conservative and staged if necessary; and the operation takes place in a hospital with an anaesthesia team and overnight observation. Requests for extreme, disproportionate volumes are declined in writing. Ask any clinic, anywhere, three questions verbatim: do you inject subcutaneous-only, do you use ultrasound guidance during injection, and what volume would you refuse me. The full account is here.

Because review evidence is weak and easily manufactured — bought stars, filtered feedback and fabricated aggregate ratings are a global problem. This site therefore publishes no patient testimonials, no star ratings and no review counts; the Patient Experiences page describes only how the process actually works, and links the practice's Google Business profile, which exists on Google independently of this site. What is worth weighing instead is verifiable: board certifications you can look up yourself (FACS is a searchable public directory, FEBOPRAS is verifiable), publications on PubMed, the Ministry of Health health-tourism authorisation, and consented before-and-after photographs at mature time points.

No operation is risk-free. Every procedure under general anaesthesia carries possibilities including bleeding, infection, slow wound healing, clotting, fluid shifts, anaesthetic complications, and scarring, asymmetry or a result that needs revision; individual results vary and no surgeon can guarantee otherwise. These are discussed with you individually before any decision. For concerns after you fly home there is a written escalation plan: routine questions go to the direct WhatsApp line or your next scheduled photo review; anything needing examining in person goes to your local GP or clinic, with the English operation notes you flew home with; and heavy bleeding, breathing difficulty, signs of a clot or spreading infection go to your nearest emergency department immediately. The risks are set out in full on the safety page.