The surgery is one morning. The trip is nine days. Knowing how those days run is what makes the surgery feel manageable.
Below is how the days run, what is arranged for you, what to bring and what not to plan. Your dates are confirmed with you in advance.
How long to stay in Istanbul
Plan 8 nights (9 days). You need to be in Istanbul the day before surgery for the consultation and blood tests, and to stay at least seven days after surgery. Book your return flight for day nine.
Hotel and transfers
Your hotel stay and airport transfers are included and arranged by the team. Patients stay at Hampton by Hilton Ataköy in Bakırköy, about 15 minutes from the office and from Medicana Bahçelievler Hospital.
The office is in Nish Istanbul Residence in Bahçelievler. Your consultation and check-ups take place there; the operation takes place at the hospital.
The nine days, day by day
Day 1 — arrival, consultation and blood tests
You are met at the airport and taken to the hotel or the office. If you arrive before the evening, the consultation and blood tests take place the same day; otherwise they are done the next morning. The consultation is where you ask your questions, and you can bring photos of noses you like.
Day 2 — surgery
Admission to Medicana Bahçelievler Hospital. An anesthesia consultation takes place before surgery. The operation is performed under general anesthesia and takes about three to four hours. You stay one night in hospital.
Day 3 — back to the hotel
Discharge from hospital and transfer back to the hotel. You start your medication. Head elevated, short walks only.
Day 4 or 5 — check-up at the office
An intermediate check-up at the office makes sure healing is on track. The other days are for rest — this is not the time for sightseeing, and that is worth accepting in advance.
Day 8 — packing removed and check-up with the surgeon
Six days after surgery, the nasal packing is removed and the surgeon checks your nose before you fly.
Day 9 — flying home
Transfer to the airport. After you return home, the cast is removed and your follow-up check-ups continue by online video call with the surgeon.
Traveling alone or with a companion
Many patients travel alone. You stay one night in hospital after surgery, and a nurse is assigned to your post-operative care, so traveling without a companion is not a problem.
If you would rather bring someone, your companion's hotel stay and transfers are arranged with yours.
What to pack for the trip
- Button-front or zip tops only — nothing that has to come off over your head
- Lip balm and saline spray; your mouth and throat will be dry
- Any regular medication in its original packaging, plus a written list
- Contact lenses if you wear glasses — frames should not rest on the nose for three months
- A wide-brimmed hat and sun protection
- Your travel insurance documents
Do not pack plans. Reservations, meetings and tours in the days after surgery create pressure in exactly the days when you should be doing nothing.
Questions patients ask before booking
When exactly do I fly home?
On day nine. Surgery is on day two, and on day eight — six days after surgery — the nasal packing is removed and the surgeon checks your nose.
After you return home, the cast is removed and your follow-up continues by online video call.
Do I need to arrange airport transfers and a hotel myself?
No. Your hotel stay and airport transfers are included and arranged by the team.
Patients stay at Hampton by Hilton Ataköy, about 15 minutes from the office and the hospital.
Can I sightsee during the trip?
On arrival day, a little. After surgery, plan on doing very little — short walks only, out of the sun.
Most patients add a few days to the trip or return to Istanbul later; the days after surgery are not a vacation.
What documents should I bring?
Passport, your travel insurance policy, a list of your regular medication, and any previous operative notes or imaging if you have had nasal surgery before.
Once you have booked, the team sends an invitation letter you can use for your visa application.
Can I travel alone?
Yes. Many patients travel alone. You stay one night in hospital after surgery, and a nurse is assigned to your post-operative care.
If you would like to bring a companion, their hotel stay and transfers are arranged with yours.
How this practice works
- International health tourism authorization certificate
- Surgery at Medicana Bahçelievler Hospital, with one night in hospital
- The same operating surgeon from consultation to final review
- Hotel and airport transfers arranged for you
- Follow-up by online video call after you fly home
Op. Dr. Ahmet Halit Aydın
ENT Specialist · Rhinology and Facial Plastic Surgery · Istanbul
Ear, nose and throat specialist working on functional and aesthetic nasal surgery, with a practice focused on ethnic rhinoplasty — noses with thicker skin, weaker cartilage support and a wider base, where the goal is a nose that fits the face rather than one copied from another face.
Graduate of Istanbul University, Istanbul Faculty of Medicine; ENT specialty training at Eskişehir Osmangazi University. About 13 years of ENT surgery. Operating at Medicana Bahçelievler Hospital, Istanbul.
Start with five clear photos
Take one front view, one left profile, one right profile, one three-quarter view and one view from below. Use natural light, turn off filters and keep your hair away from your face.
Open WhatsApp, attach the five photos, and briefly describe what you would like to change, any breathing problems and any previous nasal surgery.
Photos allow an initial discussion of possible options and limits. They cannot confirm whether surgery is suitable or replace an in-person examination.
How your photos and health information are handled · Not ready to share photos? Ask a question first.