None of the procedures above is a package you buy. Each plan is built in the same sequence, and every stage can change the answer the stage before it gave — which is why a quote is never the first thing you get.
- Photos and goals. The assessment starts online. Dr Erdal reviews what you send personally and replies with an honest opinion on whether a procedure suits you at all, a recommended plan and a clear quote.
- Your medical history. This is a separate question from whether an operation would suit you aesthetically: it decides whether the operation is safe for you. Being straightforward about your history — medication, previous surgery, general health — is the single biggest contribution you make to your own safety.
- Examination in person. A photograph shows a shape. An examination adds what a photograph cannot, which is why your plan is confirmed or adjusted face to face in Şişli before anything goes ahead.
- Technique and recovery, agreed before you commit. You should know what the operation involves and what recovery realistically looks like before dates are booked, not afterwards.
The same logic governs combining operations in one trip. Two procedures together mean one anaesthetic, so the question is not only whether each one suits you, but whether the combined operating time is safe given your health. Sometimes it is and a second trip is avoided; sometimes the honest answer is to separate them.
What your procedure means for your trip
Because you are travelling, the procedure you choose also sets how long you need in Istanbul. Your stay is driven by clinical milestones — stable early healing, removal of any stitches or splints, and clearance to fly — not by the cheapest return flight. These are planning guides only; your surgeon's clearance always comes first.
| Procedure | Typical stay | What sets the timing |
|---|---|---|
| Liposuction | 5–7 days | Compression and swelling settling, then a review check |
| Breast augmentation, uplift or reduction | 5–7 days | Wound check once early healing is stable |
| Rhinoplasty (primary or revision) | 7–10 days | Splint and any packing come out around day 7 |
| Facelift, neck lift or eyelid surgery | 7–10 days | Sutures removed and bruising settling |
| Combined or larger body surgery | 10–14 days | Higher clot risk, drains and getting you mobile |
The full reasoning, including the deep vein thrombosis risk window between days 5 and 14 that these waits exist to cover, is in how long to stay in Istanbul and flying home after surgery.
When a procedure isn't the right answer
An assessment that ends with you not having surgery has still done its job. These are the situations where Dr Erdal will say no, or not yet:
- The risk isn't justified by the benefit. No surgery is risk-free anywhere in the world. If your medical history shifts that balance, the honest conclusion is to leave things alone.
- The result you have in mind isn't what the operation does. Where that gap exists, the answer is a clear no rather than a quieter version of yes. Relevant before-and-after results are shared at consultation precisely so expectations are grounded in what is achievable — and individual results vary.
- The timing is wrong. Body contouring after significant or GLP-1 weight loss is planned around where you are in that process, so an assessment can reasonably come back as yes, but not yet.
- You feel rushed. Pressure to decide quickly is a red flag wherever you encounter it. Nothing here is time-limited, and the safety guide sets out the other warning signs worth knowing before you choose any surgeon.
