Areola reduction in Istanbul: Best Clinics and Costs 2025

Surgery in Turkey, I am 60 years old, and I travelled to Istanbul for a Deep Plane Facelift and a lower and upper Blepharoplasty. Bookimed, I am so grateful to you, I could not have made this journey without your assistance. Thank you very much for your guidance and patience. I hope I did not give you a hard time. Turkey is a safe place to travel, it is safer than Paris, Milan or Manhattan. I never felt in danger in Istanbul. From the moment I arrived at Lokman Hekim Hospital, everything was taken care of by Ismael Ali, who is an easy going and friendly translator. The pre-operative test were done as soon as I arrived. The day after I met Doctor Murat Yaman who is a friendly and open person. Before travelling to Istanbul I checked his background and found him to be a very good and competent surgeon. So, on that day I was relaxed for the surgery because I knew I was going to be in good hands. The work he did on me was outstanding. I am still in the healing process. My eyes are a bit irritated, but that is normal. My face is still a bit swollen but it no longer hangs. My face has changed expression from appearing to be sad or angry to reflecting a normal emotion. A big thanks to the Lokman Hekim Hospital staff some of them spoke a little bit of English others were fluent but all of them were caring, kind, super friendly and always ready to help.

I liked my doctor and translator. The doctor had a kind and reassuring energy to him. There were two things that bothered me about the experience.One was having to wait several hours past my scheduled consultation with him after a 16 hr travel period after being brought directly to the hospital. The second was being told they may have to harvest cartilage from my ear or rib minutes before my surgery after being told they would not have to do that during the consultation. That really stressed me out. They wound up not having to do that but it made me feel like they had not prepared properly. That being said, the surgery went well and I’m happy with the results so far. I’m posting this only a week and a half from my surgery date but so far, so good.

Hello. The operation was performed at the Estetik International clinic. The clinic looks expensive. Everything in it is beautiful, expensive, rich, an excellent ward, and so on. But. A lot but. I'll start. Bukemed organized everything quickly. They are great. Only I clarified a couple of times when to take tickets back home. They said on the 14th. And the operation was on the 10th. Analyzes on the 8th. 9 clinic day off. Arriving at the clinic, the translator Ozan, the translator, tells me that she should fly 17-18 back. Since the days are counted from the moment of the operation. That is, I was not correctly informed in bookimed. OK. I left earlier. The doctor said everything is healing. The clinic itself and its attitude towards me. I had a lift and an increase. The operation was carried out on the 10th at about 15.00. On the 11th at 14.00 I was told that I had an hour to get ready and the transfer would take me to the hotel. I begged to leave me for a day or at least until the morning in the clinic. Since it was terribly hard for me, everything hurt a lot. I couldn't get up, get dressed, etc. I felt dizzy and my blood pressure dropped. But I was told 250€ a day at the clinic or go to the hotel. I went to the hotel. I had drainage. It needs to be cleaned. I was told to do it myself. Once a translator came for me. Since I refused to do it myself because I could just faint from all this. The next day, a friend helped me to do this, and then they removed the drainage and sent me home the next day. And here the most interesting begins. Manager Katerina or coordinator. I don't know her position correctly. I'll attach a screen recording showing the dialog. Transfer to the airport is included in the price of all this. I started talking about the transfer in the evening before the day of departure. Then in the morning. Then I was told to expect a transfer. Then they said that it was broken or something else and that I would call a taxi myself. I couldn't do it because I couldn't pay. The card already had a limit on funds. There is such a law in Ukraine. 100.000 UAH per month I can spend abroad. For a very long time I was hung up with a taxi. The plane is in a couple of hours. A child is waiting at home. I'm on my nerves. Due to the lack of specifics and information, at the end of all this, I just lost my temper and could not find other words except mats and tears. In the end, they called me a taxi. I'm going. With full confidence that he was paid. The taxi driver shows the amount. And I understand that it is not paid. I had to ask for a card from their parents. Attach it to your phone and pay. Next, I go to the airport. I understand that I won't be able to. The clinic helped only in the fact that they checked me in for the flight. When they realized that I could really be late, and then they would have to resolve the issue with tickets and the hotel at their own expense, since it was all their fault. There are 100+ people in line at passport control. I understand I can't. Spit in an hour exactly. The gate has already been opened. And I decide to try. I just asked each person if I could go in front of him, and so I went in line and got on the plane. Now the clinic does not respond to me. Bookimed said that the money would be returned for a taxi, but this issue could be resolved for months. But I'm really looking forward to it. Katerina said the issue is under consideration by the authorities. For the past three days does not answer at what stage the question. Regarding the doctor. All OK. I had a difficult breast situation. He corrected her. But so far it's only been a week. I think it's definitely better than it was. But he didn't hear me. I asked for bigger breasts. I installed a 400 ml implant, but I don’t like it because there is no volume anyway.

Everything was great from the very start, initially I was able to connect with Rabi to communicate details via WhatsApp which was a smooth process and was fast to respond considering our time differences. The best part was not having to worry about hotel stay, transportation etc. everything is included in the costs and they make you well aware of that including the fee if using credit card. There’s no hidden fees or unexpected occurrences. Daniela greeted me on arrival at the clinic, she speaks perfect english and is able to answer any questions from start to finish. She made my stay very comfortable, was there at all hours to answer any questions and was so kind! She is very thoughtful and thorough in providing instructions. Dr. Yavuz Özsular was amazing, made me very comfortable from the beginning. He was there to answer any questions, concerns and I had absolute trust in him. The results post surgery were great, and in time I look forward to post an update of before & after photos as the months progress. Great choice to go with Dr. Soho clinic and the entire team is awesome.

I elected to do a facelift , and fat transfer with Dr Safa Manav in Istanbul and I am a patient who has had surgery for liposuction and lip lift and threads in Istanbul before with a different clinic. So it has been very interesting for me to make the comparison. I will not name the other clinic but will say that Dr Manav is streets ahead. I am only four days into my operation but I am so impressed with everyone who I have come into contact with. Delfe who handles the what’s app while you are in your own country is clear and prompt on what’s app. Upon arriving a driver collected me and the car has tv , WiFi, water and a very polite driver. Then I met Elif ( her full name is Elif bilge yavuz ) and she is your coordinator. She speaks perfect English and understands absolutely everything, is intelligent and empathic and I can entirely understand why Dr Manav took her with him when he set up his win clinic. The woman is a powerhouse. You feel entirely safe in her hands while she navigates getting heart tests and blood tests on the first day so they can establish whether it’s safe to operate. During the consult I did test Dr Safa Manav by asking him about additional procedures that I didn’t have much interest in and knew I didn’t really need . I wanted to see if the clinic were only interested in the money. He immediately advised me to not do these procedures , that they were unnecessary, and I didn’t need them. And In Fact advised me to never do one of the procedures at all as he could never see me ever needing it. This totally assured me of where the clinic and his priorities lie…with his patients and not with his bank account. I also wanted a dr who ensure that I looked natural as I do not like the over the top look of large lips or extra small nose and I could see that he is very much about keeping things natural. That wa also very important to me. But of course I understand that some patients love this unnatural look. He was to the point and clear in the consultation. I also had been considering hiring him to also remove old implants at a later stage so we also had a chat about that too. The morning of surgery I was told I was the only person he was operating on which was also hugely comforting . He came to check on me twice and assured me. The hospital is faultless. It’s like a five star hotel. I had a private room with en suite and my own nurse from Dr Manav as a well as the hospital nurses taking care. If I pressed the button they came immediately. And they would do constant regular checks on my during the 24 hours I was in the hospital. Even if drugs didn’t need to be administered they still came in to check on me like clockwork. I had low swelling and low pain, but I think each patient is different. By the evening of that surgery day I was walking around the corridors with no support and even able to watch a film. Which was totally unexpected. But of course I wouldn’t assume you would be the same as everyone heals differently. I am now back at the Antwell hotel. Each day Elif or her friend Busa come to check on me. The pics which they send back to the dr and check the dressings. And check I’ve remebered to take the daily drugs. A corner comes in daily and she even also asks did I eat something, did I take a walk. The hotel is an apartment hotel. I even have a washing machine and dryer and dishwasher . It’s spotlessly clean , there are nurses in the building and emergency pulls in every room. Smart tv, and controlled heating. There are restaurants , a pool , spa, library, cinema room, roof terrace and even an art room. The staff are amazing. My speaker charging lead broke and the concierge went out to fetch me a new lead. Within an hour. Because I didn’t feel strong enough to go walking around outside. Most of the guests here are patients so you meet people in the corridors , lift, cafe, but if you want privacy that’s also respected. There is a large mall just a five mins walk , it’s called Emaar mall. It’s a great mall. Two days after surgery I felt well enough to walk around in it for three hours alone. There are also a few cafes near the hotel. I have not even seen my operation results yet as I am still bandaged up. However from a professional point of view of the team, the cleanness , the way it’s run, the staff behaviour, the accomodation, and transport , I honestly cannot fault it. And I am able to make comparisons because I have been here before and done surgery in Istanbul. This by far outweighs my other experience. And my other experience was not a bad one at all. I also would like to say that the hospital staff were amazing. I live over seas and have experienced staff in hospitals in my 53 years in many countries. The staff seem to enjoy their work, they seem to truly care. Sadly i have not witnessed this in the uk on the nhs, in India, Cambodia, or in spain. In a world where so many people are chasing fame and fortune on the internet and not interested in normal jobs any more it has been so wonderful to witness people in their 20s who are in the care service industry , working hard and long hours and are enjoying it and doing an amazing job. I cannot be more grateful to witness that. They all deserve an award and far more recognition than they get. I will eventually write a secondary review when I have recovered , which will be about the results of the actual surgery. I have not been paid to write this review. I know no one at the Dr Manav clinic. This is an honest review of my own personal experience.

Everything went well, met on a bus from the airport and made a transfer across the city (clinic on the other side). They were also taken to the airport. In general, everything was organized quite well. The clinic has several Russian translators. If one is busy then the other helps you. If there are any problems, the translator takes you by the hand and goes with you and helps to solve them. There were no problems with this at all. The doctor and all the staff are very open and friendly. All questions are answered. If something is not clear, they repeat it again. People in the city are also open to foreigners and ready to help. Their English is very basic, but in which case they open the translator in their smartphone and write to you and translate on the go.

I asked for help in getting massages and they helped with that which is where the additional cost came from. I also had a massage for general pain from a nurse, which was a little out of their scope but they were happy to oblige.

Before reading this review I want to make is completely clear that Dr. Ozenlap did a fantastic job. He was always present for anything that happened before and after the surgery. His team are amazing and kind. They take the time to help you. After leaving I have contacted him a few times and he responds right away with voice messages. Returning to Canada my post op nurse said my tummy tuck was one of the best she has seen done in Turkey. I would recommend contacting his clinic directly to arrange a consult and/or surgery as I will when I come for additional services. I highly recommend him. I had dealt with Zeneyp through the entire process and she was really helpful but as the date of my arrival approached it was just a bit more difficult. I did land in Istanbul on April 21st to do some traveling beforehand. A few days before I was to leave I followed up with her about my transportation from the airport. She told me it was too early (4 days) to set up the group chat. I then checked in with her the night before I flew out where I got the information. During our messages I confirmed with Zeneyp what my check in and out days would be since I was there a few days before hand. She confirmed I would check out April 24th and return on April 27th to the hotel (as outlined in my iteintery) I messaged the group chat on the 23rd asking when I would be picked up and was told I was not being picked up until the day of surgery of April 25th. I was ultimately charged for this date. When being admitted to the hospital on the 25th I was informed that the anesthesiologist would not go ahead because of the Lithium I take without it being in my system. One of my first messages with Zeneyp was the medications that I take. I was even asked to clarify my use of another medication so I know thought these would be recorded during the intake. While Canada will operate I understand that Turkey does not. If I had been made aware of this I would have received guidance from my doctor if I needed to stop the medication before I left for Turkey. Brining this up to Zeneyp she said that the anesthesiologist doesn’t know beforehand and this is how it works. I am certain that a surgeon and anesthesiologist would look at a file before preforming a surgery, like when it gets approved by the surgeon. Not when they’re walking into the hospital. Notifying the surgeon, etc of meds would have been her job and I Would be pretty confident that she erred in this. I would make sure that all your medications are checked before you leave for the long travel to Turkey so you are not delayed or worse yet, turned away. I was originally scheduled for a tummy tuck with Dr. Emre Ozanlap on April 25th, which was then delayed to April 28th because information about medication I take was not given to him prior to my arrival in Turkey. I was not provided with any reason on why there is no discussion between medical professionals prior to a decent size surgery. No matter how I tried to get a better explanation she would not give me one. This ended up with me having to pay an extra 3 days for the hotel (6 if we include both of the hospital arrival dates that were outlined) and a new flight home. **surgery happens** A couple days after my operation I go for my check up and your medical coordinator, Hisham, asked me about if I was getting lymphatic massages and was surprised I hadn’t been offered any. I was then contacted by Zenyep afterwards and set one up. During my initial massage the nurse was getting my incision tape contaminated (proper health measures were taken by her). I asked if this was ok and she said yes. I scheduled one for the next day and when the nurse saw the dirty tape she got on the phone with Zenyep. They spoke in Turkish so I don’t know what was said. The nurse fully took off my tape and told me Zeneyp would come by sometime with tape and I agreed I could re tape it once I got it. I waited a while and touched base with her with no response so I went and found a pharmacy for the tape because I flew out in a couple hours and did not want my incision just open. I later received a message that it was Sunday and the pharmacy’s were closed. Upon me telling her I just left a pharmacy she told me it was her day off. She was prepared to have me leave with an open incision while traveling over 18 hours. That was my last interaction with her. During the whole entire time she was never was accountable, apologetic or even empathetic. Always dodging any questions for clarification but basically saying “this is the way” The lack of due diligence by her or Doctor K Clinic as a whole could have left me in a worse situation physically than the inconvenience of the financial situation I find myself in. I do not recommend using their service for booking your surgeries. PLEASE MAKE NOTE OF THE ABOVE REVIEW OF DR. OZENLAP.