Short answer: plastic surgery in Turkey can be as safe as at home – if a certified plastic surgeon operates on you in a licensed, fully equipped hospital, the operation is not too long, and you stay long enough before flying home. Almost every serious problem we hear about comes from skipping one of these four things, not from the country itself.
What the numbers say
Every operation carries risk, in Istanbul as much as in Amsterdam or Munich. The UK government, which publishes the clearest figures, says it is aware of 7 British nationals who died in Turkey in 2025 after medical procedures, and that others needed further treatment after complications. It advises patients to talk to their own doctor first and not to rely only on information from companies that sell treatments. We agree with both points.
The five biggest risks – and how they are reduced
1. Blood clots (thrombosis and pulmonary embolism)
This is the most important risk after body surgery. It is higher after a tummy tuck, when several procedures are combined, and when an operation lasts longer than about six hours. Flying soon after surgery adds to it. What helps: walking on the day after surgery, compression stockings, blood thinners when your surgeon prescribes them, and not flying too early – that is why we plan about 7 days in Istanbul for a tummy tuck and 8–10 days for a mommy makeover.
2. Fat embolism after a Brazilian butt lift
The BBL used to have the highest death rate in aesthetic surgery: around 1 in 3,000 operations according to a 2017 task force of the American Aesthetic Surgery Education and Research Foundation. The cause was fat injected into or under the buttock muscle. After surgeons were told to place fat only under the skin, above the muscle, the estimate fell to around 1 in 15,000 – and no deaths were found where fat stayed in that layer. Always ask how your BBL will be done.
3. Too much in one operation
Offers that combine four or five procedures in one day look attractive on price, but long, combined operations raise the risk of clots, blood loss and wound problems. A good surgeon will sometimes split your plan into two stages.
4. Infection and wound healing problems
Smoking, diabetes and a high BMI slow healing. Stopping smoking several weeks before and after surgery, and wearing your compression garment as advised, matter as much as the surgery itself.
5. The wrong place or the wrong person
The most serious cases often involve operations in small practices instead of hospitals, doctors who are not plastic surgeons, or patients who meet their surgeon for the first time on the day of surgery.
What Turkish law requires
Since a regulation published on 26 April 2025, hospitals and agencies that treat international patients in Turkey need an international health tourism authorisation certificate from the Ministry of Health. For surgical procedures in an operating theatre, the hospital must also take out complication insurance. On request, you are entitled to a copy of your medication list, lab results and treatment details. Ask for these – a serious clinic will not hesitate.
Checklist: 10 questions to ask before you book
- Who will operate on me – name, and is he or she a board-certified plastic surgeon (for example EBOPRAS, ISAPS)?
- Will I speak to the surgeon before surgery, not only to a salesperson?
- In which hospital will I be operated on? Does it have the Ministry of Health authorisation certificate?
- Is complication insurance included?
- Will I have blood tests and an anaesthesia check before surgery?
- How long will the operation take, and is it wise to combine these procedures?
- How are blood clots prevented (stockings, blood thinners, early walking)?
- For a BBL: is the fat placed only under the skin?
- How many days should I stay before flying home?
- Who do I contact after I am home, and for how long?
Red flags
- A price far below every other clinic, or a 'today only' discount.
- No name of the surgeon until you arrive.
- Surgery on the day you land, or a flight home 2–3 days after body surgery.
- Pressure to add more procedures to the same operation.
- Nobody asks about your health, medication or smoking.
How we do it at Esthebeyond
Operations are performed by EBOPRAS-certified plastic surgeons who are ISAPS members, in fully equipped partner hospitals that hold the Ministry of Health authorisation, and complication insurance is included in the price. Every patient has blood tests and an anaesthesia assessment before surgery, BBL fat is placed only under the skin, our stays are planned around safe flying, and we follow your recovery online for a year. If a procedure is not right for you, we say so. More on our patient safety page and in our guide to choosing a clinic.
This article is general information and does not replace advice from your own doctor.
Sources
- GOV.UK – Foreign travel advice Turkey: health (medical tourism)
- Resmî Gazete, 26.04.2025 – Uluslararası Sağlık Turizmi ve Turistin Sağlığı Hakkında Yönetmelik
- Aesthetic Surgery Journal – Brazilian Butt Lift–Associated Mortality
- Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery – Venous Thromboembolism in Plastic Surgery: Where Are We Now?
Updated: · Information on this website is general and does not replace a medical consultation.