How to Verify a Surgeon and Hospital in Türkiye Before You Travel

Reading clinic reviews is one of the first things people do before booking surgery in Türkiye. It is a good habit, but reviews do not answer the most important question: who will operate on you, where, and what happens if something goes wrong? This guide shows you how to check that yourself, step by step.

If you are working with a coordination company, also read our guide How to Choose a Medical Tourism Facilitator in Türkiye, which covers the legal framework and the questions to ask the facilitator.

1. The Surgeon: Who Will Actually Operate?

In Türkiye, the title "Op. Dr." (operator doctor) means a specialist in a surgical field. It does not say which one: a general surgeon or an ENT surgeon carries the same title as a plastic surgeon. For cosmetic surgery, check:

• The exact specialty: ask for the title in Turkish. For cosmetic surgery it is "Plastik, Rekonstrüktif ve Estetik Cerrahi Uzmanı" (specialist in plastic, reconstructive and aesthetic surgery).
• The surgeon's full name: not just "our team" or "our doctor". The name should be on the quote and on the consent form.
• Professional societies: membership of the Turkish Society of Plastic Surgeons (TPRECD/TSPRAS) is a good sign; a European Board diploma (EBOPRAS) or ISAPS membership is an extra. Ask for the certificates, then check them with the society concerned.
• Who does what in theatre: ask in writing whether the named surgeon performs the key steps personally and how many operations they schedule on the same day.

A surgeon who agrees to an online consultation before you travel, reviews your photos and medical history and explains the risks is a good sign. For example, the training and certificates of the plastic surgeon we work with are published on the profile of Op. Dr. Doğuş Yalçın.

2. The Hospital: Licence and Accreditation

You should be given the hospital's name before paying a deposit. "A partner clinic in Istanbul" is not enough. Once you have the name:

• TÜSKA accreditation: Türkiye's health tourism regulation requires hospitals and medical centres treating international patients to be accredited by TÜSKA, the Turkish health accreditation institute (Article 6). Other facilities need a certificate from the Ministry.
• Shown on the website: the facility must publish its accreditation or certificate on its website (Article 13). If you cannot find it, ask for it.
• International accreditation (JCI): if the hospital advertises Joint Commission International accreditation, check it in the directory of accredited organizations on the JCI website, not in a brochure. Accreditation applies to a specific site, so make sure the building where you will be operated on is the one listed.
• A real operating theatre: ask whether there is an intensive care unit, or a transfer agreement with a fully equipped hospital in case of complications.

3. The Health Tourism Authorization

Under the regulation published in Türkiye's Official Gazette on 26 April 2025, health facilities and facilitators serving international patients must hold an International Health Tourism Authorization Certificate. Facilities receive it from the Ministry of Health, facilitators from USHAŞ (Article 5). Authorized organizations are registered on the official HealthTürkiye portal.

In practice: ask for the certificate numbers of the hospital and the facilitator, and check that the company name on your quote matches the name on the certificate. A company trading under a different brand name should be able to explain the link between the two.

4. Complication Insurance

The same regulation requires facilities to take out complication insurance for surgical and interventional procedures performed in an operating theatre as part of health tourism (Article 6). Türkiye's Council of State suspended this requirement in December 2025; the suspension was lifted on 21 May 2026, but the case is not yet closed.

So do not settle for "you are insured". Ask in writing for:

• the insurer's name and the policy number;
• which complications are covered and which are excluded;
• how long the cover lasts after surgery;
• whether the cover applies once you are back home, or only in Türkiye.

To know what to do if a problem appears after you return, read Complications After Surgery in Türkiye: What to Do and Who to Contact.

5. Reading Reviews Without Being Misled

Google or Trustpilot reviews are useful for judging the organization: response times, punctual transfers, how you were welcomed. They say little about surgical quality. A few habits help:

• Look at the timing: dozens of 5-star reviews posted in the same week, then nothing, is a warning sign.
• Read the negative reviews and the replies: how a clinic responds to a problem tells you more than ten glowing reviews.
• Look for detail: a credible review mentions the surgeon, the procedure, the length of stay and the aftercare.
• Before-and-after photos: ask whether they show patients of the surgeon who will operate on you, and check that lighting, angle and distance match in both photos.

Documents to Ask for in Writing

Before you pay a deposit, you should have:

1. the surgeon's full name, specialty and certificates;
2. the hospital's name and address;
3. a surgical plan and an itemized quote;
4. the informed consent form, in a language you understand;
5. the terms of the complication insurance;
6. the aftercare plan for when you are home and the surgeon's team contact.

After surgery, the regulation also requires the facility to give you an itemized invoice with unit prices (Article 12). Keep all these documents: your doctor at home will need them.

Red Flags

What We Check for You

Surgicrafters does not make medical decisions for you. Our role is to help you get clear answers and check them. For every plan, we tell you in writing, before you commit, the surgeon, the hospital and the price breakdown.

See the doctors we work with on Our Doctors, our partner facilities on Hospitals and Clinics and our principles on Quality and Safety.

Frequently Asked Questions