If you are considering traveling to Istanbul from abroad for cosmetic surgery, you may want to know how the first consultation works, who will plan your operation, and where follow-up appointments will take place. You may not have decided on a technique yet. Sharing the area you would like to change and your expectations gives us a starting point for understanding which options you could discuss.
We can make an initial assessment using photographs and clarify the scope of surgery during an in-person examination. We arrange consultations and follow-up visits at the practice in Nişantaşı, and surgery at a hospital, in relation to your travel plans. Direct communication with the doctor, sharing your medical history, and any documents you need are separate parts of this process.
An initial assessment using photographs on WhatsApp
Before coming to Istanbul, you can share photographs of the relevant area through WhatsApp. Dr. Hakan Bulam reviews the photographs and explains which treatment options may be considered based on your appearance and expectations. You do not need to name an operation in your message. You can begin with a description such as downward movement in the cheeks, a lack of volume in the upper breast, or localized fat around the waist.
Along with the photographs, describing what you would like to change in your own words is helpful. Two people showing the same area may want different changes. For example, one person researching breast augmentation may want upper breast fullness, while another may be concerned about a size difference between the breasts. This detail helps us tailor the initial response to your question.
If you have had a procedure in that area before, you can mention it in your first message. Previous facial surgery, breast implant placement, or fat removal may affect the scope of the new plan. If available, operative reports help explain which tissues were reached and through which incisions. If you do not have a report, you can describe where the previous procedure was performed as far as you know.
An option suggested during a photo consultation is a starting plan that will be developed during the examination. Tissue thickness, skin elasticity, and features that appear with movement may not be fully apparent in photographs. Discussing an option initially and finalizing the scope of surgery are therefore different stages. During the in-person examination, we explain which findings change the plan.
Which decisions are made during the examination in Istanbul?
We welcome you to the practice in Nişantaşı, Istanbul, for your examination. Starting with the expectations you shared during the photo consultation, we examine the relevant tissues and explain which area the proposed intervention would address. You may arrive with a particular technique in mind. Asking what that technique would involve in your tissues can help you understand the relationship between your expectations and the surgical plan.
If you are considering a face and neck lift, cheek position, tissue gathering along the jawline, and the skin and muscle structure of the neck are parts of the plan. The face is examined from the front and side, along with tissue movement. If brow drooping or excess eyelid skin is also present, the decision to add procedures for those areas is made separately. This breaks down an initial request described as a “face lift” into the areas it would involve.
For breast augmentation, implant dimensions and placement layer depend on the breast base and tissue thickness. A lack of upper breast volume and a low nipple position are different findings. Distinguishing them during the examination shows whether adding volume also calls for a lift. The fullness discussed using photographs is matched to measurements of your chest anatomy.
During a VASER liposuction consultation, we examine the distribution of the fat layer and the skin over it. Excess fat around the waist and a skin fold on the abdomen may require procedures that address different tissues. Skin elasticity and the contribution of neighboring areas to body contour determine the boundaries of the fat removal area. We can use the markings made during the examination to show which areas are suitable for fat removal.
Medical information and preparation for surgery
Ongoing treatments, chronic conditions, and previous operations are part of the medical history taken during preparation. You can share these at the first consultation and bring relevant medical documents to your examination. The information needed for preparation depends on the scope of the operation you are considering. Whether any adjustments to ongoing treatments are needed is discussed with the doctor.
If you are seeking breast surgery, previous breast imaging and any biopsy results, meaning the examination of a tissue sample, can inform the consultation. If you already have implants, the previous operative report and implant details can also help explain the current anatomy. For facial surgery, previous incision sites and injectable treatments may affect the plan. For body contouring, previously treated fat removal areas and weight changes may be relevant.
Anesthesia preparation also relates to the scope of the procedure. General anesthesia is used for face and neck lifts and breast augmentation. For liposuction, the extent of the fat removal areas and any additional procedures influence the choice of anesthesia. Your medical history and planned surgical procedures are part of the anesthesia consultation. Your general health and suitability for surgery are assessed during this preparation.
The examination also considers how well your desired change matches the proposed procedure, alongside anatomical suitability. We explain this relationship during the consultation. For example, if a request for localized fat removal comes with an expectation of overall weight loss, the difference between these goals is clarified. The decision to operate may be postponed if there is an uncontrolled health problem or another condition that prevents surgery.
Planning examinations, hospital surgery, and follow-up visits
Examinations, planning, and follow-up visits take place at the practice in Nişantaşı, while operations are performed at fully equipped hospitals in Istanbul. You can learn about the role of each location during the first consultation. We also share information about the hospital where surgery would take place. Once the scope of surgery is established, hospital preparation and follow-up at the practice are coordinated as parts of the same process.
Sharing your travel plans helps us arrange appointments for your examination, surgery, and follow-up visits. You can ask where you need to be for each stage and what each appointment covers. Follow-up visits are included in the planning. If you are considering a change to your travel plans, you can discuss how this relates to your examination and follow-up arrangements.
If you are considering more than one procedure, you can describe your expectations for each at the first consultation. Adding eyelid surgery to a face lift or including breast augmentation and a lift in the same plan depends on the findings in the relevant tissues. Whether procedures can be performed in the same operation is decided according to the surgical scope and your health. The reasons for each procedure are explained separately, including procedures involving the same area.
Dr. Hakan Bulam conducts your examination and follow-up visits. You can send questions through WhatsApp while you are in Istanbul or after returning home. If you would like to make notes for your follow-up appointments, you can use the areas treated during surgery and the care information explained to you as a guide. You can also learn about your in-person follow-up plan during the consultation.
International Health Tourism Authorization Certificate
The International Health Tourism Authorization Certificate issued by the Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Health is among the documents relating to the acceptance of patients from abroad. The Ministry issues this certificate to private medical practices that meet its criteria, and their continued compliance with the criteria is audited annually. Dr. Hakan Bulam’s practice holds this certificate. You can view the practice’s authorization certificate and the process for inquiries from abroad on the Why Turkey page.
When reviewing the certificate, you can read about the practice’s health tourism authorization separately from the doctor’s education and specialist qualifications. Dr. Hakan Bulam is a specialist in Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery. He completed his medical education in Hacettepe University’s English-language program and his specialist training at Gazi University. His educational background is part of the information that can help you get to know the doctor who would conduct your examination and surgery.
His professional credentials also include the FEBOPRAS title awarded through the European Board of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery. The practice’s health tourism certificate relates to the organization, while this title relates to the doctor’s professional qualifications. Alongside reviewing these credentials, you can ask separately where your operation would take place and which procedures it would include.
Speaking directly with the doctor in Turkish or English
You can speak directly with Dr. Hakan Bulam in Turkish or English. You can choose whichever language you feel comfortable using to describe the appearance you would like to change, previous treatments, and your questions. You do not need to know technical terms. For example, you can describe a lack of fullness in the upper breast or a skin fold you have noticed on your neck in your own words.
The consultation covers which tissue a procedure would change as well as the procedure’s name. Removing skin, removing fat, adding volume, and repositioning tissue are different surgical steps. If an unfamiliar term comes up during the explanation, you can ask which part of your body it refers to. We explain the recommended approach in relation to the findings we show you during the examination.
You can revisit questions from the initial photo consultation during your examination. If the suggested approach has changed, you can ask which examination finding led to the change. When more than one option is offered, the tissues and areas each would address can also be explained. These concrete details help you describe the extent of the change you want.
Documents requested for insurance
If documents such as a medical report or invoice are requested for your insurance application, you can share the requirements with us. We provide guidance on these documents. Sending the request letter or document list helps clarify which records are needed. You can also raise questions about preparing insurance documents during the consultation.
If you have a form, you can show which section asks for the doctor’s details or a description of the procedure performed. Specifying report and invoice requests separately makes it easier to describe the paperwork you need. If clarification of the procedure name is requested, you can share the original wording of that request. This allows you to explain the document requirement beyond the operation’s general name.
Frequently asked questions
Can I have an initial consultation with Dr. Hakan Bulam before coming to Istanbul?
You can begin with an initial assessment by sharing photographs of the relevant area through WhatsApp. Dr. Hakan Bulam reviews your photographs and explains the options that may be considered. You can include a description of the appearance you would like to change in your message.
Can the surgical technique be finalized from photographs?
The scope of surgery is clarified during an in-person examination. Tissue thickness, skin elasticity, and findings during movement add to what can be seen in photographs. The option discussed at the initial consultation is developed in light of these findings.
Is surgery performed at the practice?
We perform operations at fully equipped hospitals. Examinations, planning, and follow-up visits take place at the practice in Nişantaşı. You can receive information about the hospital where surgery would take place during the consultation.
Can I have my consultation in English?
You can speak directly with Dr. Hakan Bulam in English. You can also describe your expectations and medical history in Turkish. In your preferred language, you can ask which area the proposed procedure would address.
What information can I share if I have had surgery before?
You can share the area of the previous operation, the type of procedure, and the operative report if available. Breast implant records may contain information about implant dimensions and placement layer. Areas treated during previous liposuction help determine the boundaries of a new fat removal plan.
