The patient journey
Nine stages, from a first WhatsApp message through to the twelve-month follow-up, each stage with Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ayhan Işık Erdal personally rather than a coordinator. The initial consultation is free. Before any of the nine stages becomes relevant, though, there is a prior question that no timeline can settle: whether operating is advisable for you at all. Suitability is always confirmed by personal consultation and examination, and for some patients the considered answer is to wait, or not to operate. Individual results vary.
The international medical tourism experience can feel opaque from the outside. This page describes — in honest detail — the nine stages of becoming a patient at Dr. Erdal's practice. Direct surgeon access is a defining feature: every stage from first message to long-term follow-up is with Dr. Erdal personally, not a coordinator.
Before stage one — whether the pathway applies to you
A timeline is only meaningful once surgery is appropriate. The selection criteria below are applied before a date is offered, and they are the reason a proportion of enquiries end without an operation being scheduled. Patient selection is the single largest determinant of outcome in body contouring surgery — which is why this assessment precedes stage one rather than following it.
| Factor | Where it usually sits | What happens otherwise |
|---|---|---|
| BMI | Under 30–32 for routine abdominoplasty | 32–35 assessed case by case on comorbidities and stability; over 35 generally declined with weight loss requested first |
| Weight stability | Stable for 6–12 months minimum | Particularly important after bariatric surgery; continuing weight change is a reason to defer |
| Smoking | Stopped 4–6 weeks before surgery as a minimum, ideally 8–12, and continued 4 weeks afterwards | Cotinine testing verifies cessation in higher-risk cases; active smokers are declined for elective abdominoplasty |
| Diabetes | Well controlled, HbA1c under 7% | Uncontrolled disease is a contraindication |
| Cardiovascular history | Appropriate cardiology clearance obtained | Clearance is a prerequisite, not a formality |
| Anticoagulation | Managed deliberately through the perioperative period | Some patients are better served by deferring elective surgery altogether |
| Pulmonary history | Sleep apnoea evaluated in higher-BMI patients | Evaluation precedes scheduling |
| Expectations and mental health | Realistic expectations about outcome, scarring and recovery; stable mental health; social support for the recovery period | Active eating disorder, body dysmorphia or severe depression are typically contraindications until addressed |
Choosing not to have surgery is a legitimate outcome of a consultation, not a failed one. If the assessment suggests that the risk profile is unfavourable, that weight is still changing, or that expectations and what surgery can deliver do not meet, the recommendation will say so. The five domains of perioperative safety sets out the reasoning behind each criterion above in more detail.
Initial Enquiry
You message Dr. Erdal directly via WhatsApp with a brief description of your concerns — and ideally 4 photos: front view, both side profiles, and back view. Within 24 hours, you receive a response from Dr. Erdal himself (not a coordinator) with: an initial impression, the technique most likely to fit your anatomy, an indicative cost range, and an invitation for a video consultation.
Video Consultation
A video call with Dr. Erdal personally — not a sales coordinator. The consultation covers: detailed assessment of your photos and goals, technique recommendation with rationale, realistic expectations, scar position, recovery timeline, and your specific medical history. You ask any questions. There is no pressure to book; many patients consult and decide weeks or months later.
Pre-operative Workup
Once you decide to proceed, you receive a detailed pre-operative document covering: required laboratory tests (full blood count, comprehensive metabolic panel, coagulation, ECG, COVID screen if applicable), medications to stop and continue, smoking cessation requirements (mandatory 4-6 weeks pre-op), nutritional optimisation, and travel arrangements. Tests are typically done in your home country and emailed to the practice.
Arrival in Istanbul
VIP airport transfer from Istanbul Airport (IST) directly to your hotel — Antwell Suites or equivalent partner accommodation in Şişli/Nişantaşı, walking distance from the clinic. You meet Dr. Erdal in person at the clinic for final marking, photographs, and any remaining questions. Pre-operative blood work is reviewed. You sign informed consent. Your last meal is at the time specified by anaesthesia.
Surgery Day
VIP transfer to the JCI-accredited hospital. Pre-operative anaesthesia consultation. Surgery typically begins mid-morning. The operation lasts 3-7 hours depending on procedure complexity. TAP blocks are placed before the patient leaves the operating theatre. You are transferred to a private room with one-on-one nursing care for the first night.
First 48 Hours
You stay in the hospital for 1-2 nights with nursing observation. Pain management uses ERAS protocols — multimodal analgesia with paracetamol, NSAIDs, and TAP block effect, with opioid only as rescue. Early ambulation begins within 6 hours. Compression garment is applied. Drains (if used) are monitored. You eat a normal diet by Day 1. Discharge to hotel on Day 1 or 2.
Recovery in Istanbul
5-7 nights total stay in Istanbul covering the highest-risk early period. Daily check-in messages with Dr. Erdal via WhatsApp. Clinic visits on Days 3 and 6 (or as needed) for wound assessment, drain check/removal, garment fit. Drains removed before flight home (typically Day 5-7). You receive cleared-for-flight confirmation from Dr. Erdal before departure.
Return Home & Early Recovery
VIP transfer back to Istanbul Airport. Compression stockings worn during flight. WhatsApp follow-up continues — Dr. Erdal personally responds to your questions and concerns, typically within hours. Photo follow-ups at scheduled intervals (Day 14, Day 21, Week 4). UK GP coordination for any local issues. Most patients return to office work Week 2-3 and full activities by Week 6.
Long-term Follow-up
Scheduled photo follow-ups at Months 1, 3, 6, and 12 — these contribute to long-term outcome tracking and identify any developing issues early. Many international patients return to Istanbul for the 6 or 12-month visit (often combining with leisure travel). Annual check-ins thereafter. Direct WhatsApp access continues indefinitely; Dr. Erdal's relationship with patients does not end at the airport.
Why the follow-up runs to twelve months
The nine stages above end long after the wound has closed, which surprises patients who expect the relationship to finish when they board the plane. The schedule is not arbitrary padding: it tracks the two processes that continue for months after the surgery itself is over, and each follow-up point exists to catch something specific.
Swelling resolves on its own timetable
Tissue swelling is the reason the abdomen seen at Week 2 is not the abdomen the patient keeps. Most of it resolves between six weeks and three months, and it typically does so unevenly — the area looks flatter in the morning and slightly fuller by evening. By three to six months the contour is largely settled; the twelve-month mark is where the genuine final result becomes visible. Judging the outcome before then means judging a shape that is still changing. The week-by-week recovery timeline sets out the full sequence.
The scar matures more slowly than the contour
Scar maturation runs over 12–18 months, moving from a fine line through a pink and raised phase in months one to three, and only then to a pale, flat line. This is also why the assessment points at Months 3, 6 and 12 matter clinically rather than cosmetically: a scar healing thickened or darker than hoped is identifiable during that window, and the interventions available for it — steroid treatment, laser, microneedling, or in selected cases surgical revision — work best once the scar is fully mature, not during active remodelling. A scar can be made considerably less visible; it cannot be erased. The scar care guide covers silicone, taping and sun protection in detail.
What the twelve-month horizon means in practice
Two things follow from the timetable. First, a patient who is unhappy at Week 6 is usually looking at swelling rather than at a result, and the appropriate response is assessment rather than intervention. Second, any conversation about revision belongs at the far end of the schedule, not the near end — which is why remote follow-up continues to Month 12 and direct WhatsApp access continues beyond it. Individual results vary, and the pace at which swelling and scars settle varies with them.
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