Verified patient
“From the airport pickup to my last check-up, everything happened exactly when they said it would.”
How we collect patient feedback
The method matters more than the quotes. Ask every provider you are considering how theirs were obtained.
- We ask at month twelve, once the result is final — not at discharge, when people are relieved, grateful and have not yet seen the outcome.
- The request is the same for everyone, and it goes to every patient rather than to a selected list.
- Nothing is offered in return. No discount, no free touch-up, no entry into anything.
- We ask what went badly as well as what went well, in that order, because asking the positive question first shapes the answer.
- We publish with consent, unedited apart from anonymisation where the patient asks for it.
- Where a patient wants to speak to a prospective patient directly, we put them in touch and stay out of the conversation.
What we never do
- Pay for a review, in money, discount or free treatment.
- Offer treatment in exchange for content. Our partnerships page sets out why we decline influencer arrangements entirely.
- Write, edit or "tidy up" a patient’s words.
- Filter out negative feedback before asking for consent to publish.
- Use a patient’s photograph alongside their words without separate written consent for that specific use.
What patients consistently say
Themes across twelve-month feedback, including the ones that are not compliments.
What people value most
- Being told no, or being offered a different procedure. It is mentioned more often than the result itself, usually by people who had been quoted something larger elsewhere.
- Knowing the surgeon’s name and registration number before paying, and being able to check it.
- The video consultation before any deposit, with the clinician who actually operated.
- A fixed price that did not change on arrival.
- Someone answering the phone at month four, when the panic about uneven hair growth sets in.
- A companion being accommodated without it becoming a negotiation.
What people say they underestimated
- How tired they were for the first fortnight. Almost universal, and almost never anticipated.
- How long swelling lasts, and how much it distorts an early impression of the result.
- How much walking a day of sightseeing involves after surgery.
- The emotional dip around day five to ten.
- How badly they would want to judge the result far too early.
- For bariatric patients: that the operation changed the stomach and nothing else.
What people wish they had done differently
- Taken more time off work. The commonest single regret, across every procedure.
- Brought someone with them, among those who travelled alone for a general anaesthetic.
- Stopped smoking earlier and more completely.
- Asked more questions at the consultation instead of feeling they were being difficult.
- Told their own doctor at home before travelling rather than afterwards.
The criticism
Published because a page of unbroken praise is evidence of filtering rather than of quality.
These are the recurring complaints in our twelve-month feedback. Some we have fixed; some are inherent to treatment abroad and we can only be honest about them.
| Complaint | Our response |
|---|---|
| "Nobody warned me how tired I would be" | Fixed: fatigue now has its own section in pre-travel instructions, with a realistic daily plan |
| "The recovery information was too optimistic" | Fixed: return-to-work and exercise figures revised upward across every treatment page |
| "I had to chase for records after I got home" | Fixed: operation note and discharge summary are now issued on the day of discharge, not on request |
| "Communication slowed down after I paid" | Partly fixed: scheduled check-ins mean contact no longer depends on who remembers. Still the complaint we take most seriously |
| "Loose skin after weight loss was not discussed enough" | Fixed: it now has its own section on the weight-loss results page and is raised in consultation |
| "I was not told I would need a second hair transplant session" | Fixed: where a second session is likely, it is stated in the written assessment before any deposit |
| "Istanbul traffic made transfers stressful" | Not fixable. We build in more time, but it is a city of sixteen million people |
| "I wanted the surgeon available for longer after I got home" | Partly addressed: surgeon photograph reviews at 3, 6 and 12 months. Direct access at any time is not realistic and we will not pretend otherwise |
Spotting fabricated reviews
Fake testimonials are endemic in medical travel. The patterns are consistent and easy to check.
Signs a review is not genuine
- A cluster of five-star reviews posted within days of each other, often after a gap of months.
- Reviewer accounts with one review, no history and a stock-looking photograph.
- The same phrasing across different reviewers — particularly the company name repeated in full, which real people do not do.
- Praise for the hotel, the driver and the staff, with nothing specific about the clinical outcome.
- No criticism anywhere. Real patients always find something.
- Reviews posted at discharge rather than months later.
- A perfect rating across hundreds of reviews. Genuine businesses sit around 4.3–4.7.
How to check properly
- Read the three-star reviews. They are the most honest ones on any platform.
- Look at the negative reviews and, more importantly, at how the company responded. A defensive or legalistic reply tells you what happens when something goes wrong.
- Check whether reviewers have other review history.
- Search the company name alongside "complication", "revision" and "refund" rather than alongside "reviews".
- Look for patients discussing outcomes at twelve months rather than at discharge.
- Ask the company to put you in touch with a former patient directly. The answer to that request is itself informative.
Speaking to a former patient
The most useful thing on this page, and the only one we cannot curate.
Some of our patients have volunteered to speak to people considering the same procedure. Where we can match you — same treatment, similar starting point, where possible similar country — we will put you in touch and then stay out of it. We do not listen in, we do not brief them, and we do not ask what was said.
How it works
- Ask, using the form on this page or in your consultation.
- We look for a volunteer who matches your procedure and circumstances. This is not always possible, and we will say so rather than offering a poor match.
- They are asked whether they are willing to speak to you specifically. They can decline, and some do.
- You are introduced by whichever channel suits you both, and the conversation is yours.
Worth asking them
- What surprised you most?
- What do you wish you had known beforehand?
- Did the price change at any point?
- Was anyone available when you got home and something worried you?
- How long did you actually need off work, as opposed to what you planned?
- Would you do it again — and if so, would you change anything?
Patient stories: frequently asked questions
No — no money, no discount, no free touch-up, no prize draw. We also decline influencer arrangements entirely, because treatment given in exchange for content is not a patient relationship.
At twelve months, once the result is final — not at discharge, when people are relieved and grateful and have not yet seen the outcome. Discharge-day testimonials are about hospitality, not about what you are buying.
Yes, where the patient consents, and the recurring criticism is listed on this page with what we did about it. A page of unbroken praise is evidence of filtering rather than quality.
Where someone has volunteered and matches your procedure, yes. We introduce you and then stay out of it — we do not listen in, brief them or ask what was said.
No. No discount, no free treatment, no gift. If they tell you something unflattering, that is the system working as intended.
Clusters posted within days, reviewer accounts with no history, identical phrasing, praise for the hotel but nothing about the outcome, no criticism anywhere, and a perfect rating. Genuine businesses sit around 4.3–4.7.
The three-star reviews, and the company’s replies to the one-star ones. A defensive or legalistic response tells you exactly what happens when something goes wrong.
How tired they were for the first fortnight, how long swelling lasts, how much walking sightseeing involves, and the emotional dip around day five to ten.
Not taking enough time off work. It comes up across every procedure, more often than any complaint about a result.
"Communication slowed down after I paid." Scheduled check-ins now mean contact does not depend on who remembers, but it is the one we watch hardest because it is the sector’s defining failure.
Only with your consent, and only as you wrote it. We do not edit or tidy up patients’ words, and using your photograph alongside them needs separate written consent for that specific use.
Tell us — in writing, and publicly too if you want to. Complaints are acknowledged within 2 working days and answered within 14, by a clinician rather than a coordinator if they are clinical.
