What we require of a facility
Accreditation, the right level of care for the procedure, intensive care on site for anything under general anaesthetic, and a licence you can verify.
Medical travel marketing talks about hospitals in adjectives — modern, world-class, state of the art. None of those mean anything. What matters is a short list of verifiable facts, and this is ours.
- Turkish Ministry of Health licence, as either a hospital or a licensed clinic, appropriate to the procedures performed there.
- JCI accreditation for any facility used for surgery under general anaesthetic. Joint Commission International is the recognised international hospital standard.
- Intensive care on site — not an arrangement with a hospital down the road — for all general anaesthetic surgery.
- A consultant anaesthetist present for the whole procedure, not a technician under remote supervision.
- Procedure-appropriate facilities: a dedicated bariatric programme for weight-loss surgery, an in-house laboratory for dental work, CBCT scanning for implants.
- Named to you before you pay a deposit, so you can check it yourself.
Which facility for which treatment
The right setting depends on the procedure. We use hospitals where a hospital is needed and clinics where a clinic is appropriate.
| Treatment | Setting | Anaesthetic | ICU on site |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aesthetic surgery | JCI-accredited private hospital | General | Required |
| Weight-loss surgery | JCI hospital with bariatric programme | General | Required |
| Dental implants and veneers | Licensed dental clinic with in-house lab | Local, sedation available | Not required |
| Hair transplant | Licensed clinic or hospital | Local | Not required |
| Non-surgical treatments | Licensed clinic | Topical or local | Not required |
| Eyelid surgery and lip lift | Hospital or licensed surgical clinic | Local with sedation | Preferred |
Where a procedure could reasonably be done in either setting — a lip lift, an eyelid surgery under sedation — we default to the facility with more capability rather than less. It costs us slightly more and it is the right way round.
Why weight-loss surgery is different
Bariatric surgery requires a hospital running a dedicated programme, not a general hospital that occasionally performs one. That means bariatric-specific operating equipment, staff experienced in managing these patients, appropriately rated beds and furniture, and surgeons who do this weekly rather than monthly. We use a smaller number of hospitals for bariatric work than for anything else.
How to verify a hospital yourself
Four checks, all free, all doable before you pay a deposit — and worth doing whichever company you are considering.
- Get the name in writing. Not "a modern private hospital in Istanbul" — the actual name of the building you will be treated in. A company unwilling to give it before payment has told you something.
- Check JCI accreditation. Joint Commission International publishes a searchable list of accredited organisations. If a hospital claims JCI accreditation and is not on it, that is a straightforward answer.
- Check the Ministry of Health licence. Turkish facilities treating international patients must hold an International Health Tourism Authorisation certificate. Ask for the certificate number.
- Ask three specific questions: is there an intensive care unit in this building; will a consultant anaesthetist be present throughout; and how many of my procedure does this facility perform each month.
These checks apply to any provider, not only to us. We publish them because a market where patients ask these questions is one where we do better, not worse.
Inside our partner facilities
What JCI accreditation actually means
Joint Commission International assesses hospitals against a published international standard covering patient safety, infection control, medication handling and surgical protocols. It is re-assessed every three years.
JCI is the most widely recognised international hospital accreditation, and Turkey has one of the highest concentrations of JCI-accredited hospitals in the world — a direct consequence of its medical tourism sector. Accreditation is voluntary, costly and renewed on a three-year cycle, which is why it carries weight.
What it covers
- International patient safety goals: patient identification, surgical site marking, infection control, medication safety and fall prevention.
- Surgical and anaesthetic care standards, including pre-operative assessment and post-anaesthetic monitoring.
- Infection prevention and control programmes with measurable surveillance.
- Medication management, from procurement through to administration.
- Staff qualification and credentialing — the hospital must verify its clinicians' credentials, not simply accept them.
- Facility management and emergency preparedness.
What it does not cover
- The individual skill of your surgeon. Accreditation assesses the organisation, not the person operating on you.
- Cosmetic outcomes. JCI is a safety standard, not an aesthetic one.
- Clinics. JCI accredits hospitals; most dental and hair transplant facilities are licensed clinics and are not eligible.
- Whether a specific procedure is performed often at that hospital — you have to ask that separately.
Partner hospitals: frequently asked questions
Yes. The facility is named in your written quote, before any deposit, specifically so you can verify it. A company unwilling to tell you which building you will be treated in before payment is telling you something important.
Every facility used for surgery under general anaesthetic is. Dental clinics and hair transplant clinics are licensed by the Turkish Ministry of Health rather than JCI-accredited, because JCI accredits hospitals and those procedures do not require a hospital setting.
In every hospital we use for general anaesthetic surgery, in the same building. Not an arrangement with another hospital, which is a meaningful distinction if something goes wrong.
A consultant anaesthetist, present throughout the procedure and for the immediate recovery period. Ask this question of any provider anywhere — the answer should be immediate and specific.
You will see it on your assessment day, before any treatment, and you can decline at that point. Patients who are in Istanbul for other reasons can arrange a visit in advance through their coordinator.
Joint Commission International publishes a searchable list of accredited organisations. For Turkish facilities, also ask for the International Health Tourism Authorisation certificate number issued by the Ministry of Health.
Because they are performed under local anaesthetic and do not require hospital-level facilities. A licensed clinic with proper sterile practice is the appropriate setting. What matters there is who performs the procedure, not whether the building has an ICU.
No. The facility is matched to the procedure — a bariatric programme for weight-loss surgery, a dental clinic with its own laboratory for veneers, a hospital with an ICU for aesthetic surgery under general anaesthetic.
A hospital running weight-loss surgery regularly rather than occasionally: specific operating equipment, appropriately rated beds and furniture, staff experienced with these patients, and surgeons operating weekly. We use fewer hospitals for bariatric work than for anything else.
Private rooms with en suite bathrooms in every hospital we use, with space for a companion to stay. You will see them on your assessment day before anything proceeds.
Tell your coordinator before treatment begins. You can decline to proceed. We would far rather resolve that on the day than have you go ahead with reservations you never raised.
No, and it is important to be clear about that. JCI accreditation assesses the organisation and its safety systems, not the skill of the individual surgeon or the aesthetic outcome. Ask about the hospital and about your surgeon separately.
