How this planner works
The nights in Turkey are the medically required stay, not a marketing minimum. They are set so your surgeon can see you through the window in which complications typically appear.
Time off work starts from a desk-based baseline and is extended for jobs that involve standing or lifting. Physical work roughly doubles the figure.
Fly-home day is the earliest your surgeon would normally sign you off. Flying earlier raises the risk of a blood clot and means leaving before the wound can be checked.
Driving assumes you are off strong painkillers and could perform an emergency stop without hesitating. Check your own insurer — many require written surgical clearance.
The final result column is when swelling has settled enough to judge the outcome fairly. Judging earlier is the most common cause of unnecessary worry.
These are typical ranges for an uncomplicated recovery. Your surgeon sets your actual schedule, and it is the one that counts.
Frequently asked questions
Because the stay is set by when complications appear, not by what makes a package look cheap. A staple line leak after a sleeve typically shows between days three and seven — a four-night package sends you home during that window. We would rather quote an honest number.
Feeling fine is not the test. The risks are a blood clot in the days after surgery and leaving before your surgeon can inspect the wound. If you have a genuine reason to travel early, discuss it with your surgeon — but expect them to advise against it, and understand that flying against advice affects your insurance.
Not necessarily. These are the typical periods before you could reasonably perform your job. Elective surgery abroad is usually unpaid leave rather than sick leave, so check your employer's policy before booking dates.
Anything involving regular lifting over about 5 kg, prolonged standing, climbing, or working at height or with machinery. Nursing, construction, warehouse work, hairdressing and childcare all fall into this category more often than people expect.
The planner shows light exercise first — walking and gentle movement, which is encouraged early because it reduces clot risk. Full training, especially anything loading the operated area, comes considerably later and needs your surgeon's approval.
For abdominal, breast and body procedures, yes — assume you need someone for the first three to five days after you get home, particularly if you have young children. For hair transplants and dental work, no.
That is common and usually fine. These are typical ranges, not targets to hit. Contact your coordinator if you are concerned — remote aftercare is included for twelve months, and asking early is always better than waiting.
You can extend your stay in Istanbul, and many patients do. What you should not plan is an active holiday — sun exposure, swimming, alcohol and long walks are all restricted in the first weeks, and sun on a fresh scar causes lasting discolouration.
