Health Tourism, as a trend in the field of medicine, covers the growth and development of tourism for medical purposes. It is the act of traveling to another country to receive medical care and other health services.

Health or medical tourism has been developing rapidly in recent years, mostly for those living in less developed countries where some medical treatments are not yet available, and with that, people from more developed countries seek better quality medical treatment at lower cost but with faster treatment times.

The popularity of health tourism is growing so much that the global medical tourism market is expected to reach $179.6 billion in 2026.

Today, one of the 17 most popular countries for medical tourism is Turkey. More than 700 thousand foreigners visited Turkey in 2020 just to benefit from excellent medical treatment and care services. In general, 32 percent of the tourists in the country are medical tourists.

About Medical Tourism in Turkey

Why is Turkey popular in medical tourism?

Turkey is one of the top ten destinations for medical tourism worldwide. Turkish Health Tourism has three main advantages. Low cost, high quality care and fast access to world class treatment. The biggest advantage of Turkey is that it saves money compared to other countries. Most procedures are half or less than half the price in the EU. Turkey is in a central location. It is only 2-3 hours away from European and Middle Eastern cities. Citizens of more than 70 countries can travel to Turkey without a visa.

About 55% of more than 1200 hospitals in Turkey belong to the Turkish Ministry of Health. The rest is owned by universities, private companies and foreign institutions. Many hospitals have links with JCI (Joint Commission's International), JACHO (Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organisation), ISO (International Organization for Standardization) and Western medical groups and institutions, as well as local and international accreditations.

The best Turkish hospitals have English-speaking doctors and medical staff certified by the Turkish Medical Association and members of organizations dedicated to their specialties such as the Turkish Dentists Association, Turkish Gynecologist and Obstetrics Association, Turkish Orthopedics and Traumatology Association, Turkish Dentists Association. Plastic Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery Association, Turkish Cardiovascular Surgery Association and other specialized associations.

Medical Tourism for Aesthetic Surgery in Turkey

Aesthetic surgery in Turkey is one of the most important points you can choose in the world in terms of medical tourism with successful operations, qualified personnel and affordable price alternatives. Hair transplantation, dental aesthetics, implants, eye aesthetics, breast aesthetics, tummy tuck surgery, rhinoplasty, ear aesthetics, facial aesthetics, liposuction, face lift, body aesthetics, botox and laser treatments are among the most performed aesthetic surgery procedures in Turkey. .

What are the advantages of aesthetic and medical treatment in Turkey?
Turkey is a leading player in the world in the field of medical tourism/health services. Due to its aesthetic and medical treatment advantages, Turkey stands out more and more as a preferred country in the world for a wide variety of medical procedures.

Let's talk briefly about the advantages of aesthetic and medical treatment in Turkey:

•   More economical treatment without sacrificing service quality
•   No need to wait long for elective surgeries or procedures
•   Turkey has an affordable healthcare system
•   Has the highest number of hospitals accredited by the USA.
•   Having internationally accredited medical facilities using the latest technologies
•   Most doctors trained in Europe and America prefer to practice and specialize in Turkey.
•   Presence of highly qualified Doctors/Surgeons and hospital support personnel
•   Significant cost savings compared to private healthcare services in your country
•   Fluent English speaking staff
•   Private room, interpreter, private chef, private staff during your stay and many other personalized service options
•   Being in a location where you can easily combine your medical treatment with a vacation or business trip

Advantages of traveling to Turkey for Medical Treatment

1. Turkey is centrally located for East and West

It is the gateway between Turkey's east and west. Its location is easily accessible no matter what continent or country you are from. In addition, it has always been a global commercial, cultural and political center.

Istanbul Airport in Turkey is also one of the largest airports in the world. It will serve and accommodate approximately 200 million passengers each year and has approximately 300 direct flights worldwide.

2. Surgery prices are more affordable and advantageous in Turkey

In general, surgeries in Turkey can be up to 90 percent cheaper 67 percent of those who go abroad or abroad prefer Turkey for private hospital treatments. This percentage is quite clear about how affordable medical treatments in Turkey are. Plastic surgery in Turkey is also 70 percent cheaper than most of Europe.

If you calculate the total cost of your surgery, your travel fee and accommodation, the cost is still cheaper compared to having the same surgery in most western countries.

3. There are many treatment options

While some countries are popular for certain types of treatment, Turkey is different. People from all over the world travel to Turkey for various reasons such as hair transplant, cancer treatments, dental treatments, and low-cost in vitro fertilization (IVF).

4. There are high quality hospitals and surgeons

The beauty of the medical industry in Turkey is that the country's government helps develop and improve the healthcare industry and keeps it at the top of the industry. The government is investing in upgrading healthcare facilities in private hospitals to improve the country's healthcare infrastructure. As we mentioned before, in addition to the investment, internationally trained surgeons continue to stay and practice their profession in Turkey, ensuring that the level of treatment is always at the highest level possible.

5. Rapid Treatment Plan is being created

As they know the value of medical tourism in their country, they also care about their foreign patients. Instead of waiting almost 18 months for some procedures in the UK, you can plan and perform your treatment in Turkey in as little as two weeks.

If you need an option for your surgery or private treatment, consider Turkey. In addition to the quality of affordable medical treatments, you can also have the opportunity to have a holiday in a country with natural beauties and history.

Major Medical Treatments Performed in Turkey:

The main treatments in Turkey are aesthetic dentistry, hair transplantation, rhinoplasty, obesity and bariatric surgery, stem cell transplantation, oncology treatment and operations, in vitro fertilization, facial aesthetics, body aesthetics, lengthening, and all medical and aesthetic treatments. You can get service.

Aesthetic Dentistry in Turkey

Aesthetic dentistry is a branch of dentistry that combines treatments such as Bonding, Teeth whitening, Laminated teeth, Zirconium teeth, Implants, Pink Aesthetics (Gum Aesthetics), Orthodontics and Prosthetic teeth to perfect your smile, and as a result, creates an aesthetic smile design. You can reach first-class materials and treatment options in Turkey at low costs.

Obesity and Bariatric Surgery in Turkey

Bariatric surgery is an effective treatment method in the treatment of obesity when diet and exercise do not give effective results and especially when health problems due to weight pose a serious threat.

Bariatric surgery is an effective and permanent treatment option, especially if the patient has important health problems such as Type 2 diabetes or sleep apnea due to obesity.

Very successful operations are performed in the field of obesity and bariatric surgery in Turkey.

Stem cell transplant in Turkey

Disease groups in which stem cell transplantation is predominantly performed constitute the common types of blood cancers such as leukemias, lymphomas, and multiple myeloma. Moreover; Diseases that cause bone marrow failure, some organ cancers and hereditary diseases such as thalassemia (Mediterranean anemia), some immune system diseases are also important areas of use.

The centers that perform stem cell transplantation in Turkey achieve very successful results in this field.

Oncology Treatment in Turkey

The most commonly used treatment modalities in cancer in oncology treatment are surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Less frequently, hormone therapies, biological therapies, and targeted therapies are used. These treatment methods are applied alone or together.

In Turkey, there are oncologists who are experts in the field of oncology treatment and many hospitals specialized in their fields.

IVF and Infertility Treatment in Turkey

In vitro fertilization treatment includes the treatment process that ensures fertilization by collecting eggs, which are female reproductive cells, and sperm, which are male reproductive cells, and bringing them together outside the body in a laboratory environment.

There are many successful specialists, hospitals and IVF centers in Turkey that provide infertility treatment and IVF treatment.

Aesthetic Surgery in Turkey

All operations in the field of aesthetic surgery in Turkey are performed by specialist doctors and fully equipped hospitals. Doctors in Turkey are highly competent in the field of aesthetics. With the development of health tourism in Turkey, medical tourists visit Turkey mostly for aesthetic operations in the field of medical tourism.

Lengthening in Turkey

Lengthening surgery is an orthopedic surgery performed to increase leg or arm length for health problems or aesthetic reasons.

It is a spiritual operation. Lengthening surgery is performed by cutting the bone that is planned to be lengthened and using an external or internal fixator to widen the gap between the bisected ends.

In Turkey, there are doctors and hospitals specialized in the field of lengthening operation, and you can access the post-operative care service very easily and at low cost.

Treatment Costs in Turkey

Treatment costs in Turkey are 40% to 50% lower than other countries in all medical treatment areas such as cancer treatment, heart surgery, orthopedic surgery, IVF treatment, aesthetic dental treatment, aesthetic treatments. For example, while the cost of heart valve replacement in the USA is 150,000 USD, it is only 17,000 USD in Turkey.

Doctors in Turkey are highly qualified and private hospitals are of the highest quality and accredited by JCI. Turkey is a popular destination for medical tourism due to its high quality.

Do You Need a Visa to Turkey?

For many countries, you can easily obtain a visa for 90 days per trip. However, for holders of US, UK, Australian, Chinese and Spanish passports, e-visas must be obtained in advance for a fee upon arrival. Holders of French, German, Russian and Singaporean passports can enter visa-free. Citizens of more than 70 countries have the right to enter Turkey without a visa.

Transportation to Turkey

Turkish Airlines is one of the largest airlines in the world, flying to more than 100 countries and 200 international destinations. Turkish Airlines' extensive flight network provides easy and economical transportation to patients from all over the world.

Turkey's private hospitals offer the world's most advanced medical treatments and technology today. In addition to its technologically advanced medical infrastructure, Turkey is a leading health tourism destination with many advantages.