Personal account – Breast augmentation in Istanbul – Report from Wednesday, September 16, 2015

Dear interested parties

I am 21 years old and come from Switzerland.

I decided to have my breast surgery done at MedicalTravel.

I’d wanted this surgery for a long time, but I was too young and my parents couldn’t understand my desire. Now that I’m older and earn my own money, I knew I would save up for breast surgery.

For a long time, I couldn’t really share this decision and these feelings with anyone, and so I never talked to anyone about it. I searched for a good doctor in Switzerland for a long time, but the problem was that I couldn’t afford the surgery.

Then I made a great friend with whom I could talk about my wish, because this friend of mine had wanted a nose operation for a long time.

Together, we searched online for a doctor to perform cosmetic surgery abroad, as this was the only affordable option for us. We came across the “Medical Travel” website. After reading the positive reviews and noticing the free appointment in Bern, we booked an appointment via email. We then drove for two hours to Bern to the Medical Travel office, where we met the doctor for the first time. I must say, meeting the doctor was very important to me personally; otherwise, I would never have gone to Turkey, as I still had my fears and concerns.

We received a friendly welcome, and it wasn’t difficult to find as the Medical Travel Office in Bern is located directly on a street. The office isn’t very large, but it was nicely furnished, and there was a small buffet in the waiting room.

During the consultation with the doctor, my girlfriend, the doctor, and two interpreters were present. We weren’t pressured by anyone, which was the best part; you could ask all your questions, and they were answered immediately. They showed us pictures of nose and breast surgeries. He quickly examined my breasts and my girlfriend’s nose, advised us, and identified what wasn’t aesthetically pleasing and, most importantly, understood our concerns.

I was afraid of the breast augmentation surgery for a long time because it was vital for me to know that I could resume my everyday sport, and I was afraid of the side effects (these could still occur for me – these are capsule formations around the implant; there’s never a 100% guarantee that you won’t get them because everyone’s body reacts differently). After the appointment in Bern, of course, a thousand other questions came to mind, and I emailed them to the Medical Travel Team, who always consulted with the doctor and answered me as quickly as possible. I thought that was great; they always responded quickly and without being pushy. I took my time deciding, and two weeks before the provisional surgery date, I finally decided to go ahead with it. After that, I quickly received all my documents: flight, hotel, and my own personal passport with all the important information, surgery dates, and all follow-up appointments. The package also included helpful tips for visiting Istanbul and a city guide.

It felt right to be in the same hotel room as my girlfriend and to fly back to Switzerland with her. She went to Turkey three days before me and therefore had her surgery before me, without me. She kept me updated throughout, and her surgery went well, so I mustered up my courage again and went to Turkey alone, where my girlfriend was already waiting for me.

I had already received all my flight details in a booklet, went to the counter, and received my ticket. Everything went very quickly and reliably; the flight departed on time, and everyone at Turkish Airlines was very friendly and, above all, extremely well-organized. When I landed in Turkey, a small bus came to pick up all the passengers and took us to the airport. Passport control went smoothly, and my luggage arrived very quickly. As soon as I left the airport, I waited exactly where the booklet indicated, but no one was there yet. I was told there could be a delay of up to 30 minutes because Istanbul is a large city with heavy traffic. I was getting impatient and called the travel agency in Switzerland. They answered and promised someone would come soon and that I should wait there, and they did. Someone soon arrived and drove me to my girlfriend’s hotel. Everyone at the hotel was very friendly, and I was able to stay in the same room with my girlfriend without any problems.
The booklet you received explained everything in detail: you have to be fasting from midnight onwards and you mustn’t eat anything on the morning of the surgery. That’s exactly what I did.

Then I was taken to the hospital by taxi, although it would have been much faster on foot. I was taken to a Turkish woman who had grown up in Germany and spoke perfect High German as well as Turkish. She accompanied me for the next few days and was my interpreter; I liked her very, very much. During that time, she was like a support and a mother to me, encouraging me, easing my fears, and always having time for me. Everything went very quickly. I got my room, my own safe where I could put my valuables, they took blood and performed all the tests that were required before such an operation. I filled out a questionnaire, and so on.

After that, an IV was inserted into my arm, and I had to put on my hospital gown. I was given a sedative and then taken to the operating room. Everything happened very quickly there. I only remember waking up back in the operating room and everyone talking, but I wanted to sleep. Afterwards, they took me back to my hospital room where I had to stay overnight and was under constant observation.

The night after the surgery was awful for me; I was in pain and received pain medication through my arm about every hour, and I had to go to the toilet very often because I was on an IV. I constantly had to ring for the nurses because I couldn’t go to the toilet alone (I was too weak and in too much pain).

I must say from the bottom of my heart, I work in a hospital in Switzerland myself, and I have never been treated so wonderfully, kindly, and respectfully. I was a little embarrassed in front of the nurses that I had such an operation, but no one made me feel like it was anything but normal. They looked after me all night and reacted quickly when I had a dizzy spell in the bathroom; no one could have handled it better. They all treated me as if it were the most natural thing in the world. I felt very comfortable there and didn’t really want to leave.

The next morning, however, I had to return to the hotel, and I was driven back by taxi. I felt very dependent at the hotel and am still glad I had my girlfriend with me.

On the third day, I had to go back to the hospital to have my drains removed. This was quite painful, but I was so glad when they were finally gone, because after that I felt better every day and was able to take my flight home. Afterwards, I had to wear a corset for three weeks, even back in Switzerland. If you wore loose clothing, you couldn’t see it, but of course, it wasn’t very comfortable and wasn’t ideal since I sweat a lot, but it was necessary.

I want to sincerely thank Medical Travel, the entire team, and the doctor for this wonderful experience. One of my biggest wishes came true, and I couldn’t have asked for a better outcome than Medical Travel. Thank you for the excellent organization and for treating me so kindly. I haven’t felt so comfortable and understood in a long time. I would even have my breasts done with you again today, or have other procedures done. I can recommend Medical Travel 100%.
Something else I wanted to mention: after the surgery, my friend and I went to see Istanbul. It all sounds crazy, and it was, because I was still in pain, but I didn’t want to miss out on anything Istanbul had to offer. So, we took a taxi twice in one day, to the harbor and once to the shopping district. I was exhausted, but it was all worth it because Istanbul is a wonderful, romantic, and vibrant city. It was my first time there, and it has become one of my favorite cities.

Thank you for everything.

E. Perella