PLANNING YOUR SURGERY TRIP FROM ABU DHABI OR DUBAI: A STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE

By Dr. Mehmet Sürmeli, MD, FEBOPRAS — European & National Board-Certified Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeon · Licensed by DOH (Abu Dhabi) and DHA (Dubai)

Having surgery abroad sounds complicated until you see the actual timeline. In Dr. Mehmet Sürmeli’s practice, most UAE patients are surprised by how little they have to organize themselves — the clinic team handles the logistics; your job is the decisions. Here is the whole journey, step by step, from your sofa in Abu Dhabi or Dubai to your follow-up after you are home.

Step 1 — Start from home: the free photo pre-evaluation (week 0)

Everything begins with a message. Send your photos and medical information through the contact form or by WhatsApp, and Dr. Sürmeli reviews them personally. You receive an honest assessment: whether you are a suitable candidate, for which procedure, and what results you can realistically expect. If surgery is not in your interest, you will hear exactly that — this practice is built on selecting patients, not collecting them.

Costs you nothing, commits you to nothing.

Step 2 — Your consultation (weeks 1–2)

If you are a suitable candidate, choose the consultation format that suits you:

• Online video consultation — most patients’ choice; you and Dr. Sürmeli finalize the plan face to face on screen;
• In person in Abu Dhabi or Dubai — Dr. Sürmeli holds periodic consultation days in both emirates under his DOH and DHA licenses; message the clinic for the next available date;
• In person in Istanbul — if you prefer to see the clinic first.

Consultations are paid appointments, and the fee is fully deducted from your surgery fee if you proceed.

Step 3 — Pick your dates and let the team plan (weeks 2–4)

Once the plan is agreed, the clinic team takes over the logistics:

• Surgery date scheduled around your calendar — most patients plan 3–6 weeks ahead; popular months fill earlier;
• Hotel — four- and five-star options near the clinic, arranged for you (and your companion);
• VIP airport transfers — you are met at the airport and driven throughout your stay;
• Preparation instructions — which medications to pause, what tests to bring, what to pack. You arrive with everything already decided.

Time off work: plan for roughly 10–14 days away in total, depending on the procedure — see the stay table in the UAE & Gulf patients guide. Most patients work remotely comfortably in the second week if their role allows it.

Visa: most UAE residents enter Türkiye visa-free or with a simple e-visa, depending on nationality — check your passport’s requirements early; it takes minutes online.

Step 4 — Fly (it is shorter than you think)

Abu Dhabi and Dubai both have multiple direct flights to Istanbul daily — about 4 to 5 hours. Book a morning flight and you are at your hotel by afternoon, with your pre-operative appointment usually the next day.

What to pack, the short version: comfortable front-opening clothes, slip-on shoes, your medications list, your test results, and loose layers for the flight home. The team sends the full list before you fly.

Step 5 — Surgery and your week in Istanbul

Your operation takes place at one of Türkiye’s foremost hospitals — JCI-accredited, and the world’s first fully equipped hospital to earn LEED Platinum certification — with Dr. Sürmeli’s established surgical team, in full compliance with international guidelines plus his own stricter patient-safety rules.

Then comes the part of the plan Dr. Sürmeli does not negotiate: a minimum of six days in Istanbul after surgery. Almost all early post-surgical concerns arise in the first week — so that week happens under your surgeon’s direct care, not over a phone line. Your days are structured: follow-up visits, dressing changes, and rest at your hotel, with the team a message away. Bring a companion if you can; transfers and accommodation are arranged for both of you, and a second pair of hands in the first days is genuinely useful.

Dr. Sürmeli will not clear you to fly before it is safe. When he does, you fly home with written instructions and a direct line to the clinic.

Step 6 — Home in the UAE, still under care

Follow-up does not end at the airport. You send photos and updates, the team checks your progress, and Dr. Sürmeli answers your questions directly — a remote follow-up practice run with strict, ethical standards since 2017: listening to patients, addressing their concerns, and solving them.

The whole trip at a glance

When	What happens	Where you are
Week 0	Free photo pre-evaluation	Home
Weeks 1–2	Consultation (online, or Abu Dhabi/Dubai, or Istanbul)	Home
Weeks 2–4	Dates booked; hotel, transfers, preparation arranged	Home
Surgery week	Fly (4–5h) → pre-op → surgery → recovery under your surgeon’s care	Istanbul, min. 6 days after surgery
After	Remote follow-up with the clinic team	Home

Curious what this looks like for your procedure? See breast lift, breast lift with implants, mommy makeover, facelift & neck lift — or start with the full UAE & Gulf guide.

Ready to take step 1?

Fill our short contact form below or message us on WhatsApp — send your photos and receive Dr. Sürmeli’s free pre-evaluation.

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