Common Types of Plastic Surgery in Turkey

By Yahya Mazel last update date: Feb 04, 2025

Many wonder about the common types of plastic surgery in Turkey as one of the most popular destinations for plastic surgery in the world, due to its high-quality medical services, affordable prices, and cultural diversity. With over a million plastic surgery procedures carried out in 2019, Turkey came in sixth place globally, according to the International Society of Plastic Surgery (ISAPS). Discover the most popular kinds of plastic surgery performed in.

Table of contents:

What is plastic surgery?

Plastic surgery is a surgical specialty that involves the restoration, reconstruction, or alteration of the human body. It can be divided into two main categories: reconstructive surgery and cosmetic surgery. Reconstructive surgery aims to repair or improve the function and appearance of damaged or abnormal tissue, such as in cases of burns, trauma, birth defects, or cancer. Cosmetic surgery, on the other hand, seeks to enhance the aesthetic appeal of normal structures of the body, such as the face, breast, or abdomen. Plastic surgery requires both technical skills and artistic creativity, as well as a comprehensive knowledge of anatomy, physiology, and pathology.

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What are the most common types of plastic surgery procedures?

Turkey offers many different plastic surgery procedures, based on the patient's needs and preferences. Some of the most common types are:

Plastic surgery types for the body

Liposuction: Liposuction is a minimally invasive procedure that targets specific parts of the body with an excess amount of fat. It is done under local anesthesia and aims to improve the body contour.
Abdominoplasty (tummy tuck): this procedure tightens the abdominal muscles and gets rid of extra skin and fat from the abdomen. Particularly after giving birth or losing weight, an abdominoplasty can result in a firmer and flatter abdomen.
Breast augmentation: another term for a breast augmentation procedure is a "boob job." A silicone or saline implant is inserted into the breast region in a way that restores the fullness and firmness of the breasts to enlarge them.
Breast lift: A breast lift is a type of plastic surgery used to raise and reshape your breasts, giving them more firmness and central support. Additionally, it can resize and position the nipples to their ideal size.
Breast reduction: this procedure can reduce the size and weight of the breasts by removing excess fat, glandular tissue, and skin. Breast reduction can relieve the physical and emotional discomfort caused by overly large breasts, such as back pain, neck pain, skin irritation, or low self-esteem.
Buttock augmentation: the goal of buttock augmentation, a plastic surgery, is to enhance the buttocks' size and volume to improve their roundness and fullness. The process involves injecting silicone, fat, or surgically inserting silicone implants into the butt region.
Buttock lift: a buttock lift is a cosmetic procedure that can be performed with surgery or injections. The goal of the surgery is to reshape the butt tissues so that the contour is firmer and smoother.
Buttock reduction: it is a surgery that reduces the size of the buttocks by removing excess fat and reducing the sagging of the skin. Buttock thinning is performed under general anesthesia by liposuction or intervention
Gynecomastia Surgery: Gynaecomastia is a male breast reduction surgery that gets rid of excess fat, sagging skin, and glandular tissues, to give a natural male breast with a firmer contour. It is carried out under general anesthesia through liposuction which is based on the VESAR technique. The VESAE technology utilizes ultrasound waves to dissolve the fat, which then is sucked out of the body.

Plastic Surgery in Turkey

Plastic surgery for the face and neck

Rhinoplasty: also known as nose job is a surgical procedure used to improve the size, length, and properties of the nose or to repair nasal abnormalities that impair the function of the nose. They are performed under general anesthesia.
Facelift: a facelift is a type of plastic surgery that eliminates deep wrinkles or lines from the face, tightening and rejuvenating its contours. The process involves tightening the underlying muscles and surgically removing sagging skin while under general anesthesia.
Blepharoplasty (eyelid lift): it is a surgical procedure performed to improve the shape of the upper and lower eyelids under general anesthetic. Surgery removes excess or saggy skin of the upper eyelids and fat bags under the eyes and reduces wrinkles and fine lines around the lower eyelids.
Brow lift: a brow lift is a brow-raising cosmetic procedure. Another name for it is a forehead lift. The forehead, brow, and area around the eyes all look better after a brow lift. Raising the skin and soft tissue of the brow and forehead is part of the procedure.
Ear shaping (otoplasty): it is a cosmetic procedure that aims to improve the appearance of the ears by changing their shape, size, or position. It is often performed to correct protruding ears, which can cause psychological distress and affect self-confidence.
Neck lift (Nefertiti lift): a minimally invasive Botox injection procedure that targets the neck and lower face. Strong firmness and youthfulness can be powerfully restored to the neck with this procedure.
Chin surgery (Texas lift): This procedure uses implants or bone reshaping to improve the chin's size and shape. A weak or receding chin can be corrected, and the facial balance and profile can be enhanced with chin surgery.
Cheek implant: using implants or fat transfer, this procedure gives the cheeks more volume and projection. A cheek implant can restore the fullness and youth of the face while also defining and shaping the cheekbones.

What are the latest plastic surgery procedures people do?

Although the motivations behind plastic surgery vary widely, some common ones include self-improvement, confidence building, correcting physical imperfections, and feeling younger. A few of the latest plastic surgery procedures that people do in Turkey are rhinoplasty, liposuction, and tummy tuck.

What is the safest plastic surgery procedure?

To ensure the safety of plastic surgery, you should consider various factors, such as the surgeon’s skill and experience, the clinic’s quality and accreditation, your health and suitability, and the procedure’s type and extent. Some general guidelines are:

Pick a certified and reputable plastic surgeon from the ISAPS or the TPRECD.
Pick a clinic that has a license and accreditation and follows the international standards of hygiene, safety, and equipment.
Obey the surgeon’s and the medical staff’s pre-operative and post-operative instructions, such as avoiding certain substances or medications, and taking the prescribed drugs.
Tell the surgeon about any medical issues, allergies, or previous surgeries that may influence the procedure or the recovery.
Be realistic and clear about the results and the risks of the procedure, and talk to the surgeon before.
Get medical help if you have any signs of infection, bleeding, or complications, such as fever, redness, swelling, pain, or pus.

What is the hardest and the easiest plastic surgery to recover from?

The recovery time for plastic surgery procedures can vary depending on the type and extent of the surgery, as well as the individual's health and healing process. However, based on some general estimates, here are two examples of plastic surgery procedures that are considered easier and harder to recover from:

Easier: eyelid surgery and liposuction. These procedures usually have a shorter recovery time of about 1-2 weeks or less, and involve less pain, swelling, and bruising than other procedures. However, some precautions and aftercare instructions still need to be followed, such as avoiding sun exposure, strenuous activities, and smoking.
Harder: facelift and tummy tuck. These procedures usually have a longer recovery time of about 2-4 weeks or more, and involve more pain, swelling, and bruising than other procedures. They also require more care and attention, such as wearing compression garments, using drains, and avoiding infection.

What is the most requested and popular plastic surgery procedure?

Breast augmentation was the most requested and common plastic surgery procedure worldwide in 2019, with over 1.8 million operations completed. Liposuction followed closely behind with over 1.4 million operations, according to the ISAPS. With over 200,000 procedures completed, rhinoplasty was the most requested and common plastic surgery procedure in Turkey in 2019. Liposuction was performed in over 150,000 cases.