PlacidWay Recovery Route · Orthopaedics · Istanbul
Hip Replacement in Turkey: A 12-day recovery route for patients flying from the UK
Day 12 · Istanbul Airport · Gate area
Pauline is sitting in an assistance wheelchair she does not strictly need, two crutches propped against her knee and compression stockings under her trousers. Twelve days ago she limped through this same terminal, stopping every few hundred metres to let the grinding ache in her right hip settle. This morning she walked the length of the hotel corridor and back before breakfast. Slowly, upright, and without that particular ache she had lived with for three years. Her husband Ken has a plastic wallet on his lap holding the discharge letter in English, the implant record card, a disc of X-rays and a typed list of who to message if anything worries her. The flight to Manchester boards in forty minutes.
Pauline and Ken are composites. They are built from the questions and experiences PlacidWay coordinators commonly hear from UK patients, not real individuals. Her situation will be familiar though: a letter from the hospital trust estimating a 12 to 18 month wait, a part-time job she was struggling to keep, and a growing sense that the pain was shrinking her life.
This page rewinds from that gate. It starts with the questions UK readers ask first, about surgeons, cities and money, then walks through every day of the stay as a checklist you can actually use.
Trip at a glance
01 · Qualifications
Checking the surgeon before anything else
Almost every UK patient asks the same thing first, often in the same words: how do I know this surgeon is properly trained? In the UK you might look someone up on the GMC register. Turkish orthopaedic surgeons are not on that register, so the checks look different, but they are very doable. Turkey has a long-established specialist training pathway in orthopaedics and traumatology, and the hospitals that welcome international patients are used to being asked for evidence.
Work through this list before you pay a deposit. A good clinic will answer every line without hesitation.
- Specialist title. Ask for the surgeon's full name and confirmation that they are a registered specialist in orthopaedics and traumatology licensed by the Turkish Ministry of Health. Membership of the Turkish Society of Orthopaedics and Traumatology is a useful extra sign.
- Personal hip volume. Ask roughly how many hip replacements this surgeon performs each year. You are not looking for a magic number, you are looking for someone who answers clearly.
- Hospital accreditation. Ask whether the hospital holds Joint Commission International accreditation, which you can confirm yourself on the JCI website, and whether it holds the Ministry of Health authorisation for international health tourism.
- The implant itself. Ask for the manufacturer, model, whether it is cemented or uncemented, and the bearing surface (for example ceramic on polyethylene). Major manufacturers supply both UK and Turkish hospitals, so you can compare like with like.
- Surgical approach. Posterior, lateral or anterior. Each has its own movement precautions afterwards, and the surgeon should explain why they favour theirs for you.
- A video consultation with the surgeon. Not only with a coordinator. Send your NHS X-ray reports and clinic letters beforehand so the conversation is about your hip, not hips in general.
- Aftercare contact. A named person, a phone or WhatsApp number, and a clear answer to who reviews you if something changes after you are back in Britain.
Margin note for UK readers
Hip implants fitted abroad are not recorded in the UK National Joint Registry. Ask the hospital for the implant stickers or an implant record card showing product and batch codes, keep one copy at home and give one to your GP practice. If a future surgeon or a product notice ever needs those details, you will have them in seconds.
02 · Where in Turkey
Five cities, weighed the way a UK hip patient would weigh them
Turkey is not one market. Each of these cities has reputable orthopaedic care, but they suit different people. We ordered them using the weighting below. This is PlacidWay's editorial judgement, not a published league table, and the right hospital matters far more than the right city.
Weighting: surgeon and hospital accreditation 25% · safety and clinical outcomes 20% · aftercare and follow-up 20% · cost 15% · travel access from the UK 10% · patient experience 10%
| No. | City | Approx. price (USD) | From the UK | Why it ranks here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Istanbul | $8,000–$13,000, often with implant, hotel and transfers | Direct flights from Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Manchester, Birmingham, Edinburgh and others | The largest choice of accredited private hospitals and English-speaking international patient teams. More choice means you should vet carefully. |
| 2 | Antalya | $8,000–$13,000, packages commonly include a recovery hotel | Many direct routes in the holiday season, fewer in winter | Well-practised at hosting foreign patients and at recovery-friendly hotel stays. Plan for summer heat and keep sun exposure low. |
| 3 | Izmir | $7,500–$12,000, often with a short hotel stay | Some seasonal direct flights, otherwise via Istanbul | Home to large teaching hospitals such as Ege University and Dokuz Eylül University, plus private groups. A calmer Aegean base. |
| 4 | Ankara | $7,500–$12,000, hotel and transfers vary by clinic | Usually a connection through Istanbul | The capital has major university and private hospitals. Fewer ready-made foreign patient packages, so confirm English support. |
| 5 | Bursa | $7,000–$11,000, fewer bundled extras | Fly to Istanbul, then a road or ferry transfer of a few hours | Often the most budget-friendly option. Ask exactly what is bundled before you compare it with an Istanbul package. |
Prices are approximate recent estimates and vary with implant type, hospital and inclusions. The day-by-day route below is set in Istanbul because direct flights from regional UK airports keep the travel days short, which matters a great deal on the way home.
03 · Before the flight
The British paperwork nobody mentions until it is late
Tell your GP what you are planning. You do not need permission, but your practice will be part of your aftercare, and it is far easier to arrange wound checks or a physio referral when they already know. Ask for a printed summary of your medical history and repeat prescriptions, and ask the hospital trust that holds your waiting-list place what happens to it. If arthritis is also building in the other hip, mention that too.
Your GHIC card will not help here, because Turkey is outside the arrangement. Standard travel insurance usually excludes planned treatment abroad, so look for a policy that specifically covers complications arising from surgery overseas, and ask the clinic what its own complication cover includes.
If you are still working, think about time off honestly. Desk-based work often resumes somewhere around six weeks, physical work can take longer. Ask your employer about sick pay and ask your GP practice how they handle fit notes after private surgery abroad. Driving in the UK usually waits around six weeks or until your surgeon says otherwise, and your car insurer may want to know.
Book free special assistance with your airline at least 48 hours before both flights. Then get the house ready for coming home: a raised toilet seat, a firm chair with arms, a perching stool for the kitchen and a grabber for dropped things. The British Red Cross runs a mobility aid hire service, and many local councils and charities lend equipment.
04 · The route
Twelve days in Istanbul, five stages, one checklist
Every day lists four things: the medical milestone, how you are likely to feel, one gentle local experience that fits that stage, and what your companion is doing. The energy meter is a rough guide from 1 to 10, not a target. Every surgeon runs their own protocol, so treat this as a realistic outline and follow your own team's plan wherever it differs.
Stage A · Arrive and prepare
Day 1 · Land, tests, meet the surgeon Energy 6/10
- Milestone: transfer to hospital, blood tests, ECG, hip X-ray, possibly a chest X-ray, anaesthetist review and consent. Before signing anything, confirm the final price and implant in writing.
- How you feel: stiff and sore after sitting on the plane, nervous, a little light-headed from the early start.
- Gentle experience: your first Turkish tea, served black in a small tulip-shaped glass, sitting down in the hotel lounge or a café a few steps away. Eat lightly and stop when your team tells you to fast.
- Companion: carry the document wallet, write down the surgeon's answers, and check the hotel room for bed height, a walk-in shower and a lift for later in the week.
Stage B · Surgery and first steps
Day 2 · Surgery · A full rest day Energy 1/10
The operation usually takes one to two hours under a spinal or general anaesthetic. You wake in recovery, then move to your room. Some teams sit you up or stand you briefly that same evening, others wait until morning.
Expect drowsiness, heavy or numb legs if you had a spinal, a sore throat after a general anaesthetic, and a surprising hunger once you are allowed to eat.
There is no outing today. If your window faces the city, the local experience is simply the sound of the call to prayer drifting across the rooftops while you doze.
Ken's job, and your companion's: be there when you wake, then send a short update home. Remember the clock. A message sent at 7pm Istanbul time lands at 4pm or 5pm in the UK, depending on the season. Then go back to the hotel and sleep.
Day 3 · Standing with a frame Energy 2/10
Milestone: The physiotherapist helps you stand and walk a few metres with a frame. Many teams start blood-thinning injections or tablets around now to lower clot risk.
How you feel: Sore in a new, surgical way. Many patients notice the old deep arthritic ache has changed character, which can be quietly emotional.
Gentle experience: A bowl of mercimek çorbas?, the red lentil soup found on almost every Turkish hospital menu. Soft, warm and easy on a stomach recovering from anaesthetic.
Companion: Learn the movement precautions alongside you. Two people remembering them is better than one, especially at 3am.
Day 4 · Crutches and the stairs test Energy 3/10
You progress to crutches along the corridor and practise a few stairs with the physio, the rule being up with the good leg and down with the operated one. A dressing check and sometimes a post-operative X-ray happen today. Bruising down the thigh is common at this stage. Ask the nurse whether it is OK for your companion to bring in a simit, the sesame-crusted bread ring sold from carts all over the city, as a small treat.
Companion: if you will continue injections at the hotel, this is the day to watch the nurse do one and then do one yourself under supervision.
Stage C · Hospital to hotel
Day 5 · Discharge Energy 3/10
- Collect discharge medication, injection supplies, spare dressings and the physio schedule for the hotel days.
- Expect to feel wobbly. Getting in and out of the car is the hardest part of the day, so the physio will usually show you how.
- The local experience is the transfer window. If your route crosses the Bosphorus, you get the water, the ferries and the minarets without taking a single step.
- Companion sets up the room: rugs rolled away, a firm chair with arms, bottled water and phone charger within reach of the bed.
Day 6 · Rest day Energy 3/10
Nothing medical beyond your exercises, pain relief on schedule and perhaps a physio visit. A dip in energy is very common once the hospital routine ends, and it is not a sign that anything is wrong.
Ask for a Turkish breakfast in your room: white cheese, olives, tomatoes, cucumber, eggs, bread and honey. It is a slow, sit-down meal by design, which suits today perfectly.
Your companion's task is to leave you alone for a couple of hours and get some fresh air. Carers who never rest become tired carers by day nine.
Stage D · Building confidence
Day 7 · Ten minutes outside Energy 4/10
Milestone: a nurse or clinic visit to check the wound, then your first short walk on a level pavement near the hotel, around ten minutes. Feel: slightly giddy to be outdoors, tired afterwards. Experience: stop at a neighbourhood pastane, a Turkish patisserie, and sit for a small dish of sütlaç, baked rice pudding. Companion: walk the route first and note kerbs, cobbles and slopes. Istanbul is a city of hills, and the flat streets are worth finding in advance.
Day 8 · The waterfront at Galataport Energy 5/10
Medical and physical: Physio session in the morning. You may manage twenty to thirty minutes on your feet with seated breaks. Swelling often rises in the evening after a longer outing, so plan to lie down with the leg raised afterwards.
Outing and companion: Take a taxi to Galataport in Karaköy, where a broad level promenade runs beside the Bosphorus with benches along the way. Choose shade, wear a hat, carry water and keep it short. Your companion handles the taxi, the bag and the decision to head back before you are tired.
Day 9 · Rest day, on purpose Energy 4/10
Yesterday's outing will probably show up today as stiffness and extra swelling. Exercises, injections, leg up, no outing. A rest day after a good day is one of the most useful habits you can take home.
Your companion can bring back a small box of lokum, Turkish delight, from one of the long-established confectioners around Eminönü, and do the useful errands: laundry, a top-up at the eczane (pharmacy), and a call to confirm airport assistance for the flight home.
Day 10 · Wound review and Gülhane Park Energy 5/10
- Milestone: clinic wound review. Stitches or clips may come out now, or the team may plan for your UK practice nurse to remove them later.
- Feel: steadier on crutches, beginning to trust the new hip, still tiring by mid-afternoon.
- Experience: half an hour on the wide, tree-shaded paths of Gülhane Park beside the old city. Skip Topkap? Palace itself for now, it is large with uneven surfaces. That is a reason to come back.
- Companion: get the stitch-removal plan in writing and collect enough dressings to last until your first UK appointment.
Stage E · Clearance and home
Day 11 · Final consultation Energy 5/10
The surgeon reviews your X-ray and walking, and confirms you are fit to fly. The timing of that decision is your surgeon's, and some prefer a longer stay. Your companion ticks off the document list:
- Discharge summary in English
- Implant record with product codes
- X-ray images on disc or download link
- Fit-to-fly letter
- Medication list and injection supply
- Named aftercare contact
If you have energy left, a quiet hour at Istanbul Modern, the art museum at Galataport, is a seated-friendly option. Check lift access and seating with the museum before going, or simply rest at the hotel.
Day 12 · Flying home Energy 5/10
Milestone: the flight. Compression stockings on, blood thinner at the time your team set, aisle seat, ankle circles every half hour, plenty of water, and a slow walk along the aisle when the crew allow it. Feel: tired, a bit emotional, and more mobile than when you arrived.
Experience: one last çay at the gate, seated. Companion: manages luggage and assistance, and arranges for someone other than the patient to drive from the UK airport. This is the moment where Pauline's story began.
05 · Eating well
Food by stage
Healing bone and muscle needs protein, iron and fluid. Strong painkillers slow the gut, so fibre matters more than usual. Most people drink bottled water in Istanbul, and alcohol should wait while you are taking pain relief and blood thinners.
| Day 1 | A normal light meal, then fast exactly as instructed. |
| Days 2 to 3 | Sips of water first, then lentil soup, plain yoghurt, ayran (a salted yoghurt drink) and soft bread. |
| Days 4 to 6 | Eggs, white cheese, grilled chicken or fish, stewed vegetables, and fruit such as apricots and figs to keep things moving. |
| Days 7 to 11 | Ordinary balanced meals. Small portions of rich or very spicy dishes, plus lentils, beans and leafy greens for iron. |
| Day 12 | A light breakfast, a refillable bottle and simple snacks for the plane. Skip salty airport food that adds to ankle swelling. |
06 · Call the clinic
Signs that mean you pick up the phone today
Contact your clinic's aftercare line straight away, in Turkey or from home, if you notice any of these:
- Pain, warmth or swelling in the calf or thigh that is new or getting worse
- A temperature of 38°C or above, or shivering
- Redness spreading around the wound, fluid leaking, a bad smell, or the edges opening
- Sudden severe hip pain, a clunk, or the leg looking shorter or turned outward
- New numbness, tingling or weakness in the leg or foot
- Unusual bleeding or bruising while on blood thinners
Emergency: chest pain, sudden breathlessness or coughing blood can signal a clot in the lung. Call 112 in Turkey or 999 in the UK immediately, then tell the clinic. For non-urgent worries once home, NHS 111 is available alongside your clinic contact.
07 · Back in Britain
When something changes after you fly home
This is the worry that keeps many UK readers from booking, so it deserves a plain answer. Emergency care is always available through A&E and 999 regardless of where your operation took place. Your GP practice remains your GP practice. What changes is who plans your routine follow-up, and that is something to agree before you travel, not after.
A well-organised Turkish clinic will typically offer remote reviews by video or messaging, ask you to send photos of the wound in the first fortnight, and request a UK X-ray at agreed points, often around six weeks and again later in the first year. Your practice nurse can usually handle dressings and stitch removal. Outpatient physiotherapy may be available through an NHS referral depending on where you live, or privately, so budget for a few sessions just in case.
Ask every clinic one direct question in writing: if a complication needs further treatment, what do you cover, for how long, and does that include returning to Turkey? Policies differ, and a clear written answer is worth more than a reassuring phone call.
Second-visit preview
If the other hip is next
Timing: Surgeons commonly wait several months between hips, based on how well the first is healing. Your surgeon decides.
What is easier: You know the hospital, the hotel, the flat streets and the routine. Many patients find the second trip far calmer.
What to ask: Whether the same surgeon and implant system will be used, and whether returning patients receive a revised quote.
Saved for later: Topkap? Palace, a Bosphorus ferry ride and the hill streets of Balat, once your surgeon is happy with longer walks.
08 · The money
What the Istanbul figure usually covers
For comparison, private hip replacement in the UK is commonly estimated at $15,000 to $20,000 or more, roughly £11,500 to £15,500 at recent exchange rates, while the NHS provides it free after the wait. Turkish quotes are often given in US dollars, euros or sterling, so check which currency you will pay in and whether card fees apply.
Approximate package, Istanbul
$8,000 – $13,000
Roughly £6,000 to £10,000 depending on the exchange rate on the day
Usually included
- Surgeon and anaesthetist fees
- The implant agreed in your quote
- Pre-operative tests and X-rays
- Hospital stay, often 3 to 5 nights
- Inpatient physiotherapy and medication
- Airport, hotel and hospital transfers
- A set number of hotel nights and an interpreter or coordinator
Usually excluded
- Flights for you and your companion
- Specialist travel insurance
- Extra hotel nights beyond the package
- Companion's meals and outings
- Longer hospital stays if your recovery needs it
- Walking aids, home equipment and some take-home medicines
- Private physiotherapy in the UK
All figures are approximate recent estimates, not quotes. Inclusions differ between hospitals, so confirm every line with your chosen provider in a written, itemised quote.
09 · The last doubt
Will the price I am quoted still be the price when I land?
It should be, if the quote is written properly. A fixed quote names the surgeon, the hospital, the implant model, the number of hospital and hotel nights, and what is excluded. It also states what could trigger an extra charge, such as additional nights, a blood transfusion, a change of implant decided during surgery, or intensive care. If any of those lines is missing, ask for it before you pay a deposit.
PlacidWay can request itemised written quotes from accredited hospitals for you, share the surgeon's credentials and implant details, and help you compare cities on the points that matter to you. There is no obligation, and the clinical decisions stay between you and your surgeon.
Request my itemised hip quote for TurkeyHave your NHS X-ray report and medication list handy. It makes the first reply far more specific.
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