08 Sep 2023 Hernia Journey to Istanbul
Hernia Istanbul is a specialized center focused on the comprehensive diagnosis and treatment of abdominal wall hernias and chronic groin pain. We understand that many individuals suffer from hernias, often delaying treatment due to concerns about pain, time off work, or fears of surgical complications. Our approach is highly personalized, ensuring that each patient’s unique needs are met.
Hernia surgery is a quality of life surgery. If you have a hernia in your groin, navel, or surgical incision site, and it is causing pain, growing progressively larger, and you are not satisfied with its appearance, getting surgery is the best solution. Especially incisional hernias grow rapidly, while others grow slowly and disrupt your quality of life. Early hernia surgery is easy for both the patient and the surgeon.
Dr. Hakan Gök, MD, FEBS AWS, Head of the Center, is a distinguished European Board-certified Abdominal Wall and Hernia Surgeon. With over 25 years of expertise in inguinal, umbilical, incisional, and other abdominal wall hernia repairs, he offers a range of surgical options including open, laparoscopic, and robotic techniques. Each treatment is meticulously tailored to the specific conditions of the individual patient.
We accept international patients. Deciding to travel to a foreign country for surgery is a significant decision that brings about many questions. The more details you know, the less stress you’ll experience, ultimately positively affecting your post-operative recovery. That’s why I’ve written this blog post to minimize the unknowns on this hernia journey.
Before the surgery
When you decide to come to our hernia center for surgery, you should contact us to book a surgery date. Once this is done, everything else will be shaped accordingly. The day before the surgery, we will see you in the office for consultation and ultrasound. Typically, you can return as early as 2 days after the surgery. This will roughly help you plan your flight. However, before booking a flight ticket, we recommend agreeing with us on a longer stay from a medical perspective.
Consultation and Ultrasound
First and foremost, unless there is a highly specialized situation, we want to see the patient the day before the surgery. I examine the patient in my office, conduct a thorough examination, and perform an ultrasound scan of the entire abdominal wall. The ultrasound provides detailed information about the hernia and helps us identify potential other hernias. This is particularly important for groin hernias to understand the condition of the other side. If I have decided in advance, we also quickly perform a CT scan of the entire abdomen and evaluate it. We discuss the findings and treatment plans with the patient in detail. It’s beneficial to jot down your questions before coming.
The operation
Unless it is a highly complicated hernia, most inguinal, umbilical, and incisional hernias are performed as a day surgery basis using open, laparoscopic (keyhole), or robotic techniques. This means you won’t stay in the hospital for more than 24 hours. Pain is generally minimal, and you can walk out of the hospital unassisted. We usually conduct a follow-up examination 2 days later, and then you can return to your home. We perform the surgeries in our own clinic or, especially for laparoscopic and robotic surgery, in excellently equipped private hospitals. Istanbul is a very large city. Both the clinic and the other hospitals we work with are centrally located and easily accessible. You will typically be admitted to the hospital on the day of the surgery. Necessary consultations, such as pre-operative tests and consultations with the anesthesiologist, are carried out once you’re admitted. These can be done very quickly. During the surgery, a close family member can accompany you in the hospital. We use meshes in most hernia surgeries to support the weakened hernia area. We are very familiar with these meshes and closely follow developments in this field. We use the highest quality meshes that are compatible with the body. This is the most important aspect for us. This mesh will stay in your body for a lifetime and must be of very high quality. We never compromise on this.
The day after the operation
If you stay overnight at the hospital, we’ll see you in the morning and discharge you. We recommend spending this day resting in your hotel. Since we perform hernia repairs through small incisions in laparoscopic and robotic surgery, there is usually little pain. We will provide you with pain relievers, ensuring a comfortable recovery process. We will cover the incisions with a waterproof sterile dressing, so you can take a shower right away.
Two days after the surgery, usually in the morning (we’ll adjust according to your flight if you’re flying that day), we’ll see you at the clinic for a follow-up appointment and then see you off.
The prescription
Almost all hernia surgeries fall into the clean surgery category. Since we use a mesh, we administer a single dose of prophylactic antibiotics before the surgery. Once the surgery is complete and the wound is closed, there is no longer any need for antibiotics, as you will no longer be exposed to contamination from the outside. Since there is minimal pain after hernia surgery, you will experience a comfortable healing process with simple pain relievers after the surgery. You will not need pain relievers for more than 3-5 days. Despite hearing different experiences from the internet or other patients, we are very confident that this will not be the case. Our extensive experience with a large group of patients over many years leads us to make this claim so confidently. Let me give you an example of a laparoscopic inguinal hernia: zero pain at all, and if you had experienced the most severe pain of 10; it will be 3-4 immediately after the surgery, 0-2 after a few hours, and 0-1 when you are discharged. The painkillers we administer intravenously in the hospital will be very effective in the early stages. Afterwards, you won’t need them.
The sutures
In almost all surgeries, we use absorbable sutures for the skin and place them under the skin. So, you won’t have the hassle of getting stitches removed.
Operation note
We always send a detailed report to each of our patients after the surgery. We believe that the most important document that can be given to a patient is a surgery report. This report includes the location and characteristics of the hernia, the technique applied, the specifications and placement of the mesh, along the commonly used codes in hernia surgery.
Flight to and from Istanbul
The best way to come to Istanbul is to fly with Turkish Airlines (THY). THY flies to more countries than any other airline in the world. THY flights to 110+ countries from Istanbul. It provides a unique travel experience. You can book your flight through the link https://www.turkishairlines.com/en-int/
Accommodation and Transfers
You can seek assistance from our patient advisors. They will help you both in arranging your accommodation and with transfers from the airport. We recommend choosing a hotel close to our clinic.
Language
We speak English. We have interpreters in many foreign languages in our clinic to assist you.
Sightseeing in Istanbul
Istanbul is a magnificent city with a rich history. For those on a short visit, I recommend two things: visiting the Grand Bazaar and taking a Bosphorus boat trip. Each will take half a day, but you will absolutely love them. Additionally, Istanbul boasts excellent shopping malls featuring renowned global brands and restaurants offering delectable Turkish cuisine served with warm hospitality.
Note: The image used in the title shows the view of the Grand Bazaar from the rooftop.
Contact
You can reach us via WhatsApp at +905454195300 for messaging and calls. Please consider the local time when contacting us.
Our email address is [email protected] Our average response time is 6 hours. Please check your spam folder as replies may occasionally end up there.
For information regarding our contact details, address, map location, and social media accounts, you can visit https://linktr.ee/herniaistanbul which is our smart link.
