How to Check a Surgeon's Qualifications in Türkiye Before You Book

You have found a surgeon or dentist in Istanbul and the replies are friendly. Before you book, you want to know that the person who will treat you is a qualified specialist in exactly this field and does this procedure regularly. Here is how to check, for anything from jaw surgery or veneers to a joint replacement, and wherever you travel from: North America, Europe, the Gulf or elsewhere.

Quick answer

Get the surgeon's full name in writing, then check their specialist title in the exact field, their registration and their membership of the national specialist society. Ask how often they perform this procedure and who does each part of it. Confirm the facility's Ministry of Health authorisation and any international accreditation on the accreditor's own website, ask which implant, material or laser will be used, and meet the surgeon by video before you book.

Start with a full name, in writing

Everything else depends on this. Ask in writing who will examine you, who will operate and where; "our team" is not enough. With a full name you can check the specialist title and confirm on the hospital's own website that the surgeon works at the facility you will travel to.

Is the surgeon a specialist in this exact field?

In Türkiye, as in most countries, a doctor becomes a specialist only after specialty training in a named field, and dentistry has its own degree and specialties. Ask directly: "What is your specialist title?" Then check that it matches your treatment:

• Cosmetic surgery of the face, breasts or body: a specialist in plastic, reconstructive and aesthetic surgery, not a doctor from another field who also offers cosmetic work.
• Jaw surgery: an oral and maxillofacial surgeon, usually working with an orthodontist.
• Veneers, crowns and implants: a licensed dentist, and for complex cases a dental specialist such as a prosthodontist or an oral surgeon.
• Laser eye surgery or lens surgery: an ophthalmologist (eye surgeon).
• Knee or hip replacement: an orthopaedic and trauma surgeon, ideally one whose work focuses on joint replacement.
• Children's ear surgery: a plastic or ear, nose and throat (ENT) surgeon who regularly treats children, with an anaesthetist experienced with children.

How do I check registration and society membership?

• Ask for documents. Request a copy of the specialist certificate, and ask the hospital to confirm in writing that the surgeon is on its staff. A certificate in a chat message is a start, not proof.
• Check the national specialist society. Plastic surgeons can be members of the Turkish Society of Plastic Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons, and dentists are represented by the Turkish Dental Association. In other fields, ask which national specialist society they belong to and check its member list where one is published.
• International societies. Membership of a society such as ISAPS (aesthetic plastic surgery) can be checked on its website. It shows a professional link, not skill on its own.

How often does the surgeon do this exact procedure?

Experience in your procedure matters more than years in practice. Ask:

• How often do you perform this exact procedure, and what share of your work is it?
• Have you treated cases like mine, such as a revision or a child of my child's age?
• How do you handle complications, and what happens if a correction is needed?

A specialist who does this work regularly answers clearly.

Who does which part?

Ask who examines you and agrees the plan, who gives the anaesthesia (a qualified anaesthetist?), which steps, if any, are done by assistants or technicians, and who sees you before you fly home. For veneers, ask who prepares your teeth and which laboratory makes them; for laser eye surgery, who does the measurements. The person answering your first messages may be a patient adviser; that is normal, as long as a named clinician examines you and does the work.

Is the facility authorised and accredited?

In Türkiye, facilities that treat international patients need authorisation from the Ministry of Health. Ask for the facility's exact name, address and confirmation of this authorisation. If it holds an international accreditation such as JCI, check it on the accreditor's own website. Accreditation belongs to a facility, not a surgeon, so make sure the accredited site is where you will be treated.

Which implant, material or laser will be used?

Ask before you book:

• Knee or hip replacement or breast implants: the manufacturer and model, and a written implant record or card when you leave.
• Dental implants, veneers and crowns: the implant system, the material, and the written terms if a problem appears later.
• Laser eye surgery: the name and model of the laser platform and which procedure is planned.

Ask whether the product holds approval recognised at home, such as CE marking in Europe or FDA approval in the United States. Your own doctor will need these details.

Meet the surgeon by video

Ask for a video consultation with the surgeon or dentist who will treat you, not only an adviser. Send your records first, ask for an interpreter if needed, and afterwards ask for the plan in writing in your language.

Red flags to take seriously

• No name, or a name that changes.
• A specialist title in a different field from your treatment.
• Clinical questions answered only by a salesperson.
• An implant, material or laser "decided on the day".
• Promises of a specific result.

A coordinator such as Med World Türkiye can ask partner hospitals for these details, but see the documents yourself too.

Frequently asked questions

How do I check that a maxillofacial surgeon in Istanbul is properly qualified and does jaw surgery regularly?

Ask for the surgeon's full name and specialist title in writing: you are looking for a specialist in oral and maxillofacial surgery. Ask the hospital to confirm they work there, how often they perform jaw surgery and who plans your bite with them. Share your scans before a video consultation, and get the written plan before you book.

How do I check that a surgeon in Turkey is actually a qualified plastic surgeon and not a general doctor doing cosmetic work?

Ask for their specialist title: it should be plastic, reconstructive and aesthetic surgery. Ask for a copy of the specialist certificate, check whether they are a member of the Turkish Society of Plastic Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons, and ask the hospital to confirm in writing that they operate there.

How can I check that the dentist doing my veneers is properly licensed and not just a salesperson?

Ask in writing for the name and qualifications of the dentist who will examine you and prepare your teeth, whether a prosthodontist is involved, which laboratory makes the veneers and which material is used. The first person you talk to may be an adviser; what matters is that a named, licensed dentist examines you and does the work.

How do I check the eye surgeon's qualifications and which laser the clinic uses?

Ask for the surgeon's name, confirm they are an ophthalmologist and ask how often they perform your procedure. Ask for the name and model of the laser platform and who does the tests before surgery. Check the clinic's Ministry of Health authorisation and, if it claims accreditation, check that on the accreditor's site.

How can I check the surgeon's experience and which implant they plan to use for my knee or hip?

Ask for the orthopaedic surgeon's name and whether joint replacement is a focus of their work, and how often they perform your exact operation. Ask in writing which manufacturer and model of implant they plan to use, whether it has approval recognised in your country, and for an implant record when you leave hospital, so your doctor at home has it.

How can I check that a surgeon has real experience with children's ears?

Ask whether the surgeon is a plastic surgeon or an ENT surgeon, how often they treat children with your child's condition, and who gives the anaesthesia. Ask how the hospital cares for children before and after surgery and whether a parent can stay. Your surgeon decides the right age and timing; ask them to explain the reasons in writing.