The Only Doctor Who Could Truly Help Me

I found Dr. Hadi Nural a few years ago as I was researching different ways to deal with my specific tear-trough deformity, and came upon his Vertical Space Lift paper which described a (scarless!) midface lift achieved through the same minor incision of a Transcutaneous Lower Blepharoplasty. The technique described was simply innovative, and far beyond the traditional endoscopic / short-scar / temporal-suspension midface lifts. It was the first time I saw a surgical technique that directly addressed the tear-trough, while also providing eye/cheek/nasolabial/jowl rejuvenation. I spent a lot of time researching every alternative for this, but ultimately, it was obvious the VSL technique was the only true way to deal with the malar bags / festoons / edema that I was developing for many years.

Further research showed me the impressive work Dr. Hadi did in general, especially with respect to Male Rhinoplasty. There wasn’t a man’s nose he did that I didn’t like - even the shape of the nostrils were always good - I had never seen such a consistent portfolio of results before. Growing up, I had multiple surgeries just for my breathing, which still was not perfect. As a teenager I also had a rhinoplasty where the doctor still left me with a slightly crooked (but mostly ok) nose. Each doctor I saw specialized in one part of the nose (form or function), but not both. So when I saw Dr. Hadi was also an ENT, I realized he was one of a very few people that could also fully address my breathing and symmetry issues in a comprehensive and holistic way, while providing extremely natural and masculine results.

As such, I realized the combination of skills and expertise of Dr. Hadi was truly one-of-a-kind, and so I decided to reach out to his team. After we started talking, we had a video phone interview and once he saw my face with movement he indicated he could easily address my issues (other doctors I had discussions with told me they couldn’t help me in my particular case). That was a relief - because the Vertical Space Lift was the procedure I most wanted and the main reason I wanted to go to him, and would not have gone if I was not a good candidate. Meeting Dr. Hadi in person was also a truly great experience - in many ways, he was like a father-figure, making sure I was making the best decisions and dissuading me from things he felt I did not need. He was very friendly, warm, and had a light-hearted humour which was very comforting. Ultimately, I decided to have the Vertical Space Lift, Revision Rhinoplasty, Submentoplasty, and Fat Transfer. We reviewed the action-plan the morning of, and once everything was settled - he actually personally drove me to and from the hospital himself - which was a very cool and personal experience that I did not expect. In Turkey, you often hear horror stories about how some surgeons delegate the work to others leaving people with horrible results, but Dr. Hadi provided the complete opposite experience with not only doing all the surgeries himself, but also by becoming my personal chauffeur :) Normally, most of the work is done at their clinic, but I had 7-8 hours of surgery so they put me in the hospital to ensure I was looked after overnight.

The surgeries themselves went well, although afterwards it was a difficult recovery for the first two days due to the extensive work that was done - but not related to the procedures directly. In my case, after being prone for 7-8 hours a lot of swelling developed in random places throughout my body so it made some movement difficult at first, so it was good that I was in the hospital where they paid extra attention to me. The swelling subsided, so the next challenge was dealing with nervousness about the results, but the week after when I saw the results for the first time, I was extremely relieved and happy. When Dr. Hadi went through such a huge list of issues he fixed with just my nose I couldn’t believe it - you get used to the way you are and that becomes your normal, such that you don’t often realize how much better it could be. In my case, the grass was really greener on the other side - when I breathed in through my fixed nose for the first time, I felt a clarity of breathing I had never experienced before - I couldn’t believe this is what I was missing for most of my life! And of course, two weeks after surgery, my nose is looking really great and natural also - I still look like me, just a better version. Early results of the VSL, Submentoplasty, and fat transfer are looking good too, but still there is a long way to go until the final result. I really appreciate that I had 3 immediate in-office follow-ups after my procedures as well, which further illustrated the high level of care provided. I am so thankful I decided to do all this with him, and for what I needed and wanted - I believe he is the only doctor in the world that could have done this!

Overall, the whole experience of coming to a foreign country alone for intensive surgery was really great - and for this I also really need to take a moment to thank Ecem - smart, charming, beautiful, and kind - who took care of me from start to finish. Without her consistent communication, care, effort, and honesty, this experience would have not been nearly as easy as it was. Time-and-time again she went out of her way to ensure I was comfortable (e.g. massaging some of my post-surgery swelling), responding to my messages late in her night, and amusingly even touching a man’s feet for the first time to help me dress when I had a hard time moving :) She arranged everything for me - airport pickup/dropoff, hotel accommodations/recommendations, aftercare medications - eased my concerns, and she accompanied me at every moment even at the hospital. Naturally, she was there to welcome me back after surgery as well. I came to Antalya alone, but I was not alone thanks to her. I cannot thank her enough for taking care of me as much as she did.

Thank you Dr. Hadi, thank you Ecem, and thank you Mediface!