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My Personal Review on Dr Saban Celebi
There is a phrase in Latin “Caveat emptor” that means let the buyer beware which reflects the medical tourism industry. You really do get what you pay for.
How to find the right doctor for you:
Number one is to be a good patient and have realistic expectations, doctors can only do so much and no result is ever 100% perfect. Rhinoplasty success rates are very dependent upon on communication and patient expectations.
It may also be a good idea to have counselling beforehand, not necessarily for the surgery, but for a general conversation about life and how you feel about yourself. I’ve had a therapist previously and highly recommend it even for simple things such as relationship issues and how you view yourself.
Once you’ve had some time to think things through and decide on a nose job, here are some things to watch out for when researching:
1. Surgeons only ever post the good results on their Instagram accounts of happy patients; it is a marketing tool for them. If you contact tagged patients, they will more than likely be happy with their result.
2. Google reviews are easily faked. When looking at reviews, always look at the 3-to-4-star ones as they will be more critical and reflective of the surgeon. Negative reviews are also really good because they prepare you for what can potentially go wrong.
3. Most reviews tend to focus on the end result which is important but pre- and post-operative care are just as important, this is a surgical procedure which may be cosmetic but does come with risks!
4. Real self is a fantastic website for research because they allow the negative reviews.
5. There are also many Facebook groups you can join where girls share their experiences and provide support and advice.
My review
I had a primary rhinoplasty with Dr Saban Celebi on 01 December 2020 and paid €2,800 for the total cost of the surgery.
Would I recommend Dr Saban?
Yes and no with certain conditions:
• Lower your expectations on the service - it’s nothing like in their promotional video of the patient journey
• Have realistic expectations on your outcome, your nose will not be ‘perfect’
• Prepare for everything yourself in terms of pre- and post-operative care
You will also need to do your own research and find the right surgeon for you; no two patient experiences are the exact same and the best thing you can do is not compare with others but make an informed decision and prepare for all possibilities.
Surgeon skill: 9/10
Communication: 3/10
Service: 1/10
Dr Saban is a fantastic surgeon and has created a great result for many hundreds of girls but I think the language barrier was too big of an issue for me. Surgery is a huge thing to undertake abroad and you need 100% trust in the surgeon and his team.
The communication, organisation and general responsiveness of his assistant has been very poor and this includes the period of time you are a patient with them in Istanbul.
During the consultation I relied on the assistant to translate and there was a miscommunication relating to asymmetry and my desired outcome. I accept that I was not prepared for the consultation and would have benefited from a secondary one, my advice is to send your wish pics to the assistant just before the consult so that Dr Saban has a point of reference before he creates the photo shop. Make sure to ask as many questions as you can and take a notebook with any questions you have. Maybe learn some key phrases related to rhinoplasty in Turkish as well.
Dr Saban created a photoshop of a very straight nose (side profile only) which I didn’t like, so I showed them a picture of a nose I liked which the assistant said was a Barbie nose, which I also didn’t want. I’d like to point out that we waited two hours for Dr Saban for the consult as he had to rush back to the hospital. During this time, I filled in some paperwork but at no point did the assistant ask me to send any wish pictures. In hindsight I should have sent these myself but I was expecting the option of looking at a curved nose vs a straight nose so that I could decide. I don’t think wish pics are useful because I don’t know if the noses that I like would suit my face, this is something I assumed would be discussed at the consult but it wasn’t. Overall, my consultation felt more of a formality than a personal experience but I think that with everyone wearing masks, it’s also harder to gauge what a person is saying without the facial expressions, so bare this in mind if travelling during the pandemic.
After the consult, I had a bad experience at a hair salon which basically set off my anxiety. I did my research on the salons, this was their flagship store, their Instagram is amazing and their reviews are fantastic. But the experience was terrible and triggered doubts about Dr Saban.
I started thinking about comments made from two girls in a WhatsApp group who said they didn't get the results they wanted from Dr Saban because of poor communication and I thought about the morph of a straight nose I didn’t like. At that point I already wanted to cry and then I remembered the form I signed before the consult which mentioned the risk of death but no reference to next of kin. . . I came to Istanbul alone and have only told a few close friends. I ended up having a panic attack for the first time in years.
Around 9pm that evening I was getting ready to sleep as I had been told the surgery was at 8am but I received a call from the assistant explaining the surgery would be at 12 instead as something had come up and that the other assistant would meet me at the hotel. Then on the day, it was only the driver who doesn’t speak English and I met the other assistant at the hospital. I appreciate that things change but it’s so frustrating when you’re already anxious.
I did not sleep that night before surgery and ended up sending the assistant several messages asking to speak to the surgeon before the operation. He said Dr Saban would speak to me just before the surgery, which both the assistant and Dr Saban did do and took my concerns into consideration fully, this was whilst I was lying on the surgery bed just after the cannula had gone in but before the anaesthesia. They don’t come to your room before the surgery, like in the video they’ve created. Also, you don’t read the paperwork in the room in a calm setting, you are literally rushed through signing everything in the hospital office and paying there and then. I got the impression the hospital operates that way as they need to create a file for you before you can see the anaesthetist who agrees the surgery and then you get sent to the room.
My entire experience before the surgery was terrible, I was stressed, anxious, I hadn’t eaten or slept and felt like I was about to walk straight into another scam. The next of kin thing really bothered me as well because that is the most basic thing, they need to know in case something happens. And I was not offered a sedative before surgery and was incredibly anxious until the operation began, this is very bad because high blood pressure means increased bleeding which leads to increased swelling and scar tissue.
Surgery and after
The surgery and the one night in the hospital was probably the best experience I had because I felt safe and looked after.
The hospital:
Dr Saban works from Medilife Ba?c?lar Hospital which is a private hospital for Turkish patients. It is nothing like the fancy memorial hospital which is for foreign patients. The hospital is very busy and there are only two elevators you need to use to go up floors (yup even in a pandemic). Very few people speak English (aside from Saban’s assistants) so I was relying on google translate when they were not there.
When you first get there, you need to sign a lot of documents and pay the money in cash. I felt this was really rushed and you don’t get a chance to read what you sign but I guess it is the generic legal stuff most hospitals make you sign. I got in a huff and asked for the documents to be sent to me by email so I at least would know what I had signed but they could only scan a copy (the one in Turkish). No next of kin is requested either which I thought was very strange but maybe it just means the team are 100% confident nothing will happen?
Once that’s all done, one of Saban’s assistants and two hospital staff take you to the anaesthetist who looks through your file- blood test results, COVID-19 test result and will ask questions about your health in English. He was cool.
You are then taken to your room which is very clean and simple. The first thing I did was close all the room blinds and windows and check the heating was on. You will be freezing after surgery so this is very important. Also, you should ask for a spare blanket as well and place it on the table next to the bed. When you get back to that room after surgery, you will need it.
In the room you are given the hospital gowns, mine tied from the back and was very see through so I was hiding under the blanket as much as I could lol. Around 10 minutes before your “scheduled” surgery time, a nurse will come with the surgery bed you need to climb on and get wheeled to the operating room. I felt like I was waiting ages outside the operating room hearing everyone going in and out, the assistant even arrived at this point and we talked about the concerns I had with the morph of a straight nose and he spoke to Dr Saban as well. I thought that was really good as they really listened to my concerns and took it on board.
THEN the worst thing ever, they insert the cannula in your left hand. That was so painful.
Eventually you are wheeled into the operating room and the anaesthetist will talk to you until you switch off, it’s almost instant and quite impressive.
You should wake up back in your room disorientated. Don’t get out of bed, touch your nose or ask for water until they say it’s okay. I got up straight away to check the mirror in the bathroom and was told off in case I fell and hurt my nose, ooops lol. You can’t drink water for a few hours either until they say it’s okay.
I was given dinner and breakfast, which had very good menu options, light food good for after surgery. I’ve seen in a YouTube vlog a girl was given a big carb heavy meal after her surgery which is not good, especially because chewing is impossible. You will need to take rabbit bites.
So, in terms of pain, yes, you will feel crappy. The nose feels stuffy and numb, my upper lip/teeth were really sore and I had this intense headache type pain as well. They do leave a glove full of ice on your head to help and you should get pain meds in the cannula.
In terms of the timeframe, I was picked up from hotel by driver at 10, met with assistant by the hospital door at 10.30, rushed through the process and got to my room for 11.15ish and was taken to surgery at 11.50. Not sure when my surgery was but I woke up at 4.30pm in my room.
The next morning, the assistant went to pick up the medicine (between 170 and 200 TL) and explained how and when to use them. I got back to the hotel for around 10am.
I was happy with everything just after the surgery, I had little to no issues (no throwing up, excess bleeding etc) just the expected pain. I wish I spoke Turkish because it would have been nice to talk to some of the people there but ah well.
Recovery and Cast removal day
Following surgery, I was expecting the assistant to message daily to check in, nope. You are left to your own devices and even at this point expect your messages to go unread for a few hours. My swelling was pretty bad because I did not Ice in the first day after surgery and I did have some bruising under my eyes as well.
Removing the cast and inserts was very painful. I’m so use to having my dentist talk me through the pain, e.g., take a deep breath, you will feel a pinch, this will be over soon, etc but nope none of that. It was painful but over soon enough.
When I saw the nose in the mirror, I burst into tears and said I hated it. The assistant did say it was swelling but I thought I looked ridiculous. Dr Saban added more tape and gave me a note to say I was okay to travel. I did ask if I should tape or massage the nose but the assistant said he would send me a video of the massaging technique but that I didn’t need to tape.
I did write down a list of questions I was going to ask Saban but the assistant took the note and answered. I should have practiced the words in Turkish so that at least I’d have some communication with Dr Saban directly.
Summary
So, in summary, the after care, before care and just general communication and organisation is very poor but the surgeon is excellent.
My advice
Learn phrase in Turkish! Especially ones relating to rhinoplasty so that you have some basic communication with the surgeon
Prepare for the consultation- know exactly what you want and ask a hundred questions
Research, research, research- plan your own pre- and post-operative care- what you will need, what you will be doing, what you will be eating etc
If you can bring someone with you, Istanbul is beautiful and they will enjoy it. If you can’t, try and meet up with others going through the same experience, it’s really good to have that shared experience.
Please talk to people on the Facebook rhinoplasty pages, I called my friends and family every day but the FB Rhinoplasty groups have been incredibly useful and supportive. You will want to talk to others who have been through the same experience.
Additional notes:
I also want to add that in the UK you get the service and care but the results are questionable.
Also, to note is that western cosmetic surgeons rarely publish their revision rate statistics for patients because essentially, they are running a business for profit. There is little transparency in the industry overall.
When a shared my review on Facebook, I received a comment that I think summaries everything perfectly:
“There is always a compromise to pay, in a way, you may have a great surgeon and unfortunately bad experience with the rest, or a not so good surgeon and brilliant communication, unfortunately we always have to find a balance and what's more important to us. I think I would still consider this doctor for his good work and reputation, despite the communication not being ideal”.
How to find the right doctor for you:
Number one is to be a good patient and have realistic expectations, doctors can only do so much and no result is ever 100% perfect. Rhinoplasty success rates are very dependent upon on communication and patient expectations.
It may also be a good idea to have counselling beforehand, not necessarily for the surgery, but for a general conversation about life and how you feel about yourself. I’ve had a therapist previously and highly recommend it even for simple things such as relationship issues and how you view yourself.
Once you’ve had some time to think things through and decide on a nose job, here are some things to watch out for when researching:
1. Surgeons only ever post the good results on their Instagram accounts of happy patients; it is a marketing tool for them. If you contact tagged patients, they will more than likely be happy with their result.
2. Google reviews are easily faked. When looking at reviews, always look at the 3-to-4-star ones as they will be more critical and reflective of the surgeon. Negative reviews are also really good because they prepare you for what can potentially go wrong.
3. Most reviews tend to focus on the end result which is important but pre- and post-operative care are just as important, this is a surgical procedure which may be cosmetic but does come with risks!
4. Real self is a fantastic website for research because they allow the negative reviews.
5. There are also many Facebook groups you can join where girls share their experiences and provide support and advice.
My review
I had a primary rhinoplasty with Dr Saban Celebi on 01 December 2020 and paid €2,800 for the total cost of the surgery.
Would I recommend Dr Saban?
Yes and no with certain conditions:
• Lower your expectations on the service - it’s nothing like in their promotional video of the patient journey
• Have realistic expectations on your outcome, your nose will not be ‘perfect’
• Prepare for everything yourself in terms of pre- and post-operative care
You will also need to do your own research and find the right surgeon for you; no two patient experiences are the exact same and the best thing you can do is not compare with others but make an informed decision and prepare for all possibilities.
Surgeon skill: 9/10
Communication: 3/10
Service: 1/10
Dr Saban is a fantastic surgeon and has created a great result for many hundreds of girls but I think the language barrier was too big of an issue for me. Surgery is a huge thing to undertake abroad and you need 100% trust in the surgeon and his team.
The communication, organisation and general responsiveness of his assistant has been very poor and this includes the period of time you are a patient with them in Istanbul.
During the consultation I relied on the assistant to translate and there was a miscommunication relating to asymmetry and my desired outcome. I accept that I was not prepared for the consultation and would have benefited from a secondary one, my advice is to send your wish pics to the assistant just before the consult so that Dr Saban has a point of reference before he creates the photo shop. Make sure to ask as many questions as you can and take a notebook with any questions you have. Maybe learn some key phrases related to rhinoplasty in Turkish as well.
Dr Saban created a photoshop of a very straight nose (side profile only) which I didn’t like, so I showed them a picture of a nose I liked which the assistant said was a Barbie nose, which I also didn’t want. I’d like to point out that we waited two hours for Dr Saban for the consult as he had to rush back to the hospital. During this time, I filled in some paperwork but at no point did the assistant ask me to send any wish pictures. In hindsight I should have sent these myself but I was expecting the option of looking at a curved nose vs a straight nose so that I could decide. I don’t think wish pics are useful because I don’t know if the noses that I like would suit my face, this is something I assumed would be discussed at the consult but it wasn’t. Overall, my consultation felt more of a formality than a personal experience but I think that with everyone wearing masks, it’s also harder to gauge what a person is saying without the facial expressions, so bare this in mind if travelling during the pandemic.
After the consult, I had a bad experience at a hair salon which basically set off my anxiety. I did my research on the salons, this was their flagship store, their Instagram is amazing and their reviews are fantastic. But the experience was terrible and triggered doubts about Dr Saban.
I started thinking about comments made from two girls in a WhatsApp group who said they didn't get the results they wanted from Dr Saban because of poor communication and I thought about the morph of a straight nose I didn’t like. At that point I already wanted to cry and then I remembered the form I signed before the consult which mentioned the risk of death but no reference to next of kin. . . I came to Istanbul alone and have only told a few close friends. I ended up having a panic attack for the first time in years.
Around 9pm that evening I was getting ready to sleep as I had been told the surgery was at 8am but I received a call from the assistant explaining the surgery would be at 12 instead as something had come up and that the other assistant would meet me at the hotel. Then on the day, it was only the driver who doesn’t speak English and I met the other assistant at the hospital. I appreciate that things change but it’s so frustrating when you’re already anxious.
I did not sleep that night before surgery and ended up sending the assistant several messages asking to speak to the surgeon before the operation. He said Dr Saban would speak to me just before the surgery, which both the assistant and Dr Saban did do and took my concerns into consideration fully, this was whilst I was lying on the surgery bed just after the cannula had gone in but before the anaesthesia. They don’t come to your room before the surgery, like in the video they’ve created. Also, you don’t read the paperwork in the room in a calm setting, you are literally rushed through signing everything in the hospital office and paying there and then. I got the impression the hospital operates that way as they need to create a file for you before you can see the anaesthetist who agrees the surgery and then you get sent to the room.
My entire experience before the surgery was terrible, I was stressed, anxious, I hadn’t eaten or slept and felt like I was about to walk straight into another scam. The next of kin thing really bothered me as well because that is the most basic thing, they need to know in case something happens. And I was not offered a sedative before surgery and was incredibly anxious until the operation began, this is very bad because high blood pressure means increased bleeding which leads to increased swelling and scar tissue.
Surgery and after
The surgery and the one night in the hospital was probably the best experience I had because I felt safe and looked after.
The hospital:
Dr Saban works from Medilife Ba?c?lar Hospital which is a private hospital for Turkish patients. It is nothing like the fancy memorial hospital which is for foreign patients. The hospital is very busy and there are only two elevators you need to use to go up floors (yup even in a pandemic). Very few people speak English (aside from Saban’s assistants) so I was relying on google translate when they were not there.
When you first get there, you need to sign a lot of documents and pay the money in cash. I felt this was really rushed and you don’t get a chance to read what you sign but I guess it is the generic legal stuff most hospitals make you sign. I got in a huff and asked for the documents to be sent to me by email so I at least would know what I had signed but they could only scan a copy (the one in Turkish). No next of kin is requested either which I thought was very strange but maybe it just means the team are 100% confident nothing will happen?
Once that’s all done, one of Saban’s assistants and two hospital staff take you to the anaesthetist who looks through your file- blood test results, COVID-19 test result and will ask questions about your health in English. He was cool.
You are then taken to your room which is very clean and simple. The first thing I did was close all the room blinds and windows and check the heating was on. You will be freezing after surgery so this is very important. Also, you should ask for a spare blanket as well and place it on the table next to the bed. When you get back to that room after surgery, you will need it.
In the room you are given the hospital gowns, mine tied from the back and was very see through so I was hiding under the blanket as much as I could lol. Around 10 minutes before your “scheduled” surgery time, a nurse will come with the surgery bed you need to climb on and get wheeled to the operating room. I felt like I was waiting ages outside the operating room hearing everyone going in and out, the assistant even arrived at this point and we talked about the concerns I had with the morph of a straight nose and he spoke to Dr Saban as well. I thought that was really good as they really listened to my concerns and took it on board.
THEN the worst thing ever, they insert the cannula in your left hand. That was so painful.
Eventually you are wheeled into the operating room and the anaesthetist will talk to you until you switch off, it’s almost instant and quite impressive.
You should wake up back in your room disorientated. Don’t get out of bed, touch your nose or ask for water until they say it’s okay. I got up straight away to check the mirror in the bathroom and was told off in case I fell and hurt my nose, ooops lol. You can’t drink water for a few hours either until they say it’s okay.
I was given dinner and breakfast, which had very good menu options, light food good for after surgery. I’ve seen in a YouTube vlog a girl was given a big carb heavy meal after her surgery which is not good, especially because chewing is impossible. You will need to take rabbit bites.
So, in terms of pain, yes, you will feel crappy. The nose feels stuffy and numb, my upper lip/teeth were really sore and I had this intense headache type pain as well. They do leave a glove full of ice on your head to help and you should get pain meds in the cannula.
In terms of the timeframe, I was picked up from hotel by driver at 10, met with assistant by the hospital door at 10.30, rushed through the process and got to my room for 11.15ish and was taken to surgery at 11.50. Not sure when my surgery was but I woke up at 4.30pm in my room.
The next morning, the assistant went to pick up the medicine (between 170 and 200 TL) and explained how and when to use them. I got back to the hotel for around 10am.
I was happy with everything just after the surgery, I had little to no issues (no throwing up, excess bleeding etc) just the expected pain. I wish I spoke Turkish because it would have been nice to talk to some of the people there but ah well.
Recovery and Cast removal day
Following surgery, I was expecting the assistant to message daily to check in, nope. You are left to your own devices and even at this point expect your messages to go unread for a few hours. My swelling was pretty bad because I did not Ice in the first day after surgery and I did have some bruising under my eyes as well.
Removing the cast and inserts was very painful. I’m so use to having my dentist talk me through the pain, e.g., take a deep breath, you will feel a pinch, this will be over soon, etc but nope none of that. It was painful but over soon enough.
When I saw the nose in the mirror, I burst into tears and said I hated it. The assistant did say it was swelling but I thought I looked ridiculous. Dr Saban added more tape and gave me a note to say I was okay to travel. I did ask if I should tape or massage the nose but the assistant said he would send me a video of the massaging technique but that I didn’t need to tape.
I did write down a list of questions I was going to ask Saban but the assistant took the note and answered. I should have practiced the words in Turkish so that at least I’d have some communication with Dr Saban directly.
Summary
So, in summary, the after care, before care and just general communication and organisation is very poor but the surgeon is excellent.
My advice
Learn phrase in Turkish! Especially ones relating to rhinoplasty so that you have some basic communication with the surgeon
Prepare for the consultation- know exactly what you want and ask a hundred questions
Research, research, research- plan your own pre- and post-operative care- what you will need, what you will be doing, what you will be eating etc
If you can bring someone with you, Istanbul is beautiful and they will enjoy it. If you can’t, try and meet up with others going through the same experience, it’s really good to have that shared experience.
Please talk to people on the Facebook rhinoplasty pages, I called my friends and family every day but the FB Rhinoplasty groups have been incredibly useful and supportive. You will want to talk to others who have been through the same experience.
Additional notes:
I also want to add that in the UK you get the service and care but the results are questionable.
Also, to note is that western cosmetic surgeons rarely publish their revision rate statistics for patients because essentially, they are running a business for profit. There is little transparency in the industry overall.
When a shared my review on Facebook, I received a comment that I think summaries everything perfectly:
“There is always a compromise to pay, in a way, you may have a great surgeon and unfortunately bad experience with the rest, or a not so good surgeon and brilliant communication, unfortunately we always have to find a balance and what's more important to us. I think I would still consider this doctor for his good work and reputation, despite the communication not being ideal”.
Provider Review
Dr Saban celebi