Neurosurgery in Turkey

Neurosurgery is a medical specialty that focuses on the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of disorders/diseases or injury that affects any portion of the nervous system, including the brain, spinal cord, spinal column, and peripheral nerves. This specialty includes both adult and pediatric patients. A physician who specializes in neurosurgery is called a neurosurgeon. Although they are mostly known as ‘brain surgeons,’ they are also medically trained to help patients who suffer from neck and back pain, as well as a wide range of other illnesses. Some of the most common conditions that neurosurgeons can treat include:

• Meningitis
• Traumatic head injury
• Cervical spine disorders
• Sciatica
• Herniated disc
• Stroke
• Chronic pain
• Carotid artery disease
• Pituitary tumors
• Brain tumors
• Hydrocephalus
• Trigeminal neuralgia
• Spine tumors
• Vertebral fractures
• Sciatica
• Lumbar spinal stenosis.

A neurosurgeon can provide diagnostic procedures, as well as both surgical and non-surgical treatment. These include, but are not limited to:

• Computerized Tomography (CT) scan
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
• Lumbar Puncture
• Electroencephalography (EEG)
• Ultrasonography (USG)
• Biopsy
• Aneurysm repair
• Tumor removal
• Trauma repair
• Clot removal
• Deep brain stimulation (DBS)
• Brain stereotactic radiosurgery
• Epilepsy surgery
• Fetal surgery
• Endovascular treatment
• Endoscopic procedures
• Hyperhidrosis surgery, such as endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy
• Seizure surgery
• Spinal fusion
• Trigeminal neuralgia surgery.

How Long Should I Stay in Turkey?

Your length of stay depends on the type of procedure you underwent. For diagnostic tests, you may need to stay in Turkey for 3 to 7 days to wait until the results are ready and to discuss the results with your neurosurgeon. In some cases, you may be allowed to leave for home immediately. For medical treatments, you usually need to stay in the hospital for two to five days, and stay in Turkey for 7 to 14 more days, sometimes even longer. During your stay, you will have to attend regular checkups where your neurosurgeon monitors your condition. If everything is fine, you will be allowed to travel home.

What's the Expected Recovery Time?

Since there is a wide range of procedures, recovery times vary. In general, it can take around 4 to 12 weeks to recover from surgery. During this period avoid strenuous activities and take time off of work. Your doctor will gradually allow you to increase your activity levels, based on their examination at the follow-up visits. 

What Aftercare is Required?

After neurosurgery treatments, you will have to change your lifestyle. A healthy diet, such as keeping your salt levels down and avoiding sugary food, is crucial to prevent complications. It is also important that you exercise regularly and get enough sleep. For some types of surgery, you will need rehabilitation therapy, such as physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech, language therapy. 

What's the Success Rate?

Given the advances in technology, understanding of the nervous system, and surgical understanding, the success rate of neurosurgery continues to improve and is now higher than before. For example, the success rate of endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy (ETS) is around 95%, while the likelihood of being seizure-free five years after epilepsy surgery is around 95%. Still, every procedure come with potential risks and side effects, such as infection, excessive swelling of the brain, spinal fluid leakage, and seizures.

Are there Alternatives?

If you have any conditions related to your nervous system, you can go to a neurologist as the alternative. However, since neurologists do not perform surgery, they will refer you to a neurosurgeon should surgery be required as part of your treatment.

Neurosurgery in and around Turkey

About Turkey

Where East meets West – Turkey is considered to be both Asia and Europe, with 95% of its landmass being located in Asia. Rich in culture and history, a land once inhabited by some of history’s greatest empires, including most recently the Ottoman Empire and long before that, the Roman and Byzantine Empires. Of Turkey’s 1,200+ medical facilities, of which many are JCI-accredited and this includes an even mix of publicly and privately owned hospitals and clinics.

700,000 annual medical tourists are drawn to Turkey each year, traveling from all across the globe, particularly from within Europe and the Middle East, many of which travel for Neurosurgery procedures. Dental, Cosmetic, Bariatric, and Reproductive procedures are most common, including Veneers, Hair Transplants, Gastric Bypass Surgeries, and IVF. Popular medical tourism destinations outside of the capital, Ankara, of course, include Istanbul and other regions like Antalya and Izmir.

Popular Parts of Turkey

With a population of around 85 million, Turkey has a landmass of nearly 800,000 square km. The capital city is Ankara, located inland, however, Istanbul is the most populous and most recognized city in Turkey with some 15 million inhabitants. Straddling both Europe and Asia, the city attracts 13 million tourists each year, making it the fifth most popular tourist destination in the world.

Other popular areas include Antalya in the south and Izmir is the west. The east of the country is generally less popular among tourists due to the ongoing Kurdish-Turkish conflict, and more recently due to its close proximity to both Syria and Iraq.

Holiday resorts in the south, such as Marmaris and Bodrum are ever popular with sunseekers looking for reasonably priced all-inclusive 5-star luxury hotels to vacation in.

The discovery of the world’s oldest known megalithic site at Gobekli Tepe in the South-Eastern Anatolia Region has cast much doubt over mankind’s ancient history and consequently attracts a sizable number of ‘History Tourists’. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is believed to be over 11,000 years old, built during a time humans were understood to be simple hunter-gatherers.   

Weather and Climate in Turkey

Being located on the Mediterranean Sea, the south coast of Turkey benefits from the cooling sea breeze, however, this doesn’t take away from the extreme heat experienced during the summer months of June, through August, where temperatures can reach up into the ‘40s (104°F). During Spring and Autumn, the weather is much cooler and winters are mild.

Given the sheer size of the country, Turkey does not have consistent weather throughout; the central area is mostly semi-arid steppe, whilst the Black Sea region in the north is far milder than the southern Mediterranean Sea region.

Mosquitos and sandflies can be an issue, particularly in coastal regions during the summer, so be sure to protect against them. Malaria is extremely uncommon but seeks the advice of a medical professional before traveling.

Getting around in Turkey

Istanbul’s famous Ataturk International Airport sits 24 km outside the city and is home to the ever-popular Turkish Airlines. Most other major airlines service Ataturk, which is often used as a stopover destination for travelers between Europe and Asia. All the other major cities are serviced by their own international airports, with several low-cost domestic airlines joining them together, including AtlasGlobal, IZair, Onur Air, Pegasus Airlines, and SunExpress.

For those preferring to travel by land, Turkey has a few express train routes linking the major cities, most notably, Istanbul to Ankara. City buses are reliable and good value, whilst taxis are cheap, but be sure to negotiate the price before beginning any journey.

Tourist Visas in Turkey

Visa restrictions are minimal, with 90 days per visit for many nationalities being easily obtainable. However, e-visas are required in advance for a fee prior to arrival for those holding US, UK, Australian, Chinese, and Spanish passports, to name a few. The likes of French, German, Russian, and Singaporean passport holders can enter visa-free.

For Indian and Pakistani nationals, conditional e-visas are available on arrival at Ataturk International Airport only and expire after just 30 days. For more information on visa requirements, refer to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website. 

Additional Information

1. The Turkish Lira (TRY) is the local currency where $1 USD is worth about 18 TRY, having experienced heavy fluctuations recently.
2. ATMs are in abundance across Turkey and accept all bank cards (Visa, Mastercard). Credit card and Amex payments are accepted in most restaurants and outlets, with more local food vendors or food market stalls, only accepting cash. Tipping is expected as service is not included at restaurants, this is usually between 5-10%. Taxi rides tend not to be tipped, just rounded up.
3. Turkish is the local language with the eastern Kurds speaking Kurdish too. English is spoken by many locals working in tourist locations, including major cities.
4. Islam (99.8%) is by far the main religion in Turkey, with a tiny Christian population (0.2%). Turkey is, however, a secular country where there is no ‘official’ state religion. Various elements of traditional culture remain, with much being modernized or ‘Westernized’.
5. There are many public holidays, most notably Labor Day and Commemoration of Ataturk in May, Ramazan Feast in June, Kurban Bayrami in August, and Republic Day at the end of October.