For patients in South Africa

ENT surgery in Turkey from South Africa: a plain guide

This page brings together the ear, nose and throat (ENT) treatments we arrange in İzmir, Turkey, for patients travelling from South Africa. Each has a South African guide, linked below; the overview is on our ENT treatments page. Everything starts with an assessment by an ENT specialist.

Guides for South African patients

ENT care falls into three groups:

• Nose and breathing treatments in Turkey from South Africa
• Snoring and sleep apnoea treatment in Turkey from South Africa
• Ear treatments in Turkey from South Africa

ENT treatments we arrange

Nose and breathing

• Turbinate reduction — reduces enlarged turbinates inside the nose to ease airflow and congestion
• Septorhinoplasty — straightens the nasal septum and reshapes the nose in one operation
• Rhinoplasty — reshapes the nose for appearance, breathing, or both
• Laryngoscopy — a camera examination of the throat and voice box

Snoring, sleep and throat

• Sleep study — an overnight test of breathing, oxygen levels and sleep
• Snoring and sleep apnoea treatment — the options once the cause of snoring is known
• Tonsillectomy — removes chronically infected or enlarged tonsils
• Adenoidectomy — removes enlarged or repeatedly infected adenoids at the back of the nose
• Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty — removes or tightens soft tissue at the back of the throat
• Uvulectomy — removes all or part of the uvula

Ears and hearing

• Tympanoplasty — repairs a hole in the eardrum
• Mastoidectomy — removes infected or diseased tissue from the bone behind the ear
• Hearing loss steroid injection — a steroid injected into the middle ear for certain types of hearing loss
• Hearing aids — hearing assessment and fitting

Not sure which applies? The ENT specialist will say which treatment, if any, fits. Other non-cosmetic care is listed in our guide to other treatments.

Start with the assessment

A blocked nose, loud snoring or reduced hearing can each have more than one cause. Before anything is planned, send a description of your symptoms, any scans, hearing tests or sleep study results, your medicines and details of previous surgery.

A test on its own rarely justifies the trip from South Africa. Where a sleep study, hearing test or laryngoscopy is needed, ask whether it can be done at home first, or combined with treatment that is already planned in Turkey.

Urgent symptoms belong at home

Travel is only for planned, non-urgent care. Sudden hearing loss, difficulty breathing, heavy bleeding from the nose or throat, or a severe throat infection must be treated in South Africa straight away. Do not wait for a trip to Turkey. If treatment is for a child, it is planned with the parents and the specialist team.

Planning the trip from South Africa

• Flights: direct flights from Johannesburg and Cape Town to Istanbul take around ten hours, followed by a short domestic flight to İzmir
• Visa: South Africans apply for an e-Visa online before travelling; see the e-Visa guide
• How long to stay: it depends on the treatment; for example, most patients are fit to fly two to three days after adenoidectomy and three to five days after tonsillectomy or turbinate reduction, subject to the surgeon’s approval
• Fitness to fly: the surgeon decides when you are fit for the long flight home, so book a return ticket you can change
• Time difference: İzmir is one hour ahead of South Africa, which makes follow-up calls easy
• Cover: South African medical schemes generally do not cover elective treatment abroad, so check with your scheme first, and standard travel insurance usually excludes planned treatment abroad

Follow-up at home

Take home a written report and any test results for your GP or an ENT specialist in South Africa.

Follow-up continues by message and video call with the same team. Our treatment guarantee covers medical complications and clinically necessary revisions for one year from treatment; accepted claims are treated in İzmir at no charge, though flights and accommodation are your own. See clinic facts and our complaints page.

What we will not do

We will not confirm a plan before an ENT specialist has reviewed your symptoms and records, we will not recommend surgery where a simpler option would serve you better, and we will not promise that an operation will cure snoring, congestion or hearing loss.

Frequently asked questions

Which ENT treatments can I have in Turkey?

Nose and breathing surgery, snoring and sleep apnoea treatment, tonsil and adenoid surgery, ear operations and hearing care. An ENT specialist decides what suits you.

How long do I need to stay in Turkey for ENT surgery?

It depends on the operation. Most patients are fit to fly two to three days after adenoidectomy and three to five days after tonsillectomy or turbinate reduction, subject to the surgeon’s approval.

Should I travel to Turkey for sudden hearing loss or breathing problems?

No. Sudden hearing loss, difficulty breathing or heavy bleeding need urgent care in South Africa. Travel is only for planned, non-urgent treatment.

What decides the cost of ENT surgery?

The operation, whether tests or scans are needed first, whether procedures are combined, how long you stay and what the package includes. A firm figure is only possible after an assessment.

Will my medical aid cover ENT surgery in Turkey?

South African medical schemes generally do not cover elective treatment abroad, and standard travel insurance usually excludes planned treatment abroad. Check with both before you book.

Start with a free online consultation. Planning the trip? Read the guide for South African patients and the e-Visa guide.