For patients in South Africa

Gynaecology in Turkey from South Africa: a plain guide

This page is an overview of the gynaecological and women’s health treatments we arrange in İzmir, written for women travelling from South Africa: what each treatment is, how the assessment works, and what to plan for when home is a long-haul flight away.

Medical assessment comes first

Gynaecological treatment starts with a diagnosis, not a booking. Before travelling you send your history, recent scans, blood results and letters from your own gynaecologist. A board-certified specialist reviews them and may ask for further tests. If a less drastic option should be tried first, you will be told so.

Urgent symptoms, such as sudden severe pelvic pain or very heavy bleeding, must be checked at home straight away. Travel is only for planned, non-urgent care.

Women’s health treatments we arrange

Each link goes to a South African guide with candidacy, technique, recovery and travel planning. The original overview is on our female gynaecologic treatments page.

Uterus, ovaries and pelvic pain

• Hysterectomy — removal of the uterus, with or without the cervix, ovaries or fallopian tubes
• Fibroid removal — removes non-cancerous growths of the uterus, often keeping the uterus in place
• Endometriosis surgery — removes or destroys endometriosis tissue when medication has not controlled symptoms
• Ovarian cyst removal — removes a cyst from the ovary, usually by keyhole surgery

Pelvic floor and bladder

• Uterine prolapse surgery — supports or repairs a uterus that has dropped into the vagina
• Stress incontinence surgery — treats urine leaks on coughing, laughing or exercise, for example with a sling
• Perineal repair — repairs the area between the vagina and anus, often after childbirth

Intimate and sexual health

• Women’s sexual health — assessment of pain, dryness, low desire and pelvic floor problems
• Sexual pain treatment — looks for and treats the causes of pain during intercourse
• Labiaplasty — reduces or reshapes the inner labia
• Vaginoplasty — tightens the vaginal canal and muscles
• Hoodectomy — reduces excess skin of the clitoral hood
• Genital warts treatment — removes visible warts caused by HPV

Tests and fertility

• Female hormone check — blood tests for hormonal problems such as irregular periods or menopause symptoms
• Female fertility test — checks ovarian reserve, hormones and the uterus and tubes
• IVF — fertility treatment with eggs fertilised in the laboratory

A test alone rarely justifies the trip from South Africa; it makes most sense when it is part of planned treatment.

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
• Time difference: İzmir is one hour ahead of South Africa, so video follow-ups fit easily into a working day
• Fitness to fly: the surgeon decides when you are fit for the long flight home, so book a return ticket you can change
• Cover: South African medical schemes generally do not cover elective treatment abroad, so ask your scheme in writing before you book; standard travel insurance usually excludes planned treatment abroad
• Records: bring your scans, blood results and specialist letters, and take your operation notes and pathology results home

Follow-up at home

Follow-up continues by message and video call after you return. Before you book, decide who will examine you in South Africa if needed. Surgical treatments are covered by our treatment guarantee for one year from the date of treatment. It covers medical complications arising from the treatment and any revision the treating team judges clinically necessary; that treatment is carried out in İzmir at no charge, while flights and accommodation remain your own responsibility. It is not a promise of a particular result. Facts about the clinic and surgeons are on the clinic facts page, and if something goes wrong you can use our complaints process.

What we will not do

We will not confirm an operation before a specialist has reviewed your records, promise a result, or operate if your health makes it unsafe. A long journey is not a reason to fly home before you are ready.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a diagnosis before I contact you?

No, but it helps. Send whatever you have, such as scans, blood results and letters from your own doctor. The specialist reviews them and says whether more tests are needed before any treatment can be planned.

Can tests and treatment be done on the same trip?

Sometimes, depending on the results. A test on its own rarely justifies the journey from South Africa unless it is part of planned treatment.

How long after gynaecological surgery can I fly home to South Africa?

The surgeon decides, based on the operation and how you are recovering. Long flights after surgery carry a risk of blood clots, so ask about this and book a return ticket you can change.

Who looks after me when I get home?

Follow-up continues by message and video call with the treating team, and you should keep your own GP or gynaecologist informed. Take your operation notes and pathology results home with you.

Will my medical aid pay for treatment in Turkey?

South African medical schemes generally do not cover elective treatment abroad, and standard travel insurance usually excludes planned treatment. Ask your scheme in writing before you book.

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