Almost one year ago, I travelled to Istanbul on my own from Canada and had my revision breast augmentation, buccal fat removal and blepharoplasty procedures done with Dr. Manav. I waited until I was fully healed to make this review.
HOTEL: Fantastic stay! Antwell Suites was extremely comfortable, I was upgraded to a one-bedroom suite and enjoyed the amenities. Breakfast was plentiful and delicious, big variety of items. Front desk concierge was very helpful. There were many other bandaged guests undergoing surgery as well so I didn’t feel too out of place.
BEDSIDE MANNER/ETIQUETTE:
Dr. Manav is fluent in English, professional and friendly. Excellent at answering questions and made me feel secure having surgery in a foreign country.
CONSULTATION: I had my consultation done at the hospital on the day of my surgery and it felt rather rushed. I was originally told that I could do my revision rhinoplasty in addition to the other procedures and after meeting in person, Dr. Manav concluded it wasn’t safe to do everything in one surgery (which I was fine with). However, if I knew the breast augmentation wasn’t going to fix the waterfall/snoopy deformity that I had from a previous operation that was done in Canada (I still have that issue except with larger implants now) then I would’ve opted for rhinoplasty instead.
HOSPITAL:
Beautiful, modern and clean. Nurses didn’t speak English but that wasn’t an issue at all. They were so kind and provided all the help I needed during this stressful time.
SURGERY:
My surgery went well without any complications. I was in and out in less than 5 hours and spent an extra day overnight at the hospital before being transferred to the hotel.
AFTERCARE: Pain/discomfort was mild and manageable. Medication, dressings etc were all provided with instructions on aftercare. His team reached out a couple times after my surgery to see how I was healing.
CUSTOMER SERVICE: There were a few hiccups along the way but that didn’t really impact my review as I understand mistakes can happen. No reservation found under my name at the hotel upon my arrival (this was resolved quickly by the coordinator). The coordination team was generally on top of most things and a pleasure to deal with.
RESULTS: I’m somewhat pleased with my breast augmentation and buccal fat removal. Disappointed with my upper blepharoplasty though, will need a revision. Not sure if it’s because of my almond eye shape (Asian), but my results were less than satisfactory. Dr. Manav made my new eyelid slit too high from the lash line resulting in a “Caucasian” look with multiple folds. Scarring on one eye is worse than the other.
OVERALL: The service and quality of care that I received from Dr. Manav still surpassed my previous plastic surgery experience in Canada by far. Although not without caveats, I would still recommend him if my suggestions are taken into consideration. More attention to detail, better communication and follow up would’ve been appreciated.