Planning Pain Treatment in Istanbul: A Practical Guide for International Patients

Planning pain treatment in Istanbul starts well before you book a flight. The usual sequence is: send your reports and scans for a preliminary review; travel for an in-person consultation and examination; agree on a plan, which may or may not include a procedure; and arrange follow-up for when you are back home. A preliminary review is not a diagnosis. Treatment decisions are made only after you have been examined in person.

This guide explains each step and the practical points worth thinking about in advance.

Step 1: Send your records for a preliminary review

Before you make travel arrangements, it helps to share your medical records so that Prof. Dr. Hüsnü Süslü can give a preliminary opinion. Useful documents include:

• MRI or CT reports, together with the images themselves (DICOM files or a download link)
• Any previous EMG (nerve conduction) results and letters from your doctors
• A list of your current medicines and doses, especially blood thinners
• Known allergies, for example to medicines, latex or contrast dye
• A short summary: where the pain is, how long you have had it, and which treatments you have already tried

You can send these by WhatsApp or email; the details are on the contact page. Reports in English or Turkish are easiest to review; if yours are in another language, a translation will help. Please read the privacy policy before sharing health information.

The preliminary review is meant to answer practical questions: does a visit seem worthwhile, which additional records would help, and roughly how much time should you allow? It cannot replace an examination. In some cases the most honest advice is that you could be assessed or treated closer to home, and you will be told so.

Step 2: Plan how long to stay

How long you need to stay depends on whether you are coming for an assessment alone or for an assessment followed by a procedure. A typical visit involves a few days in Istanbul: the consultation, any additional tests, the procedure if one is appropriate, and a check-up before you fly home.

A few practical points:

• Allow a buffer day or two in case additional tests are needed or the plan changes after the examination.
• Do not book a long flight for the same day as a procedure. Ask when it is reasonable to fly after the specific procedure you are having.
• On long flights, get up and walk regularly and drink enough fluids to lower the risk of blood clots.
• The practice is on Bağdat Avenue in Kadıköy, on the Asian side of Istanbul. Staying nearby keeps travel time to appointments short.

Where procedures take place

Consultations take place at the practice in Kadıköy. Interventional procedures are performed in a licensed hospital setting under imaging guidance, such as fluoroscopy (real-time X-ray) or ultrasound. Most are carried out under local anaesthetic, sometimes with light sedation, and most patients go home the same day.

Before any procedure, its possible benefits, risks and alternatives are explained and your written consent is obtained. If sedation is planned, you will receive fasting instructions and should have someone to accompany you afterwards.

Language

Consultations are held in English or Turkish; Prof. Süslü speaks English. You will receive a written summary of the assessment and your aftercare instructions. If you would be more comfortable in another language, consider bringing a family member or a trusted interpreter.

Before you travel: a short checklist

• Your reports and images, plus copies stored on your phone or in the cloud
• A list of your medicines and enough supply for the whole trip
• A plan for blood thinners, agreed in advance with the doctor who prescribes them; never stop them on your own
• Insurance: check with your insurer what is and is not covered for planned treatment abroad
• Comfortable clothing, and the questions you want to ask, written down
• A companion, especially if a procedure with sedation is planned

After you return home

Before you leave, you should have a written report summarising the findings, any procedure performed, your medicines and the warning signs to watch for. Share it with your own doctor, who can be an important part of your aftercare.

Follow-up can continue remotely, by video call or messages at agreed intervals. Your exercise programme or physiotherapy can usually continue where you live.

Health tourism authorisation

The practice holds an International Health Tourism Authorisation Certificate issued by the Turkish Ministry of Health. You can find the details on the international patients page.

Questions worth asking before you decide

Whichever practice you are considering, it is reasonable to ask: What is the likely cause of my pain? Which options exist, including those that do not involve a procedure? What are the risks? What happens if the treatment does not help? How will my aftercare be coordinated once I am home? Clear answers to these questions, without pressure to decide quickly, are a good sign.

To start with a preliminary review, get in touch. For background on the specialty, see what is algology?