Lipedema surgery in Turkey: relieve your legs and feel lighter again
Symptoms, diagnosis, lipedema-specific liposuction, number of sessions, procedure, recovery, risks and price: everything you need to know in Turkey.
What is lipedema surgery in Turkey?
Legs, sometimes arms, that grow disproportionately compared with the rest of the body, are painful to the touch, bruise at the slightest knock and do not slim down despite dieting: these are the typical signs of lipedema, a chronic disease of fatty tissue that affects almost only women.
Lipedema surgery in Turkey relies on gentle liposuction, performed with techniques that protect the lymphatic vessels (water-jet assisted liposuction, known as WAL, or tumescent liposuction). It removes the diseased fat, reduces pain, heaviness and bruising, and improves mobility. It is often done in 2 to 3 sessions 3 to 6 months apart, each session lasting 2 to 4 hours, with 1 to 2 nights in hospital and a stay of 5 to 7 days. With TurquieMed, the package starts from €2,500 per session, hospital, hotel and transfers included.
TurquieMed organizes your stay: forwarding your file to the surgeon, opinion and detailed quote within 48 hours, airport pick-up, transfers, hotel, interpreter and 7-day-a-week assistance.
- Sessions
- Often 2 to 3, 3 to 6 months apart
- Anesthesia
- General or local (tumescent)
- Hospital stay
- 1 to 2 nights per session
- Stay
- Usually 5 to 7 days per session
How much does lipedema surgery cost in Turkey?
In Turkey, a lipedema surgery session starts from €2,500 with TurquieMed, hospital, hotel and transfers included. The total price depends on the number of areas and sessions needed: lipedema is often treated in 2 to 3 sessions. It is usually significantly lower than private prices in Western Europe or North America.
Lipedema surgery package
- VIP airport transfer
- 3 nights in a 4* hotel (breakfast)
- Hotel / clinic transfers
- Consultation with the surgeon
- Consultation with the anesthetist
- Laboratory tests
- Your surgery session
- 2 nights in hospital
- 3 meals a day at the clinic
- Medication in hospital
- Medical check-up
- Interpreter at the clinic
- TurquieMed assistance 7 days a week
Package price
from €2,500
Price per session. Indicative, non-contractual price. The final price is set in a personalized quote, after your medical file has been reviewed, and may be higher. Flight and any additional care or tests not included, unless stated on your quote.
Your free quote is prepared after your photos and file have been reviewed, and specifies the planned number of sessions and the price of each.
Why have lipedema surgery in Turkey?
Lipedema requires a specific liposuction, very different from cosmetic liposuction: the lymphatic vessels must be protected and the treatment done in several sessions. Turkish surgeons who treat lipedema follow these principles.
- Lymph-sparing techniques. Water-jet assisted (WAL) or tumescent liposuction, with thin cannulas aligned with the lymphatic vessels.
- A treatment plan in several sessions. Areas are spread over 2 to 3 sessions 3 to 6 months apart, with a price set for each from the quote stage.
- A careful diagnosis. The surgeon distinguishes lipedema from lymphedema or excess weight before proposing surgery.
- Complete care around the surgery. Compression garments, lymphatic drainage and advice on resuming activity accompany each session.
- A safe hospital stay. 1 to 2 nights in hospital after each session, with an anesthetist consultation and tests before the procedure.
How do you recognize lipedema, and who is surgery for?
The typical signs:
- excess fat on both sides, symmetrically, on the hips, thighs and legs, sometimes the arms, with the feet and hands spared;
- pain on pressure and a feeling of heavy legs;
- bruises that appear easily;
- fat that does not go away with dieting or exercise;
- an onset often at puberty, after a pregnancy or at menopause.
The diagnosis is clinical: it must be made by a doctor, who rules out other causes such as lymphedema or obesity. Surgery is offered when symptoms remain troublesome despite compression, lymphatic drainage and physical activity, in a healthy patient with a stable weight.
How is lipedema surgery performed?
The surgeon first injects a large amount of fluid into the areas to be treated, which swells the tissue and limits bleeding. They then remove the fat with thin cannulas, following the direction of the lymphatic vessels to preserve them.
Water-jet assisted liposuction (WAL)
A gentle water jet loosens the fat before it is removed, which is particularly suited to lipedema.
Successive sessions
To limit the volume removed each time, areas are treated in several sessions: for example the outer thighs and hips, then the inner thighs and knees, then the arms.
How does a session in Turkey work, step by step?
- You send your photos and file. You receive an opinion, a session plan and a quote.
- Day 1: consultation, measurements, blood test.
- Day 2: the session, then 1 to 2 nights in hospital.
- Days 3 to 6: hotel, lymphatic drainage and check-up.
- Days 5 to 7: final check-up and return. The next session is planned 3 to 6 months later.
After each session
Wear compression garments day and night for 6 weeks, then during the day for several months. Fluid may leak from the small incisions for 1 to 2 days: this is normal. Lymphatic drainage and walking help recovery. Office work resumes after 1 to 2 weeks. Stop smoking at least 4 weeks before and after the procedure: smoking delays healing. For the flight home, wear compression stockings, drink plenty of water and get up regularly to prevent blood clots.
What are the results and risks?
Most patients feel a clear reduction in pain, heaviness and bruising, as well as better mobility. Results are long-lasting, as long as weight remains stable.
| Possible effect | Frequency | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Bruising, swelling, fluid leakage | Very common | Disappear within a few weeks |
| Numb areas | Common | Sensation returns within a few months |
| Loose skin | Possible after a large volume | A thigh lift can be discussed later |
| Infection, blood clot | Rare | Prevented by walking, compression and care |
How to choose your surgeon and quote?
A low price is not enough. Ask the hospital these questions before committing:
- Is the hospital authorized by the Turkish Ministry of Health to treat international patients?
- Who will perform the procedure, and how experienced are they with this technique?
- Does the surgeon regularly treat lipedema, with a technique that preserves the lymphatic vessels?
- How many sessions are planned, and does the quote specify the price of each?
- Who takes care of a complication, on site and after your return home?
- What medical follow-up is planned, and with whom?
What a good quote should specify
- The name of the hospital and the doctor
- The tests, anesthesia, hospital stay and medication included
- The number of nights in hospital and at the hotel, and the transfers
- What happens in case of complication or cancellation
- The follow-up offered after your return
Also budget for your flight and follow-up consultations. Planned treatment in Turkey is usually not covered by public health insurance: ask your insurer in writing before committing.
Take time to think, and be wary of any offer that pushes you to decide quickly.
Our partner hospitals in Turkey
Frequently asked questions about lipedema surgery in Turkey
How much does lipedema surgery cost in Turkey?
With TurquieMed, a session starts from €2,500: VIP airport transfer, 3 nights in a 4* hotel, surgeon and anesthetist consultations, tests, procedure, 2 nights in hospital, meals, medication, check-up, interpreter and assistance 7 days a week. Lipedema often requires 2 to 3 sessions: the exact price, session by session, appears on your free quote.
What is the difference between lipedema and excess weight?
In lipedema, fat is mainly on the legs, symmetrically, with the feet spared, pain and easy bruising, and it resists dieting. Excess weight affects the whole body and decreases with weight loss. The two can coexist.
How many sessions are needed?
Often 2 to 3 sessions, 3 to 6 months apart, depending on the extent of the lipedema. Each session treats a few areas, which limits the volume removed and makes the procedure safer.
Can lipedema come back?
The fat removed does not come back, and results are long-lasting in most patients. It is still advisable to keep a stable weight, stay physically active and, depending on the case, continue compression.
Is lipedema surgery covered by insurance?
Coverage of lipedema liposuction is still rare and subject to conditions in most countries, and planned treatment in Turkey is usually at your own expense. Ask your insurer in writing before committing.
Which photos should I send to get an opinion?
Send photos of your legs and arms from the front, back and side, standing, in underwear, along with your age, weight, height, symptoms, medical history and the report of the doctor who made the diagnosis, if available.
Request a free medical opinion and quote
Send us photos of the area to be treated, your age, weight, height, medical history and current treatments. The surgeon will review them, and you will receive a detailed medical opinion and an estimated quote.
