My eyelid lift and autologous fat injection in Istanbul – Report from Wednesday, 13 June 2018

For the second time, I traveled to Istanbul to undergo another treatment. This time, not only for the autologous fat treatment for the wrinkles on my face, but also for eyelid and temple lifts.

Just like back in October 2017, I was picked up at the airport. From there, I was taken by taxi to the hospital. The preliminary examination took place on the same day. After that, I was taken to the hotel, which was very close by—only about a 7-minute walk away. I stayed at the Elite World Hotel and can highly recommend it. It was excellent, with a swimming pool, sauna, gym, and, most of all, a huge and fantastic breakfast buffet. All the facilities were clean, and the staff was very friendly.

The surgery was scheduled for the following morning. Dr. Tatlidede, the surgeon, explained everything once again and marked the areas on my face. Shortly after, following the usual preparation (hospital gown, hair protection, etc.), and the necessary steps for the infusion, I was taken into the operating room. But from that point, I didn’t feel or remember anything.

When I woke up, I was in my hospital room. My forehead was taped with strips, as were the incisions that were made. The fat harvesting (which, unfortunately, had to be quite thoroughly searched for in my case) was done on the side of my waist. There was also a small bandage there. These areas became quite swollen, which I knew from the previous treatment. It bothered me a lot and was painful, especially when touched or when lying down. Even now, a month later, I can still feel it. It takes quite a long time for these areas to settle down.

I spent the first night in the hospital. I had a headache and felt quite unwell. Luckily, there was always someone available to call for assistance. I started feeling nauseous, likely because I hadn’t been allowed to eat for several hours before the surgery. In the evening after the operation, I was served dinner in the hospital. I ate it, but it wasn’t to my taste. I then asked for something else to eat during the night, and after that, I started to recover.
I couldn’t sleep, even though I was receiving infusions for the pain. After all, there were three procedures: two pretty large cuts under my hair, stitches on the eyelids, and also cuts on my eyebrows. The fat injection was hardly visible; the wrinkles were gone. However, as I know and was also told, the final result won’t be clear until about 3 months later. Even now, I can see that the fat is gradually breaking down. Unfortunately, my body, no matter where, hardly retains fat. Still, some of the fat from the last treatment did remain, which made my face look fuller, and this time, there was even a bit more.

I can’t assess the result of the temple lift yet, as there are still small scars above my eyebrows. I assume these will disappear over time. The eyelids are now free from the sagging skin, but they still seem a little swollen. That should settle down as well. For the follow-up, I will meet Dr. Tatlidede in Zug in August and bring up these questions.

Overall, I was in Istanbul for 9 days. For the first few days, I did almost nothing. The surgery really took a toll on me. Despite painkillers, my head still hurt. It wasn’t until the last few days that I explored Istanbul a bit, mostly by taxi, but most of the time on foot. I was traveling alone as a woman, and it was absolutely no problem. You can move around freely and without worry everywhere.

By the way, I always had an interpreter available for the conversations. However, with English, one could manage just fine without it.

Everything, and I mean everything, was perfectly organized. There is not a single point where I would have to offer any criticism.

If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to me anytime.

Jennifer Boligan.
8. Juni 2018