Memorial Bahçelievler Hospital
Memorial Bahçelievler Hospital
Turkey, Istanbul
Kamil Yalcin Polat
35 years of experience
Clinic is certified :
Transplantology in Turkey typically costs from $119,800 to $300,000, making it a highly accessible destination for complex surgeries. Prices depend on the specific organ type, the health of the donor, and the level of post-operative care required in the ICU. Patients can expect 70-90% savings compared to the US.
Typical Transplantology Costs in Turkey
Most transplant procedures are performed in medical hubs like Istanbul, Ankara, and Antalya, where specialized university hospitals are located. Prices remain relatively consistent across these major centers. Consult with a specialist to get accurate pricing for your specific medical case.
| Turkey | Austria | Spain | |
| Lung transplant | from $180,000 | from $350,000 | from $300,000 |
| Liver transplant | from $45,000 | from $320,000 | from $120,000 |
| Kidney transplant | from $18,000 | from $95,000 | from $80,000 |
| Heart transplant | from $175,000 | from $500,000 | from $250,000 |
| Heart and lungs transplant | from $250,000 | from $600,000 | from $600,000 |
No hidden fees – just official clinic prices. Pay at the clinic for Transplantology treatment upon arrival and use a flexible installment plan if needed.
Bookimed is committed to your safety. We only work with medical institutions that maintain high international standards in Transplantology treatment and have the necessary licenses to serve international patients worldwide.
Bookimed offers free expert assistance. A personal medical coordinator supports you before, during, and after your treatment, solving any issues. You're never alone on your Transplantology treatment journey.
Dr. Omer Faruk Oge is an ophthalmologist at Lokman Hekim Istanbul Hospital. He specializes in surgeries for strabismus, cataracts, and retinal diseases. He is a member of the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons. Dr. Oge also focuses on pediatric eye health and ocular aesthetics.
Dr. Ozer brings 22 years of experience of ophthalmology expertise to DERDA SAGLIK HIZMETLERI, with advanced training in ocular oncology from Wills Eye Institute.
Associate Professor Polat brings specialized training in clinical trials and reproductive medicine to his transplantology practice at Memorial Bahçelievler Hospital.
With 26 years of experience focused exclusively on kidney and liver transplants, Dr. Turunc leads the transplant program at Memorial Şişli Hospital.
Written by Veronika Kazina
Written by Veronika Kazina
Written by Ana Hurevska
Verified kidney and liver transplant success rates in Turkey reach 94% and 90% respectively at top-tier centers. These outcomes match global standards due to high volumes and clinical expertise. Leading JCI-accredited facilities often report one-year graft survival rates between 95% and 99% for living-donor procedures.
Bookimed Expert Insight: Success rates are highest at `high-volume` centers like Medipol Mega University Hospital, which serves 1,000,000 patients annually. Our data shows that centers with 10+ years of experience, such as Memorial Şişli, often provide better long-term monitoring. These established hospitals typically have 10 or more specialized departments to handle post-op recovery.
Patient Consensus: Patients note that choosing a JCI-accredited hospital is vital for safety and care quality. They emphasize planning for a 3–6 month stay after surgery to ensure proper medical follow-up.
International patients in Turkey are legally limited to living donor transplants from relatives up to the fourth degree. Foreigners cannot access the national cadaveric waiting list or receive organs from deceased Turkish citizens. Donors must be at least 18 years old, mentally competent, and provide voluntary consent.
Bookimed Expert Insight: Data from 1,000,000 annual patients at Medipol Mega University Hospital points to a clear trend: volume drives success. Large centers often maintain a 90% transplant success rate because they perform thousands of procedures, which streamlines the 2–4 week legal approval process for international families.
Patient Consensus: Patients emphasize that authorities strictly verify family ties using DNA testing. One patient noted that even cousins or aunts are frequently rejected, appearing to favor only the closest immediate relatives for approval.
International transplant patients in Turkey generally stay 2 to 4 weeks for kidney transplants and up to 3 months for liver procedures. These timelines include hospital monitoring and outpatient recovery. JCI-accredited centers in Istanbul and Ankara ensure patient safety through rigorous post-operative follow-up protocols.
Bookimed Expert Insight: Data from top-tier facilities like Memorial Şişli Hospital, which maintains a 90% organ transplant success rate, shows a trend toward early mobilization. High-volume centers often use laparoscopic techniques for living donors. This approach typically reduces the donor hospital stay to just 1–3 days. Patients should choose clinics with on-site laboratory capacity to speed up mandatory weekly bloodwork.
Patient Consensus: Patients emphasize staying in clinic-affiliated lodging to simplify travel for frequent check-ups. Many suggest booking flexible return flights because surgeons may extend the monitoring period based on individual recovery speed.
Living donors in Turkey must be at least 18 years old and physically healthy. Legal standards require deep medical screenings and voluntary consent. Centers like Memorial Şişli Hospital report a 90% success rate. Donors must be free of chronic illnesses like diabetes or active cancer.
Bookimed Expert Insight: Turkish clinics focus heavily on anatomical compatibility for complex cases. For example, Dr. Ayhan Dinçkan has performed 5,000+ kidney transplants. High-volume centers often use advanced imaging like CT angiography to map blood vessels. This precision allows for successful simultaneous multi-organ transplants that many smaller facilities cannot handle.
Patient Consensus: Patients note that infectious disease testing for HIV and Hepatitis is extremely strict. While medical checks are rigorous, some find the psychological evaluation less intensive than in Western countries.
Verify Turkish transplant centers by confirming their International Health Tourism Authorization Certificate from the Ministry of Health. Patients should also validate Joint Commission International (JCI) accreditation to ensure global safety. These credentials confirm the facility meets strict legal and medical standards for international patients.
Bookimed Expert Insight: Data shows that centers with JCI accreditation, such as Medipol Mega University Hospital, often manage much higher patient volumes. This clinic serves over 1,000,000 patients annually. High-volume centers typically invest in advanced technologies like the Da Vinci Surgical System. This level of infrastructure usually indicates a more stable and legally compliant environment for complex procedures.
Patient Consensus: Patients note it's important to request video consultations with the actual surgeon before traveling. They emphasize that while many clinics are legal, only some provide direct access to lead professors like Dr. Kamil Yalcin Polat for detailed planning.
Major Turkish hospitals specialising in organ transplantation provide logistics support for international patients. Facilities like Memorial Bahcelievler Hospital offer free airport transfers and personal coordinators. Others provide accommodation recommendations and arrival transfers. These help manage the hotel-to-hospital routine for patients and companions.
Bookimed Expert Insight: While hair transplant packages almost always bundle 5-star hotels, transplantology logistics are handled differently. Major centres like Memorial Bahcelievler Hospital focus on proximity, often placing patients within 5 minutes of the clinic. This provides immediate access for post-operative monitoring or emergency care after complex procedures.
Patient Consensus: Upon arrival in Turkey, patients from Australia and the UK are met with a transfer. They note this makes the journey far less stressful. They highly value having an international coordinator. The coordinator helps navigate accommodation needs and bridge communication gaps during their hospital stay.
Most Australian patients need translated medical documents for an organ transplant in Turkey. Major centres like Medipol Mega University Hospital have international departments. However, legal protocols for living donors often require sworn Turkish translations. Professionals must translate diagnostic reports and donor eligibility to satisfy Turkish health regulations.
Bookimed Expert Insight: Clinics with high transplant volumes, like Istinye University Liv Hospital, report success. This success comes when patients provide pre-translated HLA-typing and DNA tests. This preparation allows their specialised team to confirm donor compatibility before the patient leaves Australia. The team has completed 5,000+ kidney transplants.
Patient Consensus: Patients note that having professional Turkish translations prevents communication gaps during brief surgeon consultations. Australian families brought their own translated records. They found that this made a big difference. Navigating legal consent and hospital protocols in Istanbul became much smoother.
Surgeons in Turkey are highly qualified in transplantology. They manage over 5,000 kidney and 1,000 liver transplants at major centres. Many lead university departments and hold memberships in the American Society of Transplant Surgeons. Specialist clinics maintain JCI accreditation, mirroring standards found in top-tier Australian hospitals.
Bookimed Expert Insight: Turkish transplant centres often lead in donor-matching because they handle a high volume of complex combined cases. For instance, Prof. Dr Ayhan Dinckan works at Istinye University. He has managed over 350 paediatric kidney transplants. This volume allows teams to perfect specific techniques, such as laparoscopic live donor removal. This technique is standard in Istanbul but less frequent in smaller regional hospitals.
Patient consensus: Turkish transplant teams provide thorough, comprehensible explanations. Patients from Australia and the UK note this. They often highlight the genuine empathy shown by professors. They also note the spotless cleanliness of the facilities during recovery.
Transplant surgeries in Turkey report high success rates. Some leading centres achieve 99% for kidney transplants. Safety is maintained through rigorous JCI and ISO accreditations. The use of robotic systems also contributes. Specialists in Istanbul and Ankara perform thousands of complex organ and corneal procedures annually.
Bookimed Expert Insight: Turkish transplant centres often lead in live-donor surgeries. This is because they use laparoscopic techniques for kidney removal. This minimally invasive approach is used by experts like Dr Alp Gürkan. It significantly speeds up donor recovery. Donors return to normal activities much faster than with traditional open surgery.
Patient Consensus: Patients from Australia and the UK often praise the care in Istanbul facilities. They find it professional and compassionate. Surgeons spend a lot of time explaining every detail. This helps families feel supported during recovery in Turkey.
Turkish transplant centres manage surgical emergencies with integrated intensive care units (ICU) and rapid response teams. These are located within the theatre complex. Facilities like Istanbul Florence Nightingale Hospital use heliports for air ambulance transfers. They also use laminar airflow systems to maintain sterile surgical environments.
Bookimed Expert Insight: While many choose clinics for price, safety often depends on hospital affiliation. Large complexes like Medipol Mega University Hospital serve 1,200 patients daily. They also maintain 24/7 cardiac and ICU teams. These multi-specialty environments handle rare intra-operative events better than standalone private clinics. They keep all specialists and life-support technology in-house.
Patient Consensus: Patients in Turkey find that choosing JCI-accredited hospitals provides peace of mind. They note that skilled doctors and translators are very accommodating. They answer concerns swiftly and maintain top-notch, clean facilities throughout the transplant journey.
International patients must bring a living donor for organ transplants. This is because Turkish law restricts deceased donor lists to citizens. Eligible donors must be a spouse or blood relative up to the fourth degree. All cases undergo rigorous ethical committee review to confirm there is no financial exchange.
Bookimed Expert Insight: Turkish law prioritises relatives. Still, clinics like Memorial Bahçelievler often use robotic Da Vinci systems for donor surgery. This technology allows surgeons to remove the donor organ through tiny incisions. This usually means the donor recovers faster. They also face less pain than with traditional surgery. It is a major reason why families choose these centres for living donor procedures.
Patient Consensus: Patients find the medical teams professional. They appreciate when surgeons like Dr Polat give thorough explanations. Having family members as donors reduces paperwork significantly. That said, staying for one month after surgery is standard for stability.
Turkey is a leading global hub for complex transplant surgery. It offers high survival rates and surgical technology. JCI-accredited hospitals in Istanbul and Ankara provide access to specialists. These specialists have performed thousands of successful liver, kidney, and corneal transplants.
Bookimed Expert Insight: Turkish clinics excel in live donor transplantation because they prioritise minimally invasive techniques. Surgeons at Istanbul Okan University Hospital performed the country’s first laparoscopic kidney removal. The kidney came from a live donor. Neuronavigation with 1 mm accuracy and robotic systems allow faster recovery and smaller scars for donors. This high-tech approach helps Turkey maintain a 91.7% donor organ acceptance rate.
Patient Consensus: Patients in Turkey highlight the thorough, comprehensible explanations from professors. They also note the compassion shown by nursing staff throughout the recovery period. The experience is often described as professional and supportive. Many note the convenience of airport transfers and well-maintained facilities.
Turkish transplant centres provide structured remote follow-up care for international patients. This care is delivered through digital monitoring and virtual consultations. Surgeons use video calls and photo reviews to track recovery milestones. Most JCI-accredited facilities assign a dedicated coordinator. The coordinator manages the patient’s progress from Australia for 12 to 18 months.
Bookimed Expert Insight: High-volume university hospitals like Medipol Mega or Memorial Bahçelievler often have success rates exceeding 90%. They use in-house labs for same-day results. This speed is vital for international patients. They can complete HLA-typing and initial post-op screenings faster. This leaves more time for detailed aftercare training before patients return home.
Patient Consensus: Patients note the coordinators are incredibly attentive and compassionate. They often jump onto calls at a moment’s notice to answer questions. They managed timezone issues from Australia. They felt supported by the skilled medical teams and thorough explanations. This support was especially helpful during the beginning of their recovery period.
Stays in Turkey range from 3 days for hair restoration. For major organ transplants, they can reach 30 days. Hair procedures require a minimum 3-day window for surgery and follow-up. Kidney or liver transplants at JCI-accredited centres require a 4-week stay for donor matching and monitoring.
Bookimed Expert Insight: Clinics with high international volumes often provide dedicated translators and on-site accommodation. Medipol Mega University Hospital, for instance, treats 1,000,000 patients annually. These integrated facilities mean patients spend less time travelling between hotels and theatres. This often shortens the total stay by 2–3 days for complex procedures.
Patient Consensus: Visitors note that 3 days works for hair surgery. However, staying 5 days in Turkey helps manage facial swelling comfortably. For major surgery, patients appreciated having transfers and translators handle logistics. This allowed them to focus entirely on recovery.