The headline numbers
Typical 2025–2026 UK private blepharoplasty pricing:
- Upper bleph: £4,500–£7,500
- Lower bleph: £5,500–£9,000
- Quad: £8,000–£14,000
Typical Istanbul pricing with comparably credentialed surgeons (FACS / FEBOPRAS / Associate Professor level):
- Upper bleph: £1,800–£3,000
- Lower bleph: £2,400–£4,000
- Quad: £3,500–£6,000
So the saving is typically 50–60% even before accounting for flights and hotel — both of which are also relatively economical for the UK traveler.
Why the gap exists
The legitimate components:
- Surgeon overhead — UK private clinic real estate, indemnity insurance, staff costs are 3–5x Turkish equivalents
- Hospital / facility fees — UK private hospital theatre fees alone often £2,000+ per session
- Exchange rate dynamics — favourable for GBP-holding patients
- Case volume efficiency — high-volume specialist practices have lower per-case overhead
The illegitimate components — which exist at the low end of Turkish pricing:
- Surgery delegated to junior or unqualified staff
- Office-based rather than hospital surgery
- Anaesthesia by non-anaesthesiologists
- No real post-op support
The cost gap between properly conducted Turkish surgery and UK private is real. The cost gap between properly conducted Turkish surgery and improperly conducted Turkish surgery is also real — and that's the gap to watch.
What to verify before assuming you're getting a bargain
- Surgeon credentials — Turkish plastic surgery specialty certificate, plus international (FACS, FEBOPRAS)
- USHAŞ certification — verifiable through Ministry of Health
- Hospital affiliation — name and accreditation status of the surgical facility
- Anaesthesiologist credentials
- Post-op support — who you contact and when, for how long
- Revision policy — written, not implicit
If a quote is significantly below the typical Istanbul range above, ask which of the above is being compromised. There's almost always one.
Frequently asked questions
Does NHS cover blepharoplasty?
Cosmetic: no. Functional with documented visual field obstruction: yes in some regions, with high threshold and 1–2+ year waiting lists. Most patients in functional NHS bleph queues are 70+ with severe hooding.
Will my UK insurance contribute to surgery abroad?
Private health insurance typically excludes cosmetic surgery entirely and won't fund travel for functional procedures. Some insurers will reimburse documented functional bleph if the indication is clear — but typically you'd be reimbursed for the procedure cost, not travel.
Ready to discuss your case?
Doç. Dr. Erdal personally reviews every enquiry. Honest assessment of whether blepharoplasty is right for you, with no pressure to book.