Blepharoplasty — eyelid surgery to remove excess skin and puffy bags from the upper or lower lids — is one of the most requested facial procedures in medical tourism, because the result is striking and the recovery is short. If you've been quoted for it at home, you've probably seen £2,500–5,000 in the UK, $4,000–6,000 in the US, or €3,000–5,000 across Western Europe. In Turkey, the same surgery in a JCI-accredited hospital starts from €1,700, all-inclusive. This guide explains what drives that difference, the difference between upper and lower lid surgery, what recovery actually looks like, and how to choose a clinic without getting burned.
At Estetica Istanbul, blepharoplasty starts from €1,700 as an all-inclusive package. That figure covers the surgeon's fee, the operating facility, anaesthesia, your post-operative medication, and recovery-hotel nights with airport transfers. The only thing it never includes is your flights. Upper-lid surgery alone sits at the lower end of the range; combining upper and lower lids, or adding other facial work, raises the total, so your exact quote depends on your assessment. By comparison, blepharoplasty typically runs £2,500–5,000 in the UK, $4,000–6,000 in the US, and €3,000–5,000 across Western Europe — often before consultation and follow-up fees are added. A €500 deposit secures your booking; the balance is settled before the procedure.
A lower price does not mean lower quality, and it's worth understanding why. Turkey's cost advantage comes from structural factors, not corner-cutting: lower clinical overheads and staff costs, a favourable exchange rate, and an enormous volume of medical-tourism procedures that lets hospitals operate efficiently. The surgeons performing these operations are board-certified specialists working in hospitals accredited by the same international body (JCI) that accredits leading Western hospitals. The instruments and sterilisation standards are identical. What you are not paying for is the premium overhead of a Harley Street or Beverly Hills address.
Blepharoplasty is really two related operations. Upper blepharoplasty removes the excess skin, and sometimes fat, that hoods the upper lid — opening up the eye and, in some cases, improving a heavy field of vision. Lower blepharoplasty addresses the puffy bags and loose skin beneath the eye, often by repositioning or removing fat rather than simply cutting skin away. Many patients have both, but plenty only need one. Which you need — and whether fat is removed or repositioned — is decided at consultation based on your anatomy, not a fixed package.
Eyelid surgery is usually performed under local anaesthesia with sedation, or light general anaesthesia, and typically takes 45–90 minutes depending on whether one or both lid sets are treated. For the upper lid, the incision is hidden in the natural crease; for the lower lid it sits just below the lash line, or for fat-only cases inside the lid (transconjunctival), leaving no visible external scar. Fine sutures are used and most patients go home the same day — it is a day-case procedure.
Blepharoplasty has one of the gentler recoveries in facial surgery. Expect bruising and swelling around the eyes for the first 7–10 days; cold compresses in the first 48 hours help limit it. Sutures are typically removed around day 5–7. Most patients are presentable for normal social settings within 10–14 days, though fine swelling can take several weeks to fully settle and final results emerge over two to three months. You can usually fly home after 2–3 days, once a post-operative check clears you — but flying too soon after any surgery carries a small clot risk, so never book a return flight earlier than your clinic advises. Avoid strenuous exercise, swimming and eye make-up until your surgeon clears you, usually around two weeks.
Safety depends far more on where and with whom you have surgery than on which country you're in. The genuine risks of medical tourism come from clinics that operate in non-accredited facilities, skip proper consultation, or push package deals without a surgical plan. The protections to insist on are simple: a JCI-accredited hospital, a board-certified surgeon, a documented consultation that reviews your medical history, and a clear written aftercare plan. Estetica Istanbul operates as a medical-tourism agency coordinating board-certified partner surgeons and JCI-accredited hospitals — so the same standards apply as you would expect at home.
Before you pay a deposit anywhere, confirm four things: that the surgery takes place in an accredited hospital rather than an unlicensed clinic, that you can see the operating surgeon's credentials, that real before-and-after photos of comparable cases are available, and that aftercare and revision policy are in writing. Be sceptical of prices that look implausibly low and of reviews that are uniformly perfect — both are red flags. A reputable provider will give you a named surgical contact and answer hard questions directly.
Upper-lid results are long-lasting — often a decade or more — though the face continues to age naturally around the treated area. Lower-lid fat removal is generally considered permanent. Eyelid surgery turns the clock back; it doesn't stop it.
Incisions are hidden in the natural upper-lid crease, just below the lower lash line, or entirely inside the lid for fat-only cases. Once healed they are very difficult to see and fade considerably over the first year.
Yes. Upper and lower blepharoplasty are commonly combined in a single session, which is often more cost-effective and means one recovery period instead of two. Whether that's right for you is decided at consultation.
Most patients fly home 2–3 days after surgery, following a post-operative check. Your recovery-hotel nights are built into the package for exactly this window.
Considering eyelid surgery? Request a free, no-obligation assessment and a personalised quote from Estetica Istanbul. Send a few photos and your history, and our team will explain your options honestly — including whether upper, lower, or both is right for you.