Maxillofacial Surgery in Ankara

Maxillofacial surgery is a specialty of dental medicine that deals with the diagnosis and treatment of patients with diseases that affect the mouth, face, jaws, and neck – both hard and soft tissue regions. Oral and maxillofacial surgeons are oral surgeons, but they have had additional training to address more complex issues. They work with patients of all ages, ranging from newborn babies to elderly people. They can treat children who are born with deformities of the face or skull, such as cleft lip and palate. With adults, they usually perform surgery following an accident or injury. With older people, they usually treat skin tumors of the face and head, as well as oral cancer.

Oral and maxillofacial surgeons can undertake a wide range of procedures. They are trained and qualified to properly administer anesthesia and perform complex and extensive surgeries. These include:

• Dental implants
• Minimally invasive tooth extraction
• Surgical removal of wisdom teeth, worn down or impacted teeth, and retained tooth roots
• Surgical removal of benign and malignant tumors from the head and neck
• Surgical removal of jaw cysts and tumors
• Salivary gland surgery for benign and malignant lesions
• Surgery of skin lesions of the head and neck
• Oral cancer treatment
• Surgical treatment for cleft palate and lip, as well as other congenital facial deformities
• Temporomandibular disorder (TMD) treatment
• Orthognathic (jaw) surgery
• Sleep apnea surgery
• Surgical treatment of facial injuries, such as complex craniofacial fractures, soft tissue injuries, as well as fractures of the upper and lower jaw, nose, and cheekbone
• Reconstructive surgery, such as microvascular free tissue transfer
• Cosmetic surgery of the head and neck, such as brow surgery, rhinoplasty, facelifts, otoplasty, blepharoplasty, neck liposuction, as well as injectable cosmetic treatments such as Botox.

How Long Should I Stay in Ankara?          

The type of procedure you underwent and the specific disease or condition you have determines your length of stay. Several procedures, such as orthognathic surgery, require you to stay in the hospital for several days, while other procedures, such as dental implants do not require a hospital stay. In general, you should plan to stay in Ankara for at least 7 to 14 days to give some time for the surgical site to heal and to attend scheduled follow-up checkups.

What's the Expected Recovery Time?

Recovery time varies a lot, depending on the type of procedure and the specific condition you have. It mainly takes up to around 12 weeks until you completely recover, but you may be allowed to return to work and most of your normal activities within 4 to 6 weeks. For minor procedures, such as tooth extraction, you can expect to recover within 2 days. 

What Aftercare is Required?

Your surgeon will provide you with everything you will need for your aftercare, such as activity restrictions, special diet, and how to care for the surgical wounds. For some procedures and diseases, you may need to attend several follow-up visits. For example, after oral cancer treatment, you will have to attend regular checkups to ensure cancer has not come back. You typically can choose to have follow-up visits with your doctor or dentist back at home if you want to.

What's the Success Rate?

Most oral and maxillofacial surgery has high success rates and is considered safe and effective. For example, dental implants have over 85% success rates. This surgical specialty continues to advance and evolve each year. Today, oral and maxillofacial surgeons use the latest techniques and technology to assist them in their work, such as CT and MRI scans. This technology enables them to view complex structures of the face and skull base, making the procedures a lot safer and successful than they were in the past. Still, there are risks you need to be aware of, such as infection and bleeding.

Are there Alternatives?

The alternative depends on the procedure you need or condition you have. For example, you can go to a dentist for a tooth extraction or a plastic surgeon for a rhinoplasty. It is best to talk to your general physician first. 

Maxillofacial Surgery in and around Ankara

About Ankara

Turkey’s capital Ankara is the second-largest city in the country and has a rich cultural heritage and serves a prominent place in history.

Ankara is a prominent industrial hub of Turkey with many manufacturing plants catering to food, beverage, and the construction of raw materials, etc. Medical tourism is also a major source of revenue for Turkey as it tops the list among the seven countries famous for thermal springs. The Medical Tourist industry in Turkey is growing 10%-15% each year and 2018 saw close to 1 million tourists who visited the country for medical treatments.

While patients from all over the world visit Ankara for medical procedures, most of them are from Libya, Germany, UK, and UAE. The big reason behind this was due to the fact that the treatments and surgical procedures in Turkey are nearly 40% cheaper than in most other European nations. There are world-class hospitals catering to a wide range of medical procedures. The city being a hot tourist destination, many patients enjoy exploring the city while getting treated. Some of the popular hospitals and Clinics frequented by tourists in Ankara include:

• Sanatoryum Hastahanesi
• Ankara University Cebeci Hospital
• SALUSS Medical Center

In addition to the aforementioned services, the recently inaugurated Ankara Bilkent City Hospital that began operations in March 2019, holds the distinction of being the biggest hospital in the country. It boasts a stupendous capacity, housing a total of 3,704 hospital beds.

Popular Areas in Ankara

The Central Anatolia Region is known to host some of the most prolific wine production establishments in the city.

Notably, the well-known Turkish Aerospace Industries, Türk Havacılık ve Uzay Sanayii A.Ş., is based in Ankara's Sincan district. This area is predominately inhabited by Turkish residents.

Ankara is an important city where most of the significant Government related activities are carried out and has become a prominent place for bureaucrats and officials. Çankaya District houses most of the Government buildings and is also one of the most popular residential neighborhoods in Turkey.

Another key urban area in Ankara is Yenimahalle. This district is renowned for the recently popularized Wonderland Eurasia theme park. In merely the first week following its grand opening, the park was thronged by nearly one million eager visitors.

Weather and Climate in Ankara

Ankara is known for its Mediterranean climate with hot, dry summers making up the city's weather pattern. Contrastingly, winter seasons can be quite chilly, with the lowest yearly temperature recorded around a frigid -24.9°C. If your timing is lucky, you might even get to revel in a bit of gentle snowfall during the winter months. Namely, back in 2018, the city appreciated snowfall commencing in mid-December, signaling a winter season that was relatively warmer than those of preceding years.

June to August is an ideal time to visit Ankara. After the heat of the summer settles down, these months stay warm and dry. March to May is the next most preferred time for tourists. It is best to avoid the months of December and January, as the city can get unpredictably cold. It receives a good amount of rainfall after the winter between January and March. Hence, if you are visiting Ankara for skiing, then it is wise to reschedule your travel to early January.

Getting around in Ankara

Tourists from all over the world can reach Ankara through its Esenboğa International Airport. The primary airlines serving most of the popular global destinations are:

• Anadolu Jet
• Pegasus Airlines
• SunExpress
• Turkish Airlines

Besides this international airport, it also has the Etimesgut Air Base, the Akıncı Air Base, and the Güvercinlik Army Air Bases.

Visitors can easily navigate through the city courtesy of the efficiently networked metro rail and local bus services. The management and regulation of the railway and bus facilities are efficiently handled by Ankara Electricity and Gas Operations Business.

Ankara Central Railways Station provides connectivity to all primary points within the city. Opting for a taxi from the airport to the city center is also a reasonable choice, with fares approximated around $15. Plus, the overall taxi charges within the city are perceived to be quite fair.

Tourist Visas in Ankara

Electronic Visa Application System of the Republic of Turkey: The Electronic Visa Application System of the Republic of Turkey (e-Visa) is a system that allows citizens of certain countries to obtain a visa to Turkey online. To apply for an e-Visa, you must visit the government website of the e-Visa system. You can check the list of eligible countries on the website.

Visa on arrival: Citizens of certain countries, including Bhutan, Afghanistan, and Kenya, can choose to obtain a visa on arrival in Turkey. However, it is important to note that visa on arrival is not guaranteed, and you may be denied entry if you do not meet all of the requirements.

Visa requirements for citizens of India, China, Russia, and other countries: Citizens of India, China, Russia, and a few other countries must apply for a visa in advance before traveling to Turkey. Visas can be obtained online or at a Turkish embassy or consulate.

Additional Information

• The local currency of Ankara is Turkish Lira. The value of 1 Turkish Lira is equivalent to 0.17 USD.
• Most of the tourist spots in the city accept payments made with credit and debit cards. You can also make use of international money transfer systems. On Municipal buses and metros, you can pay with magnetic cards available at kiosks. However, it is advisable to carry cash to pay at the local buses. Most taxi drivers accept payment in local currencies only.
• ​​​​​​​The tourism police division in Ankara Police Department consists of staff who can speak multiple languages including English, French, Arabic, and Russian. Most of the younger generation and some taxi drivers also understand English. Yet not many might be able to communicate in English though.
• ​​​​​​​If you would like to enjoy the rich culture of the city, then check out the Ankara Opera House. It is popular for ballet performances and theatres. The city has a strong emphasis on arts and music.
• ​​​​​​​Kocatepe Camii is a popular destination for tourists. It is the largest Mosque in Ankara. The Mosque was built in an Ottoman architecture style, for this reason, it resembles the Mosques built in the Ottoman era, such as the famous Sultan Ahmet Mosque (also called the Blue Mosque) in Istanbul.
• ​​​​​​​The major public holidays of Ankara are the New Year’s on January 1, Labor Day on May 1, and Republic Day on October 29. So, plan your visit keeping these National holidays in mind.