How many nights you need in Turkey for eyelid surgery comes down to two dates: when your stitches come out, and when your surgeon clears you to fly. Published guidance puts both somewhere between the end of the first week and the end of the second, and your own surgeon sets the real dates. This guide explains where those ranges come from and how to plan flights around them. To see how the nights you stay change the total, use the trip budget calculator.
Key takeaways
- Two dates set the length of the stay: stitch removal and the day your surgeon clears you to fly. Published ranges for both fall between about day 5 and day 14.
- The NHS and BAPRAS advise against flying for 7 to 10 days after facial cosmetic procedures, so a return flight inside the first week conflicts with that guidance.
- Published stitch removal times differ by lid: 5 to 7 days for non-absorbable lower lid stitches (EyeWiki) and 7 to 14 days for upper lid ones (AAO).
- Bruising often lasts 10 to 14 days after upper eyelid surgery, according to the AAO, and the NHS says it may take several weeks to fade, so it may still be visible on the flight home.
It covers the calendar only. For what the trip costs, see our eyelid surgery cost guide, and for what the operation involves, our guide to eyelid surgery types, recovery and risks.
How many days should you stay in Turkey for eyelid surgery?
There is no fixed number in any source I found. What the sources do give is a set of checkpoints, and the stay has to cover the last one that applies to you:
- The operation. The NHS says eyelid surgery may take around 45 minutes to 2 and a half hours, and that most people go home the same day.
- The first follow-up and stitch removal. Depending on the lid and the stitches used, published ranges run from about day 5 to day 14 (see below).
- Clearance to fly. The NHS advises not flying for 7 to 10 days after facial cosmetic procedures.
Add the days before surgery, usually a consultation and any tests the clinic asks for, and a spare night or two in case a check is moved. Ask the clinic for its own schedule in writing before you book anything that cannot be changed.
When are eyelid stitches removed?
The sources differ, partly because upper and lower lids are closed differently and partly because some stitches dissolve.
| Source | What it says |
|---|---|
| NHS, eyelid surgery | Suture strips are usually removed up to 1 week later |
| American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO), upper eyelid blepharoplasty | Non-absorbable stitches are removed 7 to 14 days after surgery; absorbable ones vary and are often removed as well |
| EyeWiki (AAO), lower eyelid blepharoplasty | Non-absorbable stitches are removed 5 to 7 days after surgery, and a follow-up visit is planned within a week |
| EyeWiki (AAO), upper eyelid blepharoplasty | Follow up within 1 to 2 weeks of surgery for a postoperative evaluation |
The practical question is whether that visit happens in Turkey or at home. If your surgeon plans to remove the stitches on a day after your flight, ask who will do it at home and whether they have agreed to. If dissolvable stitches are used, ask whether you still need an in-person check before you leave.
Our guide to upper blepharoplasty covers the procedure itself in more detail.
When can you fly after eyelid surgery?
The NHS page on cosmetic surgery abroad recommends not flying for 7 to 10 days after facial cosmetic procedures, and says air travel and major surgery both increase the risk of a blood clot, which can be life threatening. BAPRAS, the UK association of plastic surgeons, gives the same 7 to 10 day window and adds that flying soon before or after an operation abroad combines these risks, particularly on a long flight.
Both pages give general advice for facial procedures, not a rule written for eyelids alone. The decision for you belongs to the surgeon who operated, who knows how the surgery went and how you are healing. Our article on flying after rhinoplasty explains what the waiting period is for and who decides whether you can board.
What do the planning checkpoints look like?
This is a planning frame built from the sources above, not a recovery protocol. Your surgeon’s instructions replace it.
| Checkpoint | What the sources say | What to settle in advance |
|---|---|---|
| Before surgery | Not covered by these sources | Consultation date, any tests, how many days ahead you must arrive |
| Surgery day | 45 minutes to 2 and a half hours; most people go home the same day (NHS) | Who takes you back to the hotel; you will not be able to drive for a number of days (NHS) |
| First days | Head propped up on pillows for a couple of days (NHS); cold compresses in the first 48 hours, then warm (EyeWiki, lower lid) | Whether you need a companion with you; what you need from a pharmacy |
| Follow-up and stitches | Lower lid around day 5 to 7; upper lid day 7 to 14 (EyeWiki, AAO) | The exact day, and whether it falls before your flight |
| Flight home | Not for 7 to 10 days after facial cosmetic procedures (NHS, BAPRAS) | A written clearance date from your surgeon, and a ticket you can change |
If you are having upper and lower lids done together, or eyelid surgery alongside another procedure, the later of the dates decides the stay. Ask the surgeon to give you one combined schedule rather than two separate ones.
What can you do while you wait to fly?
The NHS lists things to avoid after eyelid surgery: strenuous activity and swimming for a few days, wearing contact lenses, and rubbing your eyes. The AAO page on upper eyelid surgery says contact lens wear may be resumed at about one week after surgery, and EyeWiki’s upper eyelid page lists avoiding lifting, bending, straining and exercise during the first 10 days.
For a trip, that matters in practical ways. Heavy suitcases, long sightseeing days and the hotel pool may need to wait, and you may need glasses instead of contact lenses for the whole stay. Ask your surgeon which of these apply to you and for how long. If you want a quieter base for the recovery days, our Istanbul district guide compares the areas.
Will you still look bruised when you fly home?
It is possible. The AAO says bruising and swelling typically last 10 to 14 days after upper eyelid surgery. The NHS says bruises and redness may take several weeks to fade, that scarring may be visible and feel tight for a few months, and that most people take about 2 weeks off work, depending on their job.
So the end of the stay in Turkey is usually not the end of recovery. Plan the first days back home with that in mind, including time off work and any events you would rather not attend with visible bruising.
What happens after you get home?
BAPRAS says most clinics overseas provide only limited or no aftercare once you are back in the UK, and that returning to see the surgeon could add hundreds of pounds as well as significant time away from work. The NHS adds that overseas clinics may not provide follow-up treatment, or not to the same standard.
Before you book, find out how the clinic handles questions after you leave: photos, video calls, a named contact, and what happens if you need to be seen in person. It also helps to know which doctor at home you would contact if something worries you.
Questions to ask before you book flights
- On which day will my first check be, and on which day will the stitches come out?
- Will the stitches be dissolvable or removed? If removed after I leave, who removes them?
- On which day do you expect to clear me to fly, and will you put it in writing?
- How many days before surgery do I need to arrive?
- If I am having more than one procedure, what is the combined schedule?
- How do follow-up questions work once I am home, and who is my contact?
- What would a return visit cost, if I needed one?
Sources
All pages were opened and checked on 10 October 2026.
- NHS, Eyelid surgery (last reviewed 15 September 2023): length of operation, same-day discharge, stitch removal up to 1 week, things to avoid, bruising, scarring, time off work.
- NHS, Cosmetic surgery abroad (last reviewed 14 December 2022): no flying for 7 to 10 days after facial cosmetic procedures, blood clot risk, aftercare abroad.
- BAPRAS, Cosmetic surgery abroad: flying window, blood clots, limited aftercare, cost of returning.
- American Academy of Ophthalmology, Upper eyelid blepharoplasty: stitch removal 7 to 14 days, bruising and swelling 10 to 14 days, contact lenses at about one week. No review date shown.
- EyeWiki (American Academy of Ophthalmology), Lower eyelid blepharoplasty (last edited 21 July 2026): stitch removal 5 to 7 days, follow-up within a week, compresses.
- EyeWiki (American Academy of Ophthalmology), Upper eyelid blepharoplasty (last edited 28 September 2026): follow-up within 1 to 2 weeks, activity restrictions for the first 10 days.
