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Bariatric surgery: Istanbul or Tijuana for your recovery?
The recovery rules for bariatric surgery are the same in both cities, because they come from the same published guidance. What changes is the city around you: the weather, the hills, the crowds and how much there is to do on each day of your stay.
Short answer
On day 3, our Istanbul list has 13 things that fit the rules and our Tijuana list has 5. On day 7, it is 15 in Istanbul and 6 in Tijuana.
Typical stay: 5 to 10 days: 1 to 3 nights in hospital, then a recovery hotel near the clinic
Confirm with your surgeon. These are general activity limits from published aftercare guidance. Your clinic's written instructions always come first, and they may be stricter or looser for your procedure.
At a glance
| Istanbul | Tijuana | |
|---|---|---|
| Weather | Hot, sunny summers (often above 28°C in July and August) and cool, wet winters. Spring and autumn are the easiest months for recovery sightseeing. | Mild and dry most of the year, around 20 to 27°C in summer. Bright sun even when it feels cool. |
| Getting around | Use taxis or a ride app door to door in the first days. Trams and the metro are fast but packed at rush hour. Public ferries between Europe and Asia are cheap, seated and calm. | Clinics usually include transfers from the San Ysidro border. Inside the city, use a ride app or the clinic driver. Avoid walking long distances in the first days. |
| Clinic districts | Şişli and Mecidiyeköy, Beşiktaş and Levent, Ataşehir, Sultanahmet and Beyoğlu | Zona Río, Zona Centro, Playas de Tijuana |
| Emergency number | 112 for ambulance, police and fire. | 911 for ambulance, police and fire. |
Safe things to do, day by day
Activities from our city lists that fit the published limits on each day. Tap a day for the rules and the full plan.
| Day | Istanbul | Tijuana |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Rest day | Rest day |
| Day 2 | Rest day | Rest day |
| Day 3 | 13 safe things | 5 safe things |
| Day 4 | 13 safe things | 5 safe things |
| Day 5 | 13 safe things | 5 safe things |
| Day 6 | 15 safe things | 6 safe things |
| Day 7 | 15 safe things | 6 safe things |
What fits, and what to skip
Istanbul
- Day 3: Grand Bazaar, Basilica Cistern, Hagia Sophia.
- Day 7: Topkapı Palace, Grand Bazaar, Basilica Cistern.
- Skip on day 3: Topkapı Palace, Turkish hammam.
Tijuana
- Day 3: Lucha libre night, CECUT cultural centre and dome cinema, Playas de Tijuana seafront and the border wall.
- Day 7: CECUT cultural centre and dome cinema, Avenida Revolución walk, Lucha libre night.
- Skip on day 3: Valle de Guadalupe wine tour, Avenida Revolución walk.
Checks before you book
Istanbul
- Ask for the clinic's Ministry of Health licence and, for foreign patients, its international health tourism authorisation certificate.
- Ask who will do each step of the procedure and for that doctor's full name, so you can look them up.
- Get the price, what it includes (hotel, transfers, medicines, follow-up) and the aftercare plan in writing before you travel.
Tijuana
- Ask for the clinic's COFEPRIS health licence (Mexico's health regulator).
- Ask for the dentist's or surgeon's cédula profesional number and check it in Mexico's national register of professionals.
- For bariatric surgery, ask whether the surgeon is certified by the relevant Mexican surgical council and which hospital the operation is in.