Credentials: verify them yourself

By Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ayhan Işık Erdal, MD, FACS, FEBOPRAS · Updated September 2026

Credentials are only worth what you can verify. Each item below names the body that issued it and where a patient can check it — because the honest answer to 'why should I trust a surgeon abroad' is 'don't trust; verify'.

Credentials, verifiable

Training

MD, Hacettepe University; plastic, reconstructive and aesthetic surgery residency, Gazi University; fellowships at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (New York) and Ghent University Hospital (Belgium). The reconstructive foundation matters in body contouring: tissue handling, tension management and wound healing are reconstructive disciplines applied to aesthetic goals.

Boards and fellowships

FACS — Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, inducted at the ACS Clinical Congress 2025 after credential and practice review. FEBOPRAS — Fellow of the European Board of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery, awarded on examination; the same European board UK and EU plastic surgeons hold.

Academic record

Associate Professor of Plastic Surgery; 30+ peer-reviewed publications searchable on PubMed under 'Erdal AI' in journals including Annals of Plastic Surgery, Aesthetic Surgery Journal and Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery; ISAPS World Congress 2023 gold and bronze awards.

Regulation

Turkish Ministry of Health international health-tourism authorisation (USHAŞ) — the licence that permits treating international patients, with the number published on this site. Surgery is performed in accredited Istanbul hospitals; the clinic is at Teşvikiye Caddesi No:9/12, Şişli.

How to verify: search the ACS Find-a-Surgeon directory for FACS; the EBOPRAS fellows list; PubMed for publications; and ask any clinic — including this one — for its Ministry of Health authorisation number. A surgeon who welcomes the check is the one to choose.

Questions patients ask

Is Dr. Erdal board-certified?

Double board-certified: FACS (American College of Surgeons) and FEBOPRAS (European Board of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery), plus the Turkish specialist qualification and Associate Professor title.

Does he perform the surgery himself?

Yes. Consultation, marking, surgery and follow-ups are with Dr. Erdal directly — no third-party agencies and no delegated operating.

Where is the surgery performed?

In accredited Istanbul hospitals with full anaesthesia and monitoring facilities; the clinic itself is in Nişantaşı, Şişli.

Free consultation with Dr. Erdal

Send photos of your back on WhatsApp · Direct surgeon access · Honest recommendation within 24 hours

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