In this newsletter update, we’ll explore with you what we’ve been up to over the last month, as we hear from some past clients, take a look at the medical tourism industry & more..

Hello & welcome back to another update from The Health Store Turkey. 

This month has been one of great difficulty and challenge for us all here at The Health Store Turkey as we were faced with a huge and devastating tragedy. The earthquake that occurred on the border between Turkey and Syria was a huge shock to us all, claiming the lives of nearly 50,000 people, many of whom lost their entire families and their homes. There has been untold levels of destruction to the infrastructure and an unknown amount of people have been displaced and now find themselves in terrible and vulnerable situations. 

We spent many sleepless nights discussing what we could do to help the survivors of this terrible catastrophe. In the end, we decided that it would be most helpful to set up a system which allowed us to provide ongoing support to the region. 

So we have set up a Go-Fund-me page, through which we will be donating £5/€5 for every surgery that we perform over the next 6 months. After all the donations have been processed, The Health Store Turkey team have decided to use the profits to build a school in the region which we hope will restore opportunities and access to vital schooling for children whose schools were destroyed in the earthquake. To ensure this massive job is carried out with the highest possible efficiency we will be employing our own architects and engineers to design and deliver the project.

From there on, we will be making yearly donations to the school to ensure that all of its needs are met and all required resources are provided for the effective management of the school and the needs of the children who attend it.

We would like to express our deepest, most heartfelt sympathies with all of those who lost their lives, loved ones and homes in the devastation, our hearts are with the people of Turkey and Syria.

We will be sure to keep you all updated on our progress regarding the fundraiser and school build, through our social media channels, and we would like to thank the clients for making it possible for us to do this.

Best,

Nihal.

The findings included:

• All-cause mortality was 16% lower in patients who had surgery compared to those who did not
• Mortality from cardiovascular disease decreased by 29%
• Mortality from cancer decreased by 43%
• Mortality from diabetes decreased by 72%
• Death rates from chronic liver disease were 83% higher in those who had had surgery

The benefits of bariatric surgery

“This study is another reaffirmation of previous studies that show the long-term benefits of bariatric surgery,” said Dr. Mir Ali, a bariatric surgeon and medical director of MemorialCare Surgical Weight Loss Center at Orange Coast Medical Center in California.

“The surgery has many long-term health benefits and increases life expectancy. The reduction in death rates from all causes shows that obesity can adversely affect every organ system in the body, and by getting to a healthy weight, a person can reverse those effects,” Ali told Healthline.

The researchers did note that higher rates of suicide in younger participants might indicate that a more detailed psychological screening before and after surgery is warranted.

“Bariatric surgery is life-changing,” said Dr. Megan Jenkins, a general surgeon specializing in advanced laparoscopy, bariatrics, and general surgery at N.Y.U. Langone Health in New York.

“Bariatric surgery is like hitting a reset button,” Jenkins told Healthline. “After surgery, you need to change your eating habits. Healthy eating after surgery means eating proteins and limiting carbs and sweets. You are starting a new lifestyle.”

​As a mum to 2 and working full time that was not feasible for me at all. I couldn’t fit in any clothes in the shops and had to resort to buying everything online. I never let anyone take photos of me. I couldn’t experience anything with my kids, like water rides etc. 

As a nurse, I talk to people about their health all the time and I felt like such a fraud. How could I preach like that when I carried more than 20 stone on my 5ft 1-inch frame? When I moved to community nursing I saw the really debilitating effects of diabetes and chronic obesity on my patients. It really shone a spotlight on my situation. I would joke about having the sleeve being the “dream” but never thought it would become a reality. One day, my husband asked me if was that truly what I wanted, and I admitted it was. I was drowning and so very unhappy and unwell. I had headaches every day, chronic back pain, was so tired all the time, couldn’t sleep properly and was exhausted carrying all that weight. So we began to plan. 

I looked into a few companies but found some of their reps to be unfriendly or impatient. When I received my call from THST I spent an hour and a half on the phone with my rep. I asked every question I could think of and never felt like I wasn’t given te time. Afterwards, I would email random questions such as what implements did they use in theatre so I could look them up and reassure myself they were of excellent standard! The nurse in me was incredibly nervous, I’d never even considered travelling abroad for surgery. I cried the day I paid the deposit and cried on the plane on the way over, but I’ve never shed a tear since then. My husband came with me and having him there made it so much easier.

I had a fall three days after my surgery that urgently needed medical care, and Selin in THST couldn’t have been better at looking after me. So, even though you’re with them for one thing they will do their very best to help with EVERYTHING. 

I can honestly say my surgery has been life-changing. 

I followed my recovery instructions to the letter, and have had amazing results. 7 months post surgery I have lost 112 lbs, dropping from 20 stone 6 lbs to 12 stone 6 lbs. 

If you’re considering a sleeve, I will say it’s the best decision I’ve ever made for me. It’s almost like it’s freed me. I used to have a super sweet tooth and loved junk food. My tastes completely changed, I don’t want sweets or takeaways at all any more. I have never regretted it for a second. And I’m so glad I found THST because they made it a reality for me. 

I would do it again in a heartbeat. The Health Store Turkey saved my life.”

Balçova Gondola Izmir Cable Car – 

The Balçova Gondola is a two-station aerial cable car ride in İzmir, Turkey. The Gondola is situated in the district of Balçova, it operates between Yeşiloğlu Hill and the summit of the Dede Mountain. It is the second oldest aerial lift in the country, after the Bursa Uludağ Aerial Tramway. The views from the cable car are a breathtaking thrill, which allows you to see for miles in every direction, boasting an incredible bird’s eye view of the city of Izmir. This activity is open to everyone and requires little physical exertion so it is a fantastic option for anyone who might be post-operative or resting from their visit to The Health Store Turkey. All of the views, none of the climbing.

The Cable Car is situated opposite the İzmir University of Economics. Observation terraces, binoculars and recreation areas have been created for city residents and domestic and foreign tourists. There are 20 cabins in total on the cable car The cabins are a colourful celebration of the fun and refreshing spirit of İzmir, and each cabin carries a maximum of 8 passengers, making it a wonderful group activity. The journey up and down the cable takes about 3 minutes in total. It reaches a height of 418 meters and the line is  810 meters in length. It carries an average of 1200 passengers every hour and between 2015 and 2019 the cable car carried a total of 1,500,000 passengers, demonstrating how popular it is as a tourist destination.

The Balçova Gondola was first constructed between 1972-1973 by a German company and began its operations on the 24 of March 1974. 

The construction of the 810.71 m (2,659.8 ft) long current line began in April 2013 and was completed in 2015 with a cost of ₺15.5 million. The gondola line is owned by the İzmir Metropolitan Municipality.

We hope you enjoyed this newsletter update. Don’t forget to check back in for our next publication.

Thank you, as always, for being with us.

from all the team at The Health Store Turkey.

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