Op. Dr. Caner Gelbal

Op. Dr. Caner Gelbal is a specialist in Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery. He practises at Medipol Bahçelievler University Hospital in Istanbul, Türkiye, and is a member of the BBL Turkey surgical team. His published work covers fat grafting, regenerative techniques and reconstructive flap surgery. At BBL Turkey he focuses on body contouring and fat transfer.

Education and training

Dr Gelbal graduated from Istanbul University Istanbul Faculty of Medicine in 2017. He then completed specialist training in Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery within the University of Health Sciences Türkiye system and qualified as a specialist in 2023. His public physician profile names Şişli Hamidiye Etfal Training and Research Hospital in Istanbul as his training hospital. His specialty thesis examined how bipolar and microneedle radiofrequency energy affects skin and fat tissue. The findings were later published in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.

His career so far, as listed on his public profile:

• Tokat Reşadiye State Hospital (2017–2018)
• Bağcılar Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Department of Plastic Surgery (2018–2022)
• Şişli Hamidiye Etfal Training and Research Hospital (2022–2023)
• Ağrı Training and Research Hospital (2023–2024)
• Bağcılar Training and Research Hospital (2024–2025)
• Medipol Bahçelievler University Hospital, Istanbul (from 2025)

Professional memberships and qualifications

• Specialist in Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery (Türkiye)

Dr Gelbal has co-authored several peer-reviewed papers from the plastic surgery department at Bağcılar Training and Research Hospital. They include studies of stromal vascular fraction (a fat-derived cell therapy) in burn wound healing, stem-cell-assisted bone repair, and a case report on the dorsoradial forearm flap for hand reconstruction. He has also presented research at the European Plastic Surgery Research Council meeting in Munich. We list society memberships only once they can be confirmed from a public source.

Areas of interest

His public physician profile lists interests in body and abdominal contouring, tummy tuck, liposuction, post-pregnancy ("mommy makeover") surgery, gynaecomastia, and eyelid and brow surgery. At BBL Turkey he performs:

• The Lipo 360 BBL, which combines circumferential liposuction with fat transfer to the buttocks
• The Skinny BBL for slimmer patients who have limited donor fat
• Mommy makeover procedures after pregnancy
• Abdominoplasty and liposuction as stand-alone procedures

Consultation and care with BBL Turkey

Patients treated by Dr Gelbal follow the same structured process as every BBL Turkey patient:

• Online photo assessment: you send photographs and basic medical information so the surgical team can judge your suitability and suggest the right procedure.
• Video consultation: before you travel, you can go through the plan, expected results, risks and recovery, and ask any questions.
• Pre-operative tests: when you arrive in Istanbul, blood tests and an anaesthetic assessment are carried out in a JCI-accredited hospital. Surgery goes ahead only if the results are satisfactory.
• Surgery and hospital stay: the operation takes place in an accredited hospital and is followed by in-patient monitoring.
• Follow-up: you have check-ups before your flight home and remote follow-up throughout your recovery.

Browse our before and after gallery or contact our patient team for a free online assessment.