Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasty) in Turkey
Tummy tuck in Turkey: full abdominoplasty with muscle repair, liposuction of the flanks and a low hip-to-hip scar; 2 hospital nights and 7 hotel nights included. Candidates, recovery week by week, risks.
Anaesthesia
General anaesthesia
Operation time
2.5–4 hours
Hospital / hotel
2 nights / 7 nights
Stay in Turkey
9 nights (2 hospital + 7 hotel), drains out before you fly
Back to work
Desk work in 2–3 weeks; lifting and sport after 6–8 weeks
Package price
€2,340
What Tummy Tuck involves
A full abdominoplasty removes the loose skin and fat between the navel and the pubic area, tightens the stretched abdominal muscles back to the midline, and repositions the navel. It is the operation for the apron of skin and the bulge that remain after pregnancy or major weight loss — problems that no amount of exercise changes, because the skin has lost its elasticity and the muscles have separated (diastasis recti).
In Kuşadası the standard tummy tuck includes liposuction of the flanks and lower back in the same operation. Removing the skin alone flattens the front; shaping the waist from the sides is what makes the result look natural in clothes. The combination is sometimes called a lipoabdominoplasty.
What it is not: a tummy tuck is not a weight-loss operation and does not remove fat inside the abdomen around the organs. If the belly is firm and round rather than soft and hanging, the fat is internal and surgery will not change it — weight loss or bariatric surgery is the right route first.
Scars: A low horizontal scar from hip to hip, placed to sit under underwear, plus a small scar around the navel
Who it suits — and who it does not
Good candidates
- ✓Loose, overhanging abdominal skin after pregnancy or weight loss, often with stretch marks below the navel
- ✓Separated abdominal muscles causing a bulge that returns however much you train
- ✓A stable weight for at least 6 months and a BMI under about 30–32; results and safety are both better
- ✓Finished having children — a later pregnancy will stretch the repair
- ✓Non-smokers, or able to stop completely for 4 weeks before and after; the long incision depends on good skin blood supply
Usually advised against
- –Planning another pregnancy
- –BMI above 35 or weight still changing — a mini tummy tuck or weight loss first is usually advised
- –A firm, round abdomen from internal fat rather than loose skin
- –Smokers who will not stop: wound breakdown along the incision is a real risk
- –Only a small amount of loose skin below the navel — see mini tummy tuck, which is a smaller operation with a shorter scar
Techniques and options
Full abdominoplasty with muscle plication
A low horizontal incision from hip to hip and a second incision around the navel. The skin and fat are lifted up to the ribs, the two rectus muscles are stitched together along the midline with permanent sutures (plication), the flap is pulled down, excess removed and the navel brought out through a new opening. This is the operation for most patients after pregnancy or weight loss.
Lipoabdominoplasty
Liposuction of the flanks, lower back and sometimes the upper abdomen is done first, then the abdominoplasty. Modern technique limits how far the flap is lifted so that blood supply from the sides is preserved, which allows more aggressive liposuction safely. This is the default in our packages.
Fleur-de-lis abdominoplasty
Adds a vertical incision up the midline for patients with a large amount of loose skin in the horizontal direction as well — typically after very large weight loss. It removes more skin at the cost of a visible vertical scar. See the separate Fleur-de-Lis page.
Drains, drain-free and progressive tension sutures
Traditionally one or two drains are left under the flap for a few days to collect fluid. An alternative is a series of internal quilting sutures that close the space and allow a drain-free operation. Both are used; your surgeon will explain which suits your case. Drains, when used, are removed at the clinic before you fly.
What happens on surgery day
- 1
Assessment before travel: photos of the abdomen standing and bending forward, your weight history, pregnancies, previous abdominal surgery (a caesarean scar is not a problem and is usually removed within the new incision) and any hernia.
- 2
Admission on the morning of surgery after fasting. Blood tests, ECG and anaesthetic review; compression stockings and an anti-clotting injection before theatre.
- 3
Markings are made standing up: the incision line is placed where your underwear or swimwear sits, so you should bring the style you normally wear.
- 4
Under general anaesthesia, liposuction of the flanks and back is done first. The lower incision is made, the flap lifted, muscles repaired, and the table is flexed so the skin can be pulled down and trimmed. The navel is repositioned and all layers are closed with dissolving sutures.
- 5
A compression garment goes on in theatre. You wake with the bed flexed at the hips to keep tension off the incision.
- 6
Two nights in hospital: walking with assistance from the first evening, pain relief through a drip then tablets, wound and drain checks, anti-clotting injections.
- 7
Discharge to the hotel on day 2 in the flexed position; you will walk slightly bent for about a week. Drains, if used, are removed at a clinic visit between days 4 and 7.
Recovery timeline
Days 0–2 (hospital)
Tightness across the abdomen is the main sensation; pain is controlled with intravenous then oral medication. Walk short distances, slightly bent, several times a day. Sleep with the head and knees raised.
Days 3–9 (hotel)
Drains out, wound check, garment worn day and night. Walking increases daily; standing fully straight becomes comfortable towards the end of the week. Fit-to-fly report after the final wound check.
Weeks 2–3
Return to desk work. Swelling above the scar and around the navel is normal and can fluctuate through the day. No lifting anything heavier than a kettle. Numbness below the navel is expected.
Weeks 4–6
Garment continues, gentle walking and stretching only. Most bruising gone. Scar is red and slightly raised — this is the normal early phase.
Weeks 6–8
Cleared for exercise, starting with low-impact and building up; core work last. Garment can usually stop at 6 weeks. Lifting children is fine from this point.
Months 3–12
Swelling resolves, the waist definition from liposuction shows fully around month 3–6, numbness gradually returns. Scar fades from red to pink to pale over 12–18 months; silicone gel or tape from week 3 helps.
Results — and their limits
A flat abdomen, a defined waist and a repaired muscle wall. The result is long-lasting provided weight stays stable; significant weight gain or a further pregnancy will stretch the skin and can separate the muscle repair again.
The scar is permanent. It is long, but it is placed low so that it is hidden by underwear and most swimwear, and it fades substantially over the first 18 months. Its final appearance depends on your skin type and on protecting it from sun and tension.
Stretch marks below the navel are removed with the skin. Stretch marks above the navel are moved down but remain.
Some residual fullness in the upper abdomen or a small amount of skin at the ends of the scar ("dog ears") occasionally needs a minor revision under local anaesthetic; this is discussed at 6–12 months, not before.
When it is final: Swelling settles over 3–6 months; scar matures over 12–18 months
Risks and how they are managed
Every operation carries risk. These are the ones that matter for this procedure, and what is done to reduce, spot or treat each.
Seroma (fluid collection under the flap)
The commonest issue. Drains or quilting sutures, the compression garment and limiting activity in the first weeks reduce it; a seroma that forms is drained with a needle at the clinic or by your local doctor.
Wound-healing problems along the incision
Mostly at the centre, where blood supply is lowest. Non-smoking, controlled blood sugar, a flexed posture for the first week and a BMI under 30–32 are the main protections. Small openings are managed with dressings and heal from the base.
Blood clots (DVT / pulmonary embolism)
Abdominoplasty carries a higher clot risk than most cosmetic surgery. Compression stockings, anti-clotting injections, early walking, and no flying until the fit-to-fly check. Tell us about previous clots, the pill or HRT.
Infection
Uncommon; a short antibiotic course, sterile dressings and daily wound inspection. Increasing redness, heat or discharge is reported immediately.
Numbness of the lower abdomen
Expected for months because skin nerves are divided; most sensation returns over 6–18 months, a small area above the scar may stay less sensitive.
Asymmetry, dog ears or a scar higher than planned
Reduced by careful standing markings and closing under moderate tension only. Minor corrections are done under local anaesthetic after 6–12 months if needed.
Navel problems
A navel that is too round, too tight or slow to heal. Careful sizing and suturing of the new opening; most concerns settle as swelling goes.
Fat necrosis or contour irregularity after liposuction
Firm lumps that soften over months; avoided by limiting liposuction over the flap and using gentle technique.
Package and cost
€2,340
One fixed price for the operation and a 9-night stay: 2 hospital nights and 7 hotel nights. No deposit surprises, no add-ons for anaesthesia or medication.
Included
- ✓Consultation with the operating plastic surgeon and anaesthetic assessment
- ✓Pre-operative blood tests and ECG
- ✓Full abdominoplasty with muscle repair and liposuction of the flanks and lower back, in a hospital operating theatre
- ✓2 nights in hospital with nursing care, medication and anti-clotting injections
- ✓7 nights in a 4- or 5-star hotel in Kuşadası
- ✓Private transfers between airport, hospital, clinic and hotel
- ✓Compression garment, dressings, drain removal and wound checks
- ✓Fit-to-fly report and 12 months of remote photo follow-up
Not included
- –Flights and travel insurance that covers elective surgery abroad
- –A second garment for washing (worth buying before you travel)
- –Scar treatments after the first tube of silicone gel
- –Revision surgery, if ever needed, is assessed and quoted separately
How to compare this with a quote at home
Ask any clinic for the same list: surgeon and anaesthetist fees, hospital nights, tests, medication, garments or splints, follow-up visits. A cheaper headline price usually excludes several of these. Then add your flights and insurance to our price for a like-for-like comparison.
How to prepare
- 1.Reach a stable weight and stay there for 6 months. Losing weight after a tummy tuck loosens the skin again; gaining it stretches the repair.
- 2.Stop smoking and all nicotine 4 weeks before surgery and for 4 weeks after — this is the single biggest factor in how the long incision heals.
- 3.Stop aspirin, ibuprofen, fish oil, vitamin E and herbal supplements 2 weeks before. Discuss the contraceptive pill or HRT with the clinic; they may be paused because of clot risk.
- 4.Bring the underwear or swimwear style you want the scar hidden by — it decides where the incision is drawn.
- 5.Arrange 9 nights in Turkey, 2–3 weeks off desk work, 6 weeks off heavy work, and help at home for the first week, especially with young children.
- 6.Buy a second compression garment, front-fastening tops, slip-on shoes and a small pillow for the seatbelt.
- 7.Eat well in the weeks before: protein and vitamin C support wound healing.
Aftercare at home
- •Walk slightly bent for the first week, then straighten gradually. Sleep with pillows under the knees and head; a recliner is ideal if you have one.
- •Wear the compression garment day and night for 6 weeks, removing it only to shower once cleared.
- •Keep the wound clean and dry as instructed; showers usually from day 3 with the dressing protected. No baths, pools or sea for 6 weeks.
- •No lifting over 5 kg for 6 weeks, no core exercise for 8 weeks. Walking every day is encouraged from day 1.
- •Start silicone gel or tape on the scar from week 3 and continue for 3–6 months. Keep the scar out of the sun for a year; sunburn on a new scar darkens it permanently.
- •Send photos at 2 weeks, 6 weeks, 3, 6 and 12 months. Contact the clinic immediately for calf pain, breathlessness, fever, spreading redness or a sudden swelling on one side.
Frequently asked questions
How long is the scar and where does it sit?
Does a tummy tuck fix separated muscles (diastasis recti)?
Can I combine it with other surgery?
How painful is recovery?
When can I fly home?
Will I lose weight?
What if I get pregnant afterwards?
Full or mini tummy tuck?
Do I have to have drains?
What does the package include?
Often considered alongside
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