A tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) removes loose skin and fat from the lower abdomen and tightens the abdominal wall where the rectus muscles have separated, as commonly happens after pregnancy or major weight loss.
It gives a flatter, firmer abdomen and removes stretch marks that lie below the navel. It is not a weight-loss operation, it leaves a long scar from hip to hip, and the result can be undone by pregnancy or significant weight gain.
What Tummy Tuck involves
The incision runs low across the abdomen within the underwear line, with a second cut around the navel. The skin and fat are lifted off the muscle up to the ribs. The gap between the rectus muscles (diastasis) is closed with a row of strong stitches from breastbone to pubis, narrowing the waist. The flap is pulled down, the excess is removed, and a new opening is made for the navel, which stays attached to its stalk. Liposuction of the flanks is often added. Many surgeons place internal quilting stitches to reduce fluid build-up, with or without drains. The wound is closed in layers and a binder is fitted.
Who is a good candidate for Tummy Tuck?
It suits healthy adults with loose abdominal skin at a stable weight.
- You have loose skin, stretch marks and a bulge after pregnancy
- You have an overhanging apron of skin after weight loss
- Your BMI is ideally under 30 and has been stable for 6 months or more
- You have completed your family
It is usually not the right choice if:
- You plan to become pregnant
- Your BMI is above about 32 to 35; risks rise sharply and the result is poorer
- You smoke and cannot stop for 4 to 6 weeks before and after
- Your fullness is mostly internal (visceral) fat, which surgery cannot remove
- You have a history of blood clots or serious heart or lung disease without specialist clearance
الخيارات التقنية
- Full abdominoplasty: The standard operation with muscle repair and navel repositioning.
- Mini abdominoplasty: Limited excess below the navel only; shorter scar, navel untouched.
- Lipoabdominoplasty: Combines extensive liposuction with a more limited lift of the flap.
- Extended abdominoplasty: The scar continues round the hips to treat the flanks after weight loss.
- Fleur-de-lis: Adds a vertical scar to remove excess in width after massive weight loss.
ماذا يحدث خلال علاجك
Surgery takes 2 to 4 hours under general anaesthetic with 1 to 2 nights in hospital. You wake slightly flexed at the hips and walk bent forward for the first week because the abdomen is tight. Pain is greatest for 3 to 4 days, mainly from the muscle repair, and is managed with tablets and sometimes local anaesthetic infusion.
الإعداد لرحلتك
Plan for 10 to 14 days in Istanbul. Your surgeon reviews photographs and your medical history before you book, and you meet in person the day before surgery for examination, marking and consent with a professional interpreter.
- Stop smoking and nicotine at least four weeks before and after surgery; it is the single biggest avoidable cause of wound problems
- Tell the team about every medicine and supplement you take; blood thinners, some herbal products and hormone treatment may need to be paused on your doctor's advice
- Arrange for someone to travel with you or to be reachable, and keep the first days at home free of work and lifting
- Book a changeable return flight; your surgeon confirms when you are fit to fly
التعافي والنتائج
Drains, if used, come out in 3 to 7 days. Wear the binder for 6 weeks. Light desk work is possible at 2 to 3 weeks, driving at 2 to 3 weeks, and lifting, core exercise and running at 6 to 8 weeks. Swelling above the scar is normal for 3 months and numbness of the lower abdomen can last a year. The scar fades over 12 to 18 months.
- Back to everyday activity: 2 to 3 weeks
- When results show: Shape at 6 to 12 weeks, final at 6 to 12 months
- How long they last: Long lasting with stable weight
سياسة السلامة والمخاطر والتنقيح
This is major surgery. Serious complications are uncommon but are more frequent than with smaller cosmetic procedures.
- Seroma, the most common problem, sometimes needing repeated drainage
- Wound healing delay or skin necrosis at the centre of the scar, mainly in smokers
- Deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism
- Infection or haematoma
- Thick, high or asymmetric scar, and dog-ears at the ends
- Navel distortion or loss
- Lasting numbness of the lower abdominal skin
Every written proposal arranged through Clinic-Y states what the clinic covers if a correction is needed. Ask for it before you book, not after.
Cost of Tummy Tuck in Türkiye
Clinic-Y does not publish a single price for Tummy Tuck, because the honest figure depends on your case. What moves it:
- Full, mini, extended or fleur-de-lis technique
- Amount of liposuction added
- Hernia repair if needed
- Hospital nights, garments and clot prevention
- Combination with breast surgery
Send your photographs or reports and you receive written, all-inclusive proposals from suitable teams, side by side. Reviewing your case is free.
الأسئلة المتكررة
When can I fly home?
Usually after 10 to 14 days, once drains are out and the wound has been checked. Wear stockings and walk regularly on the flight.
Can I have children afterwards?
It is safe, but pregnancy stretches the repair and skin again. It is better to wait until your family is complete.
Will it remove all my stretch marks?
Only those on the skin that is removed, generally below the navel. Those above are moved lower.
Is liposuction enough instead?
Only if your skin is tight and the muscles have not separated. Liposuction does not remove loose skin.