An extended tummy tuck is a full abdominoplasty whose scar continues past the hip bones onto the flanks. This lets the surgeon remove the loose skin and fat at the sides of the waist as well as the front of the abdomen, and tighten the muscles.
It treats the overhang and the side rolls in one operation, which a standard tummy tuck leaves behind. It does not lift the buttocks or the back; when laxity continues all the way round, a lower body lift is the better operation.
What Extended Tummy Tuck involves
You are marked standing. The surgeon cuts from flank to flank, low enough to sit under underwear, and frees the navel on its stalk. Skin and fat are lifted off the muscles up to the ribs. The separated rectus muscles are stitched together in the midline. Liposuction usually contours the flanks and upper abdomen. The flap is pulled down and the excess, often everything between the navel and the pubic area plus a wedge at each hip, is removed. You may be turned partly onto each side to complete the flank excision. The navel is brought out through a new opening, drains are placed and the wound is closed in layers.
Who is a good candidate for Extended Tummy Tuck?
It is mainly chosen after moderate to large weight loss or several pregnancies, when laxity wraps around the sides.
- Loose skin that continues over the hips into the flanks
- Weight stable for at least 6 months, ideally with a body mass index under 30
- Dog-ear folds at the ends of an earlier tummy tuck scar
- Muscle separation with a hanging apron of skin
- Non-smokers, or those who stop at least 4 weeks either side of surgery
It is usually not the right choice if:
- Laxity limited to the area below the navel, where a mini or standard tuck is enough
- Circumferential loose skin with sagging buttocks, better served by a lower body lift
- Marked loose skin in the upper midline, where a fleur de lis pattern removes more
- Women planning pregnancy
- Uncontrolled diabetes, a history of blood clots without specialist clearance, or active smoking
Technique options
- Extended abdominoplasty with flank liposuction: The usual form. Liposuction thins the flanks and the longer excision removes the side rolls.
- Lipoabdominoplasty approach: Limited undermining with wide liposuction preserves blood supply to the flap and lowers seroma and wound problems.
- Progressive tension sutures: Internal quilting stitches fix the flap to the muscle. They reduce fluid collections and may allow drain-free surgery.
- Scar placement options: The flank ends can be angled up or kept low depending on the swimwear or underwear line you prefer.
What happens during your treatment
The operation takes 3 to 4.5 hours under general anaesthetic, with 2 to 3 nights in hospital. You wake in a flexed beach-chair position with drains and a binder. The abdomen feels very tight and standing fully upright takes about a week. Blood thinning injections and early walking reduce clot risk.
Preparing for your trip
Plan for 12 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
Recovery and results
Drains usually come out within 3 to 7 days. You wear a compression garment for 6 weeks. Desk work is realistic after 2 to 3 weeks, driving after about 2 weeks, and gym work after 6 to 8 weeks. The long scar is red for several months and fades over 12 to 18 months. Numbness between the navel and the scar is expected and improves slowly over a year.
- Back to everyday activity: 2 to 3 weeks
- When results show: Shape visible by 6 weeks; final at 6 to 12 months
- How long they last: Long lasting with stable weight
Safety, risks and revision policy
A longer excision means a longer wound, and complication rates rise with body mass index and smoking.
- Seroma needing repeated needle drainage
- Slow healing or wound breakdown, most often in the centre of the scar
- Skin or fat necrosis, strongly linked to smoking
- Deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism
- A wide, raised or uneven scar, or small folds remaining at the scar ends
- Lasting numbness of the lower abdomen and outer thigh
- Navel problems such as poor shape or partial loss
- Infection or bleeding needing a return to theatre
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 Extended Tummy Tuck in Türkiye
Clinic-Y does not publish a single price for Extended Tummy Tuck, because the honest figure depends on your case. What moves it:
- Length of surgery and amount of liposuction added
- Nights in hospital and need for high-dependency monitoring
- Hernia repair at the same time
- Combination with breast or thigh surgery
- Compression garments, medication and follow-up
Send your photographs or reports and you receive written, all-inclusive proposals from suitable teams, side by side. Reviewing your case is free.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much longer is the scar than a normal tummy tuck?
A standard scar stops near the hip bones. The extended scar carries on a further 5 to 10 centimetres on each side towards the back of the flank.
Is it safe to fly after two weeks?
Most surgeons allow it after a check that there is no seroma or wound problem. Walk every hour on the flight, drink water and wear compression stockings.
Can I combine it with other surgery?
Often yes, for example with breast surgery, but total operating time should stay within safe limits, commonly around 6 hours. Staging is sometimes wiser.
Will the side rolls come back?
Removed skin does not return. Remaining fat can enlarge with weight gain, so the result depends on keeping your weight steady.