Tummy tuck in Turkey: Costs, safety and alternatives

If you've recently experienced drastic changes to your body, whether through giving birth, an abdominal surgical procedure, or simply through sudden weight loss, you may be experiencing excess skin around your abdominal region.

While there are many ways to tighten up that part of your body, an increasingly common way to address this excess skin is through tummy tuck surgery, with approximately 130,000 people getting a tummy tuck in the US every year.

This form of plastic surgery is often cost-prohibitive for many in the UK, which has seen the 'Tummy Tuck Turkey' become an industry in and of itself.

But what exactly is a tummy tuck? And what does it mean for body contouring? And why, exactly, have tummy tucks in Turkey gotten so popular?

What is a tummy tuck?

Also known as abdominoplasty surgery, a tummy tuck is a cosmetic medical procedure performed by plastic surgeons that will remove excess skin and fat around the abdomen.

During a full tummy tuck, your plastic surgeon will also strengthen the abdominal wall musculature by tightening the tissue that holds your abdominal muscles in place.

The abdomen references the ‘abdominal trunk’ which is generally understood to encompass the area of your body starting from beneath your breasts to the beginning of your pelvis.

If you're only looking to remove a small amount of excess abdominal skin and fat, it’s also possible to get what is known as a mini tummy tuck.

In this form, the tummy tuck usually focuses just on the lower abdomen, which is the area underneath the belly button, and usually won’t repair the abdominal muscles.

Both a full tummy tuck and mini tummy tuck procedure are generally performed to improve physical appearance and are often done to rectify loose skin after periods of sudden weight gain and loss such as after pregnancy, other abdominal surgery, particularly bariatric surgery or a c-section, or as a result of genes and ageing [1].

Why are tummy tucks in Turkey so popular?

Getting a tummy tuck abroad has become popular around the world, but getting your tummy tucked at Turkish clinics has become increasingly popular recently as they are offered at a low price and often have a much shorter waiting time than in other countries, particularly the UK.

As tummy tucks are a type of cosmetic surgery, tummy tuck patients are not covered by the NHS, so you will be out of pocket for the entire expense of the surgery.

This cost is prohibitive to many people in the UK, which is part of what makes the tummy tuck procedure in Turkey so appealing [2].

How much does a tummy tuck cost in Turkey?

In Turkey, a tummy tuck costs anywhere from approximately £2,000 to £4,000, making it much cheaper than the tummy tuck cost in the UK which ranges from £5,000 to £10,000 depending on the plastic surgeon and the tummy tuck clinic [2].

Is it safe?

Tummy tucks are major cosmetic surgery, and as a result, they have a significant recovery time (between 4 and 6 weeks) and can pose a range of health risks.

These health risks include:

• The risk of Seroma, which is a build-up of fluid beneath the skin. As a part of a tummy tuck, drainage tubes are left in place for between 7 and 10 days to help reduce the risk of this.
• The risk of Haematoma, which is a bleed beneath the skin.
• Tissue damage. As a tummy tuck tightens your abdominal tissue, there is the risk that some areas may get damaged or even die. Smokers should be particularly careful, as smoking increases the risk of tissue damage.
• Poor wound healing and scarring. As with any major surgery, healing along the incision lines can vary from person to person, and there is a risk of infection. Your doctor may prescribe you antibiotics during and after the surgery to prevent this.
• Numbness or pain in the tummy or down the leg.

As this surgery requires the use of anaesthesia, there are also risks associated with that such as excessive bleeding, developing a blood clot, infection, or having an allergic reaction [2].

Your plastic surgeon should discuss all of these risks with you prior to the surgery.

Alternative ways to lose weight

A tummy tuck is not a weight loss surgery, rather it's a body contouring cosmetic surgery which is designed to tighten up loose skin, not remove excess fat.

While sometimes tummy tucks are paired with weight loss procedures such as liposuction, it's generally recommended that you lose weight prior to getting a tummy tuck, and maintain that weight for around 6 months as gaining weight again can defeat the purpose of the procedure [3].

Losing weight is about building a healthy lifestyle through diet, exercise and good habits.

There are myriad ways to do this, and finding what works for you is crucial to being able to maintain those habits, that lifestyle and your goal weight. Some ways to lose weight include:

• Eating healthy. Make sure that you are eating a range of fruits, vegetables, lean meat and/or healthy proteins. Meal planning, or keeping a food diary, can be a great way to keep you on track and to note what particular healthy recipes had you getting excited.  
• Aiming to do at least 2.5 hours of physical activity a week. This can be broken up into a variety of exercises across a 7-day window. Maybe start with a half-hour walk every weekday, or do a 1-hour yoga class and 3 half-hours in the pool. Find what you enjoy, and what works with your schedule and commitments.
• Finding support and community. We all know weight loss can be a difficult task, and it often isn't linear. In fact, you might even gain a bit of weight as you start to exercise regularly as your body replaces fat with muscle. Having people you can talk to and who can cheer you on can be vital to maintaining your new habits, whether they be family, friends or a personal trainer.
• Medication might be right for you too. Juniper's Weight Reset Programme utilises a GLP-1 medication that helps regulate your appetite and slow down your gastric mobility. The benefits of Juniper's Weight Reset Programme include ongoing support from medical professionals and health coaches who can help you hit your weight loss targets and find your way to a healthier, happier you.
• Consider surgery. In some cases, weight loss surgery may give you the leg-up that you need. Bariatric surgeries can vary quite a lot, so if this is something you are thinking about, speak to your doctor to find out which, if any, may be right for you.

Image credit: Pexels / Teona Swift