Tummy Tuck

Abdominoplasty — tummy tuck — removes excess skin and fat from the lower abdomen and tightens the underlying muscle wall. It is the right operation for patients whose abdominal skin and muscle have been stretched beyond what the body can restore on its own: significant weight loss, multiple pregnancies, or age-related skin laxity.

A tummy tuck is not a weight-loss operation and it is not interchangeable with liposuction. Liposuction removes fat. A tummy tuck removes skin and repairs muscle. Many patients need both — and the combined procedure is one of the most common body-contouring operations we perform.

Who is a good candidate?

Good candidates have completed childbearing, have reached a stable weight, and have loose abdominal skin or separated abdominal muscles (diastasis recti) that diet and exercise cannot fix.

• Post-pregnancy women with stretched skin and separated rectus muscles.
• Post-weight-loss patients left with loose, hanging abdominal skin.
• Patients with naturally poor abdominal skin elasticity who cannot achieve a flat contour through fitness alone.
• Non-smoking at time of surgery, generally healthy, with realistic expectations.

Types of abdominoplasty

Full abdominoplasty

The standard procedure. Incision runs from hip to hip, hidden within the bikini line. Skin and fat are removed from navel to pubic area, the rectus muscles are stitched back together in the midline, and the navel is repositioned. This is the right choice for moderate to significant skin excess.

Mini abdominoplasty

A shorter incision, removal of skin below the navel only, and no navel repositioning. Works for patients with skin laxity limited to the lower abdomen and no significant muscle separation above the navel. A niche option — many patients who request it actually need a full.

Extended abdominoplasty

A longer incision that addresses skin laxity wrapping around to the flanks and lower back. Indicated for post-bariatric patients or significant weight-loss cases where laxity extends beyond the front.

Lipo-abdominoplasty

Tummy tuck combined with liposuction of the flanks, upper abdomen, and back in one operating session. This is the most common combined body contouring operation and produces a dramatically better silhouette than either procedure alone.

The procedure, step by step

Performed under general anaesthesia, typically three to five hours. One to two nights in hospital.

The surgeon makes a low horizontal incision within the bikini line, lifts the abdominal skin and fat flap away from the underlying muscle, repairs the rectus muscle separation with strong permanent sutures, removes the excess skin, and redrapes the remaining tissue under appropriate tension. The navel is repositioned through a small new opening in the tightened skin. Drains are placed to manage post-operative fluid, then usually removed within a week.

Recovery timeline

First 2 weeks

You will not be standing fully upright for the first week — a slight forward posture protects the muscle repair. A compression garment is worn twenty-four hours a day for four to six weeks. Moderate soreness, particularly when moving from lying to sitting to standing.

Weeks 2–4

Gradually resume upright posture. Light walking daily. Office work typically possible from week two. No lifting, pushing, or straining.

Weeks 4–8

Light exercise resumes. The muscle repair is still maturing — no core work, no heavy lifting.

Months 3–6

Final shape. Scar maturation continues for twelve to eighteen months. The scar fades into a fine line but remains permanent — this is the trade-off every tummy tuck patient makes.

Risks and realistic expectations

Honest risks: the scar itself (permanent, though low and hidden), fluid collection (seroma), temporary numbness in the lower abdomen, and — rarely — healing delays at the incision line. Significant weight change after surgery will affect the result.

Pregnancy after a tummy tuck is medically safe but will stretch the abdominal wall again. If you plan to have more children, we strongly recommend delaying the operation. Your surgeon will discuss this in detail during consultation.

Why Istanbul

Post-pregnancy and post-weight-loss body contouring is a specialist domain here. Our surgeons perform multiple abdominoplasties a week, combined frequently with lipo 360 or a mommy makeover. The cost advantage versus the UK, Ireland, or Italy is significant without compromising on clinical standard — JCI-accredited hospitals, international implants and suture materials, experienced anaesthesiology teams.