Whether you’ve just had a baby, dedicated yourself to losing weight or suffer from obvious stretch marks across your stomach, you may have found yourself searching for ways to improve this area of your body.

The look of the stomach area can cause issues with self-confidence, particularly in women, which would explain why tummy tucks are one of the most popular cosmetic procedures across the world.

What is a tummy tuck?

A tummy tuck, also known as an ‘abdominoplasty’, is a cosmetic procedure where the shape of the abdomen area is changed through the removal of excess skin.

With a number of different tummy tuck options available, a surgeon will recommend a suitable option for you depending on the level of excess skin you have. 

A full, or ‘extended’, tummy tuck will be suggested when there is a greater level of skin removal, whilst a mini tummy tuck will focus on a much smaller area, particularly around the lower abdomen.

It’s also important to note that a tummy tuck is not a ‘quick fix’ for people who are looking to lose weight.

A trained, reliable medical professional will only complete a tummy tuck procedure when the patient has a healthy BMI, and is an effective solution to instead remove any excess skin following dramatic weight loss.

What should I expect following a tummy tuck procedure?

If you’re considering a tummy tuck, then it’s important to understand the side effects and recovery process that follows a successful procedure.

A typical tummy tuck can take around 2-4 hours in surgery, and, due to the nature of the process, you can expect some form of scarring. 

The amount of scarring depends on the type of tummy tuck you are recommended by your surgeon.

For a mini tummy tuck, you will most likely be left with a scar that runs along your abdomen, but you can also expect scarring around the belly button area if you have a full tummy tuck.

Other side effects of a tummy tuck include:

Pain and bruising

Due to the invasive nature of the procedure, you can expect a certain level of pain and bruising as the healing process occurs.

This will subside and improve over the following weeks post-op, and your surgeon or doctor will look out for this in your follow up appointments.

Numbness

You can also expect to experience a numbing sensation around the abdomen area following a successful procedure as the incision increases the sensitivity around the stomach.

The length of time this lasts differs amongst patients, but you should notice a significant improvement in the following months post-op.

Swelling

Once the procedure has been completed, you may also notice swelling around the stomach area, which is completely normal. 

Again, this should subside and improve over the following weeks as your body heals.

Difficulty standing up straight

As the incision on your stomach heals, you may notice that it feels like it’s being pulled as the stitches keep the skin held in place.

This will make it difficult for the patient to stand up straight, as the pulling sensation may cause discomfort, but this will improve gradually along with the healing process.

As a tummy tuck involves making incisions and waiting for stitches to heal, you can expect for it to take around six weeks to make a full recovery and go back to your normal day to day life.

So, how much does a tummy tuck cost?

After understanding what is involved in a tummy tuck, you may wonder how much a procedure of this kind costs.

If you were to consider having a tummy tuck in the UK, you’d be looking to spend anything between £4,500 to £7,000. 

Being such a high price tag, many people have to look for other alternatives or reconsider having the procedure altogether.

But there are ways in which a tummy tuck can be a reality for those struggling with their body shape, which are much more cost-effective than the prices quoted in the UK.

This is where the benefits of medical tourism come into play. 

Turkey is a key location in the cosmetic surgery world, where the surgeons are typically well-versed in a variety of highly skilled procedures.

And with lower labour costs, operational fees and medical standards being at the same level as those across Europe, thousands of people from across the world travel to Turkey to make their dream body a reality. 

In fact, with MedicoTrips, a tummy tuck procedure in Turkey can cost as little as £3,300.

As part of our offering, our team works closely with experienced surgeon, Dr Abdullah Etöz. 

Now associate clinical doctor of Plastic Surgery at Acıbadem Hospital Groups in İstanbul, Dr Etöz has many years of experience in the cosmetic surgery field, making him a trusted surgeon for most of our cosmetic procedures.

Throughout his career, he has completed many tummy tuck procedures and provides outstanding results for all of his patients.

With this in mind, you can trust the team at MedicoTrips to make your dream body shape a realistic and affordable option for you.

As part of our service, we will be with you every step of the way to ensure you have the best experience possible. We will answer any questions you may have, and put your mind at ease before making the decision to go ahead with your procedure.

If you’d like to discuss the tummy tuck procedure in more detail with a trained MedicoTrips representative, we would love to hear from you. For more information please get in touch with us today by giving us a call on +44 (0) 121 288 4552.