Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasty)

Types of Tummy Tuck

Depending on the excess and the size of the area covered by the sagging skin of the patients, the surgical methods to be applied for tummy tuck surgery may differ.

The length of the horizontal incision to be applied during mini tummy tuck surgery, which is applied only to patients with sagging on the lower abdominal skin (in the area under the belly button), will naturally be shorter than that of patients who will undergo full or extended tummy tuck surgery due to excessive skin sagging involving the entire abdominal region.

The types of tummy tuck surgery applied in the abdominal region are as follows:

• • Full Tummy Tuck
  • Extended Tummy Tuck
  • Fleur-De-Lis Tummy Tuck
  • Drainless Tummy Tuck
  • Mini Tummy Tuck
  • Tummy Tuck with Liposuction
  • Non-Surgical Tummy Tuck

• Full Tummy Tuck:

Full Tummy Tuck (Full abdominoplasty) is a plastic surgery procedure that includes the entire upper and lower abdomen and aims to completely get rid of the abdomen from sagging skin.

Patients who are in good health, have weakened abdominal muscles or have excessively saggy skin in their middle abdominal regions may consider Full Tummy Tuck or Abdominoplasty. With this surgical procedure, the upper and lower regions of the belly button are reshaped, allowing patients to have a non-sagging abdomen.

With this surgical procedure;

• A new belly button is created by making a small navel incision that is not visible from the outside.
• Short, low horizontal waist incision designed to be easily concealed by underwear or swimwear
• The saggy skin is removed and the skin is stretched.
• Loose abdominal muscles are tightened with sutures.

The recovery period after Full Tummy Tuck surgery: 

As with all surgeries, the recovery period will vary depending on the age of the patient, whether there are other accompanying diseases (such as diabetes, blood pressure, peripheral circulatory disorders), whether smokes or not, and general health. 

Full Tummy Tuck Patients may need drainage tubes under the skin for a few days. The recovery period is usually one week, most patients can return to their daily activities within 3 weeks and can fully exercise after 6 weeks.

• Extended Tummy Tuck:

Extended Tummy Tuck (Extended abdominoplasty) surgery is an aesthetic surgical method performed to correct a larger area by adding the patient’s flanks to the full tummy tuck surgical procedure. Patients who have lost excess weight (who have had an excessive diet or have undergone weight loss surgery) are usually candidates for this surgical procedure. In such patients, excessive skin sagging and severe weakness in the abdominal muscles occur on the entire abdomen and on the flanks.

Since a larger area needs to be corrected aesthetically, this procedure needs to be done with a longer horizontal incision compared to Full Abdominoplasty, but the incision scar can often be hidden with underwear or swimsuit after the surgery.

The recovery process for the Extended Tummy Tuck surgery is similar to that of the Full Tummy Tuck surgery. However, it may take longer for the incision line to heal in Extended Tummy Tuck surgery.

• Fleur-De-Lis Tummy Tuck:

The Fleur-De-Lis Tummy Tuck gets its name because the shape of the incision resembles a lily flower. It is one of the best tummy tuck surgery methods applied for body shaping in patients with significant skin sagging in both vertical and horizontal planes (usually those who experience dramatic weight loss).

The Fleur-De-Lis Tummy Tuck involves two incisions: As like Full Tummy Tuck, a horizontal incision is made along the pubic bone between the hips, plus a vertical incision through the middle of the abdomen. The vertical incision is designed to allow the surgeon to tighten the patient’s skin from side to side and up and down, which can significantly improve the appearance of the abdomen.

The most important disadvantage of the technique is that it leaves a distinct scar in the form of an inverted T letter on the abdomen, which cannot be hidden by underwear or swimsuit. It is not possible for this scar to disappear completely, but with good wound care, it will become obscure in an average of 2 years.

Since the length of the incision and suture line is longer in this surgery, it is more affected by the conditions that will affect the blood circulation of the tissue. For this reason, it is recommended not to apply this surgical technique, especially in patients who smoke and/or have diabetes that impair tissue circulation.

Since the recovery period of Fleur-De-Lis Tummy Tuck patients will take longer than full and extended Tummy Tuck surgeries, it is recommended that they return to work 2 or 3 weeks after this surgery and can start exercising after 6 weeks.

• Drainless Tummy Tuck:

In order to reduce the need for drains, Tummy Tuck surgical procedures are sutured with the quilting technique, which is applied at frequent intervals and more intensely, which fixes the abdominal skin to the underlying tissue layers in a way that does not allow fluid accumulation under the skin.

Although this surgical method may be appealing to some patients, it will result in other potential complications as it will prolong the duration of the surgery and thus require longer anaesthesia. Therefore, it is not a preferred and frequently applied type of Tummy Tuck surgical technique.

The recovery period after a Drainless Tummy Tuck surgery is generally expected to be less than after a Full Tummy Tuck surgery. Most patients who have a Drainless Tummy Tuck surgery can return to work within 1 or 2 weeks, depending on the intensity of their work.

• Mini Tummy Tuck

Mini Tummy Tuck surgery is a tummy tuck surgery that is applied only to the lower abdomen below the belly button, unlike Full Tummy Tuck surgery. Patients who are generally concerned about loose skin or stretch marks below the belly button may be suitable candidates for Mini Tummy Tuck surgery.

Patients who are candidates for Mini Tummy Tuck surgery are usually close to their ideal weight. These patients usually complain of stubborn fat, which is located between the groin area and the belly button, that they cannot get rid of despite years of strict exercise and diet.

In Mini Tummy Tuck surgery, the patient does not need to create a belly button again, since excess skin, fat or muscle laxity in the upper abdomen above the belly button is not removed.

Since the surgical procedure is performed in a smaller area in Mini Tummy Tuck surgery compared to Full Tummy Tuck surgery, recovery is expected to take place in a shorter time. Therefore, healthy patients who have a Mini Tummy Tuck surgery can return to their normal activities and work in 2 weeks. They are able to exercise 6 weeks after the surgery.

• Tummy Tuck with Liposuction

A tummy tuck is a surgical procedure designed to remove excess skin alone. Liposuction is a surgical procedure that aims to shape the body by removing fat pockets. It can cause sagging skin and irregular fat pockets in the abdominal region after excessive weight gain and loss. In such cases, it is noteworthy that women who want to reshape their abdominal region, and recently men, often prefer the combination of these two surgical procedures.

• Non-Surgical Tummy Tuck

Patients with mild or moderate skin sagging in the abdominal region may be candidates for the Non-surgical Tummy Tuck. Non-surgical methods applied for this purpose can provide a lift effect on the abdominal skin. However, the results obtained with these non-surgical methods can be effective for up to one year and may not provide a permanent solution as much as surgical methods.

Non-surgical Tummy Tuck is not considered an effective treatment for patients with excessive sagging skin after pregnancy or weight loss.

Who are the suitable candidates for the Tummy Tuck surgery?

In general, you may be a good candidate for Tummy Tuck surgery if you have the following conditions: 

• If you are fairly healthy
• If you are at a stable weight
• If you have realistic expectations about the results and recovery process
• If you are a non-smoker
• If you have diabetes under control
• If you are disturbed by your abdominal appearance caused by sagging abdominal skin and weakening of the abdominal muscles and irregular permanent fat deposits.

You may also benefit from Tummy Tuck surgery if you have the following disturbances:

• If you are suffering from Stress Urinary Incontinence
• If you have back pain
• If you have abdominal hernia

You may consider postponing Tummy Tuck surgery:

• If you are considering losing weight
• If you are considering becoming pregnant

The advantages of Tummy Tuck in Istanbul, Turkey

Istanbul is one of the biggest cities in Turkey, which attracts many tourists with its historical beauties. Recently, it has managed to attract the attention of health tourists increasingly. The reason for this interest is that there are many accredited hospitals in Istanbul that can appeal to everyone’s budget, as well as physicians and surgeons who are specialised in their fields.

In Istanbul, you can find many options that provide the opportunity to be treated with the best plastic surgeons in Turkey with affordable price advantages. For this purpose, many health tourists from distant countries such as America, Canada, Australia, African and Asian countries prefer Istanbul to have plastic surgery, although close neighbour countries prefer it more.

Istanbul offers you the opportunity to have your Tummy Tuck and other plastic surgery operations performed at the best accredited hospitals by the best plastic surgeon at low prices.