Tummy Tuck in Turkey

Tummy tuck in Turkey: what you should know before you book

A tummy tuck — abdominoplasty — removes loose skin and fat from the lower abdomen and, in most cases, tightens the stomach muscles that have separated after pregnancy or weight loss. It is one of the operations patients most often travel to Turkey for, mainly because of the price: a full tummy tuck in a private hospital in Istanbul costs roughly half of what patients pay in the UK and about a third of a typical all-in price in the USA, with the hospital stay, transfers and hotel often included.

The price is only part of the decision. A tummy tuck is a larger operation than a nose job or a breast augmentation: it takes two to four hours under general anaesthesia, leaves a long scar across the lower abdomen and needs a careful recovery, including protection against blood clots on the flight home. Whether it goes well depends on the surgeon's experience, on a hospital that can handle a complication, and on enough time in Turkey before you fly. This guide explains the real costs, the types of tummy tuck, who is — and who is not — a good candidate, how the trip is organised day by day, and how to check a surgeon and hospital before you pay anything.

The hospitals that perform tummy tucks on our site, with their own prices for international patients, are listed on this page; the surgeons who perform the operation are shown at the top. Every quote is free and you decide only after a surgeon has reviewed your photos.

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Tummy Tuck in Turkey: how it works

1. 1
   Send your photos and questions

   Free and without obligation: tell us what you want to change and send a few photos — by form or WhatsApp.

2. 2
   Get a written plan and price

   A surgeon reviews your case and you receive a personal plan with the price, usually within 24 hours. Compare hospitals; nothing is paid in advance.

3. 3
   Travel, surgery and aftercare

   Airport pick-up, examination, surgery and check-ups in Istanbul, then follow-up with your surgeon after you fly home.

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Tummy Tuck in Turkey: hospitals and prices

Hospitals on our site that perform Tummy Tuck, with each hospital's own list price for international patients, shown in your currency.

• 
  Lokman Hekim Istanbul Hospital 4.6 (2,122)Pendik, Istanbul JCIMoHHealth Tourism Licence

  Package includes 5 items

  • Nights in hospital: 3
  • Airport, hotel and hospital transfers
  • Interpreter / patient coordinator
  • Pre-operative tests (blood, ECG)
  • Compression garment
  Price from€3,520 Get price

Types of Tummy Tuck in Turkey and prices

Why plan Tummy Tuck in Turkey with Treat Journey?

• Free for patients

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  Every price on this page is the hospital's own price for international patients, shown live in your currency, with what the package includes.

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• Licensed hospitals only

  We list licensed hospitals with an international patient department; accreditations such as JCI are shown on each hospital page.

• Honest reviews

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• Support before, during and after

  A coordinator in your language answers within hours, arranges transfers and an interpreter, and stays in touch after you fly home.

How much does a tummy tuck cost in Turkey?

A tummy tuck in Turkey costs from €3,520 at the accredited hospitals on this page; the list above shows each hospital's own price in your currency. Across the market, tummy tuck prices in Turkey for full abdominoplasty packages for international patients usually fall between about €3,000 and €5,000; combined operations such as a tummy tuck with liposuction or a mommy makeover cost more. A price far below that range usually means a day clinic instead of a hospital, a mini tummy tuck sold as a full one, or costs that are added after you arrive.

The table compares typical total prices for a full tummy tuck. Turkish prices are hospital package prices for international patients; prices in other countries are approximate private-sector totals including the surgeon, anaesthesia and hospital, and vary widely between clinics.

How much is a tummy tuck in the UK — and can you get one on the NHS?

In the UK a full tummy tuck at a private hospital usually costs about £6,000–£9,000, and more in central London or when liposuction is added; a mini tummy tuck is usually a few thousand pounds less. The NHS treats a tummy tuck as cosmetic surgery, so it is very rarely funded. Some local health boards fund the removal of a hanging skin apron (a panniculectomy) in exceptional cases — for example after major weight loss when the skin causes repeated infections or problems with daily life — but criteria are strict, waiting lists are long and muscle repair for appearance is not included. This is why many UK patients compare private prices at home with a tummy tuck in Turkey.

What makes one tummy tuck more expensive than another:

• Type of operation: a mini tummy tuck below the belly button costs less than a full tummy tuck; an extended or fleur-de-lis tummy tuck after major weight loss costs more because it removes more tissue and takes longer.
• Muscle repair: repairing separated abdominal muscles (diastasis recti) is part of most full tummy tucks after pregnancy and adds operating time.
• Liposuction of the waist and flanks: adding liposuction to shape the waist — often called a 360 tummy tuck or lipoabdominoplasty — increases the price but usually gives a better result than skin removal alone.
• Combined surgery: a tummy tuck with a breast lift or augmentation (a mommy makeover) costs less than two separate trips, but means a longer operation and recovery.
• Body weight: for patients with a higher BMI the operation is longer and more demanding; some surgeons charge a plus-size supplement or ask you to lose weight first.
• Hospital and surgeon: a full hospital with an intensive-care unit and blood bank costs more than a day clinic — and for a tummy tuck that difference matters.

What an all-inclusive tummy tuck package usually includes: the surgeon's and anaesthesiologist's fees, the operating theatre, one or two nights in hospital, blood tests and an ECG, the first compression garment, drains if used, medication for the first days, blood-thinning injections when your surgeon prescribes them, VIP transfers between airport, hotel and hospital, and an interpreter. Many packages also include several hotel nights. Flights, extra hotel nights, a second garment and any further tests are usually not included — ask for a written list before you book.

Payment: at the hospitals on our site you pay the hospital directly when you arrive, by card or in cash; requesting a quote costs nothing and commits you to nothing. We do not arrange loans or payment plans, and we would advise against borrowing for cosmetic surgery.

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Types of tummy tuck: which one do you need?

"Tummy tuck" covers several operations that differ in the length of the scar, the amount of tissue removed and the recovery. Your surgeon recommends one after seeing photos of your abdomen from the front and side, standing and bending forward, and confirms it at the examination in Turkey.

• Tummy tuck with liposuction (360 tummy tuck): liposuction of the flanks, waist and sometimes the back is added to the tummy tuck to shape the waist as well as flatten the front. Most patients who travel for a full tummy tuck choose this combination.
• Six-pack tummy tuck: a male tummy tuck combined with high-definition liposuction to outline the abdominal muscles — only suitable when the muscles underneath are well developed.
• Panniculectomy: removal of a hanging apron of skin after major weight loss, without muscle tightening or belly-button repositioning. It is a functional operation and can be combined with a tummy tuck.
• Drainless tummy tuck: the layers are stitched together with "progressive tension" sutures so that drains are not needed. Whether drains are used is the surgeon's choice and does not change the result.

If you mainly have fat but firm skin, a tummy tuck is the wrong operation: liposuction alone removes fat with small scars. If your skin is loose all around the body after weight loss, a lower body lift may be the better choice.

Tummy tuck or liposuction: which one do you need?

Many patients ask whether liposuction alone would be enough, or whether they need a full or a mini tummy tuck. The answer depends on three things: how much loose skin you have, whether the abdominal muscles have separated, and where the fat sits. Pinch the skin below your belly button and look at your abdomen from the side while standing: if the skin folds over or hangs, and your lower belly bulges even when you tighten your muscles, liposuction alone will not give a flat result.

A surgeon decides this from photos and an examination; if you are unsure, send photos from the front, the side and bending forward, and ask for an honest recommendation rather than a price for a specific operation.

Are you a good candidate for a tummy tuck in Turkey?

You are likely a good candidate if your weight has been stable for at least six to twelve months, you are close to the weight you want to keep, you have loose skin or separated muscles that diet and exercise cannot change, you do not smoke or can stop for six weeks before and after surgery, and you have realistic expectations about the scar.

A tummy tuck is not a weight-loss operation. Most surgeons ask for a body mass index (BMI) below about 30–32 for a tummy tuck abroad; above that the risks of wound problems and clots rise, and the result is less flat. Women who plan another pregnancy are usually advised to wait, because pregnancy stretches the muscles and skin again.

Who should not have a tummy tuck abroad: patients with uncontrolled diabetes, heart or lung disease, a previous blood clot or a known clotting disorder, heavy smokers who cannot stop, patients who had bariatric surgery less than 12–18 months ago, and anyone who cannot stay the full recommended time in Turkey. For these patients surgery close to home — or no surgery — is safer. Tell your surgeon about every medicine, previous operation and health problem; it is part of a safe plan, not an obstacle.

How a tummy tuck is performed

The operation is done under general anaesthesia and usually takes two to four hours, longer when combined with liposuction or breast surgery.

• Marking: the surgeon marks the incision while you stand, so that the scar sits low and symmetrical and can be hidden under underwear or a bikini.
• Incision and lifting the skin: a low incision is made from hip to hip and the skin is lifted up to the ribs. In a full tummy tuck a second incision frees the belly button, which stays attached to the abdominal wall.
• Muscle repair: the separated rectus muscles are stitched together along the midline with permanent sutures, which narrows the waist and flattens the lower belly.
• Removing the excess: the skin is pulled down and the excess skin and fat — often including old stretch marks below the belly button — is removed.
• New belly button and closure: the belly button is brought out through a new opening, and the incision is closed in layers. Drains may be placed for a few days.

Most patients spend one night in hospital, two after an extended tummy tuck or combined surgery. You walk, slightly bent forward, on the evening of the operation or the next morning — early walking is one of the most important measures against blood clots.

Combining a tummy tuck with other operations

Many patients combine a tummy tuck with another operation to need only one trip and one recovery. The most common combinations are liposuction of the flanks and waist, a breast lift or breast augmentation — together called a mommy makeover — and fat transfer to the buttocks (BBL).

Combining saves money and time off work, but each added procedure makes the operation longer, and long operations raise the risk of blood clots and slow healing. Responsible surgeons limit the total operating time — usually to about five or six hours — and split the plan into two stages when needed. A tummy tuck combined with a BBL also means you must avoid sitting on the buttocks while protecting the abdomen, which makes the first weeks harder; ask your surgeon whether it makes sense for you.

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Your tummy tuck trip to Turkey, day by day

Plan at least 7 days in Istanbul for a full tummy tuck, 5–7 days for a mini tummy tuck and 10–14 days for an extended tummy tuck, a fleur-de-lis tummy tuck or a mommy makeover. A typical plan for a full tummy tuck:

• Day 1 — arrival: you are met at the airport and taken to your hotel. Rest, and eat and drink normally.
• Day 2 — consultation and surgery: examination by the surgeon, final plan and markings, blood tests and an ECG, a meeting with the anaesthesiologist, then the operation. You stay overnight in hospital.
• Day 3 — first check: the surgeon checks the wound and drains; you walk in the corridor and go to the hotel in the compression garment, or stay a second night after combined surgery.
• Days 4–6 — hotel recovery: short walks several times a day, plenty of fluids, painkillers and blood-thinning injections as prescribed. Drains are usually removed within these days.
• Day 7 — final check: wound check, dressing change and written aftercare instructions; the surgeon confirms that you are fit to fly.
• Day 8 — flight home: an aisle seat, compression stockings, a walk every hour and plenty of water. Book a seat with more legroom if you can.
• After you are home: photo follow-up with the surgeon through the hospital's international patient team at one, two and six weeks; stitches that need removal can be removed by your GP or a nurse.

Travel with a companion if possible: in the first days you will need help getting up, showering and carrying luggage.

Recovery after a tummy tuck and flying home safely

Recovery from a full tummy tuck takes longer than most patients expect. A realistic timeline:

• Week 1: tightness and soreness, controlled with painkillers; you walk slightly bent forward and sleep with your head and knees raised. Most patients describe the muscle repair as the most uncomfortable part.
• Weeks 2–3: you stand straighter each day; desk work and light daily activities are possible from about two weeks. No driving while you need strong painkillers or cannot brake hard without pain.
• Weeks 4–6: the compression garment is worn day and night for about six weeks; light exercise such as brisk walking is allowed. No lifting more than a few kilograms, including small children.
• Weeks 6–8: gym training, swimming and heavier lifting are usually allowed again; abdominal exercises after your surgeon agrees.
• Months 3–12: swelling settles and the scar fades from red to pale; the final result is visible after about a year.

The no-fly window: long flights in the first days after abdominal surgery raise the risk of a deep vein thrombosis. Most surgeons ask you not to fly for at least five to seven days after a tummy tuck and longer after combined surgery. On the flight, wear compression stockings, walk regularly, drink water and avoid alcohol and sleeping pills; take blood-thinning injections exactly as prescribed. Shortness of breath, chest pain or a swollen, painful calf after you return are emergencies — call the emergency services at once.

Risks of a tummy tuck and how to lower them

A tummy tuck is a safe operation for healthy patients in a proper hospital, but it carries more risk than most cosmetic operations, mainly because of its size. The most common problem is a seroma — fluid collecting under the skin — which affects a noticeable minority of patients and is drained with a needle at a check-up. Minor wound-healing problems at the centre of the scar are also fairly common, especially in smokers and patients with a higher BMI. Less common are infection, bleeding that needs a second operation, numbness of the lower abdomen (usually partly permanent), an asymmetric or wide scar, and "dog ears" at the ends of the scar that may need a small correction. The most serious risk is a blood clot in the legs or lungs; it is rare, but it is the reason for early walking, compression, blood thinners and the no-fly window.

You lower the risks by stopping smoking and nicotine products for at least six weeks before and after surgery, reaching a stable weight first, telling the surgeon about all medicines and health problems, choosing a hospital with an intensive-care unit and an anaesthesiologist present throughout, limiting combined surgery to a sensible operating time, and staying in Turkey for the full time your surgeon recommends.

Tummy tuck complication rates: what studies show

Published figures vary with the patients and the type of operation, but large studies give a clear picture. Most complications after a tummy tuck are minor and treated without another operation. A seroma is the most frequent, reported in roughly 5–15 in 100 patients; minor wound-healing problems occur in a few per cent; a haematoma that needs drainage and infections each affect roughly 1–4 in 100. Serious complications are uncommon — in large insurance databases a few patients in 100 needed hospital treatment for a complication — and a blood clot in the legs or lungs affects fewer than 1 in 100 patients when clot prevention is used. The risk is clearly higher in smokers, patients with a BMI above 30, patients with diabetes, after combined operations and in long operations, which is why a careful surgeon asks about all of these before agreeing to operate.

How to choose a safe tummy tuck surgeon and hospital in Turkey

Patients often search for the "best place for a tummy tuck in Turkey". There is no single best clinic, but there are clear criteria that separate a safe choice from a risky one.

• Surgeon's credentials: the operation should be done by a plastic, reconstructive and aesthetic surgeon registered with the Turkish Ministry of Health. Membership of the Turkish Society of Plastic Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons (TSPRAS), ISAPS or EBOPRAS certification are good signs. Ask who performs the whole operation, including closure.
• Before-and-after photos of bodies like yours: ask for several cases with a similar starting point — after pregnancy, after weight loss, male — taken from the same angles at least six months after surgery, showing the scar.
• A hospital, not only a clinic: make sure the operation takes place in a licensed hospital with an anaesthesiologist, an intensive-care unit and a blood bank on site. The hospitals on our site hold Ministry of Health licences, and several are JCI-accredited.
• A real consultation: a good surgeon asks about your weight history, pregnancies, smoking, medicines and previous operations, tells you what a tummy tuck cannot do, and gives you a written plan — not a price after one photo.
• Clot prevention: ask how clots are prevented — compression, early walking, blood thinners — and how long you must stay before flying.
• Aftercare: ask who answers your messages after you fly home, what happens if a seroma or wound problem appears, and what a correction would cost.

Surgeons who perform tummy tucks on our site are listed at the top of this page with their hospital, experience and patient reviews; the hospitals and their prices are listed above. You can also compare plastic surgery options in Istanbul.

Hidden costs, insurance and documents to take home

Ask for a written quote that lists exactly what is included, and check these points before you book:

• Extra costs: additional hotel nights if your surgeon wants you to stay longer, a second compression garment, extra blood-thinning injections, additional tests for patients with health conditions, and any liposuction that was not in the original plan.
• Complications and corrections: ask whether treatment of a complication during your stay is covered, and what a later scar or "dog ear" correction would cost.
• Insurance: normal travel insurance does not cover planned cosmetic surgery. Specialist medical-travel insurance that covers complications and an extended stay exists; consider it, especially for combined surgery.
• Documents to take home: the operation report, the discharge summary with the medicines you received, your blood results, the aftercare instructions and the surgeon's contact details. Your GP needs them if anything happens after you return.

Tummy tuck results and scars

The result of a tummy tuck is a flatter, firmer abdomen and, when the muscles are repaired, a narrower waist and better posture. Many patients also lose the stretch marks below the belly button, because that skin is removed. The result is long-lasting as long as your weight stays stable; ageing continues, and a later pregnancy or large weight gain can stretch the skin and muscles again.

The scar is the price of the result. It runs low from hip to hip and is designed to be hidden under underwear or a bikini; it is red for the first months and fades over about a year. Silicone sheets or gel, sun protection and not smoking help it heal well. Look closely at the scars in the before-and-after photos on this page before you decide — they are part of every real result.

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Before & after

Before-and-after photos from surgeons who perform Tummy Tuck at our partner hospitals.

All operations9Tummy Tuck5Tummy Tuck and Liposuction3Mommy Makeover1

BeforeAfter

Tummy Tuck Op. Dr. Murat Yaman

BeforeAfter

Tummy Tuck Op. Dr. Murat Yaman

BeforeAfter

Tummy Tuck Op. Dr. Murat Yaman

BeforeAfter

Tummy Tuck and LiposuctionTummy tuck + liposuction Op. Dr. Murat Yaman

BeforeAfter

Tummy Tuck Op. Dr. Murat Yaman

BeforeAfter

Tummy Tuck Op. Dr. Murat Yaman

BeforeAfter

Tummy Tuck and LiposuctionTummy tuck + liposuction Op. Dr. Murat Yaman

BeforeAfter

Mommy Makeover Op. Dr. Murat Yaman

BeforeAfter

Tummy Tuck and LiposuctionTummy tuck + liposuction Op. Dr. Murat Yaman

Shared with the patient's written consent

Tummy Tuck in Turkey reviews

Reviews of the hospitals and surgeons on this page that perform Tummy Tuck, with reviews about this treatment first. Reviews from Google are marked.

All reviews of Lokman Hekim Istanbul Hospital

Tummy Tuck: guides and articles

Tummy tuck

3 October 2026·4 min read

Tummy Tuck Scar: What It Looks Like and How It Fades

Every tummy tuck leaves a scar. Here is what it looks like, how it changes over the first year, what helps it fade — and when you can tattoo over it.

Read more

Tummy tuck

3 October 2026·3 min read

Tummy Tuck Recovery Week by Week: What to Expect

A realistic tummy tuck recovery timeline — from the first night to the final result — with the dates for work, driving, exercise and flying home.

Read more

Tummy tuck

3 October 2026·3 min read

Tummy Tuck vs Liposuction vs Mini Tummy Tuck

Liposuction removes fat, a tummy tuck removes skin and repairs muscles. Here is how to tell which one you need — including after a C-section.

Read more

Frequently asked questions