Belly liposuction cost in Turkey

How much does a belly liposuction cost in Turkey?

The average cost of a belly liposuction in Turkey in Istanbul is £1,600. Depending on the needs, belly liposuction costs from £1,300 to £1,900 in Turkey.

What is a belly liposuction?

Liposuction of the abdomen, or belly liposuction in Turkey, is one of the most common techniques in plastic surgery, either as an isolated technique or in the context of a more extensive liposuction in more body areas, or as a technique associated (and essential) to an abdominoplasty. In this section we will refer to liposuction as the only technique in the abdomen in Istanbul, that is to say, without associating any type of abdominal dermolipectomy or abdominoplasty.

Indications

Belly liposuction in Turkey is proposed as a solution to fat accumulation in the abdomen, provided that excess fat is the only problem, that is, not if there is weakness of the muscular wall (rectus diastasis, umbilical or epigastric hernias), and when we have a skin with good tone, elastic, without flaccidity. This does not mean that if the muscles are weak or if there is flaccidity, an abdominal liposuction cannot be performed, but that in these cases the results would be insufficient, because in these patients an abdominoplasty should be performed. Therefore, belly liposuction will only be considered as the only technique if there is no excess skin or significant flaccidity and if the abdominal muscles are not very weak.

Another important point to evaluate in consultation is whether this excess fat is external (external to the muscular wall) or if it is visceral fat. The visceral or intra-abdominal fat is the internal fat, inside the abdominal cavity, which surrounds the viscera such as the liver and the intestinal loops. It is obvious that this fat cannot be aspirated with a cannula nor will the abdominal cavity be opened to resect it, so this fat can only be reduced in volume by losing weight, there is no other way.

Consultation in Turkey

Potential patients (almost as many men as women are candidates for abdominal liposuction) are assessed, first of all, if they have a normal weight, because I want to remind you that liposuction is not a technique that serves to lose weight, it only works to reduce localized excess fat. Thus, we will discard overweight patients because the intervention would not be effective.

Secondly, the skin tone or the degree of flaccidity or skin excess will be explored, and then the state of the muscular wall will be evaluated. If there is poor quality skin or significant excess, it is unlikely that this skin will retract sufficiently after belly liposuction. In the same way, if there is muscular diastasis or simply very weak muscles, the result of a simple liposuction would be poor, because although we could manage to aspirate that fat well, even if we have good skin, the abdomen would not be flat because those muscles would not be able to tighten the abdomen well. This is the usual situation after pregnancies as we can see (muscle weakness or diastasis, skin flaccidity and excess fat), so it is not very common to indicate liposuction in multiparous patients.

Finally, the surgeon will make an estimate of whether this excess fat is external (and therefore can be aspirated) or if it is visceral. Although fat is always present in both locations, the aim is to determine whether the fat that bothers the patient is external or internal. In men it is usual to accumulate more visceral fat (and this excess gives the typical “beer belly” appearance), protruding in the upper abdomen, whereas women accumulate less visceral and more external fat. We insist, if the accumulation corresponds mostly to visceral fat, liposuction and any surgery is ruled out, since it will only respond to weight loss.

Association with other surgeries

It is usual to perform liposuction in the abdomen associated with liposuction of the trunk, as well as in the flanks, iliac crests, back, especially in patients with trunk distribution (predisposition to fat accumulation in the trunk and thorax, instead of in the lower limbs, which is the most frequent in women). In patients with fat distribution in the lower half of the body, typical in women, abdominal liposuction is usually associated to iliac crests, trochanters or cartridge cases, buttocks, thighs and knees.

But more than half of the liposuctions in the abdomen are performed as an associated technique to an abdominoplasty or a mini-abdominoplasty, or to the revision of cesarean section scars or laparotomies.

Anesthesia

This will depend on the extension of the area to be treated, that is, if it is only the infraumbilical area, or if it is the whole abdomen, or we associate flanks, back… The abdomen is a very sensitized area, so that, unless it is a very small area, it is not very comfortable to perform this liposuction only with local anesthesia, requiring either intravenous sedation or epidural or general anesthesia, especially if other areas are also suctioned.

The surgery

The abdomen is a demanding area, it must be done with a meticulous technique, based on fine cannulas, which follow a mostly vertical and oblique trajectory, never transversal, and aspirating very uniformly the two fat planes above and below the fascia (always talking about external fat, not visceral), any error by excess or defect can leave an irregularity. On the other hand, the low intrinsic capacity of the abdominal skin to retract forces us to work a lot on the surgery. It is essential to use a pressotherapy garment or special girdle for at least one month, sometimes almost two.

The ideal when performing liposuction on the abdomen is to treat everything as a whole, that is, not to limit ourselves to small areas (unless it is really that localized) and include the entire surface of the abdomen, including the sides, pubic region, iliac crests, or even the back if there is excess trunk. The “circular” liposuctions that include the whole trunk favor a better skin retraction and of course a better contouring.

Thanks to the innovative Body-Jet Lipo system, water-assisted liposuction, we can better separate tissues and fat cells, avoiding damage to blood and lymphatic vessels as well as nerve structures. Among other advantages, Water-Assisted Liposuction (WAL) uses the power and strength of water as an assistant in surgery, minimizing damage to fat cells and favoring their subsequent transfer in lipofilling or lipostructure. In addition, it reduces operating room time and promotes faster and less painful patient recovery.

Postoperative

The surgery will always be performed in a hospital environment, although a stay of more than a few hours in the recovery room is not usually required, so the patient can return home the same day of the intervention. Of course it will depend on the extent or areas treated in surgery. You will leave the operating room with the girdle on, and you can shower the next day if you wish.

It is not necessary to rest after this surgery, we only recommend a relative rest avoiding efforts for a few days. You will be able to return to work in less than a week, being able to drive without any problem, although you should avoid impact sports or aerobics for 3-4 weeks. Gentler activities such as abdominal exercises are allowed one week after surgery.

You may feel pain for the first few days but it is controlled with mild analgesia. Bruising is inevitable and lasts for the first 2-3 weeks. There will be swelling the first month, as well as varying degrees of edema 2-3 months. I will never tire of repeating that the abdomen, any abdominal intervention, is very slow, it will always take several months (plural…) to see the results. Lymphatic drainage is an invaluable aid in recovery, along with the use of the girdle, tight, while the edema persists.