Mommy Makeover in Turkey: Complete Guide to Procedures, Safety and Recovery

A mommy makeover in Turkey (often called a mummy makeover in the UK) is a planned combination of operations, most often a tummy tuck, a breast lift or breast augmentation and liposuction, usually done in a single stage to restore the shape of the body after pregnancy and breastfeeding. This complete guide covers everything you need to know before you travel: what a full mommy makeover can include, who is a good candidate, the real risks, the recovery and how to plan the trip. Prices, all-inclusive packages and payment options are explained separately in our guide to mummy makeover Turkey cost, packages and payment plans.

What Is Mommy Makeover?

A mommy makeover is a custom set of procedures whose goal is to restore the shape and appearance of a woman’s body after childbearing; it most commonly treats the breasts, abdomen, waist, genitalia and buttocks and is typically performed as a single-stage procedure (Source: ASPS).

Mommy makeover is not just one single procedure. It’s a series of procedures that many mothers consider when diet and exercise have not reversed the changes of pregnancy, and Turkey has become a common destination for women who travel for it. The reasons, and the questions to ask before you book, are covered below.

Mommy makeover surgery can enhance the shape of several body areas, including the buttocks, abdomen, breasts and even genitalia. Depending on your preferences and needs, the plan is usually surgical; some women add or choose nonsurgical treatments, which are milder and cannot remove loose skin.

Why Mommy Makeover in Turkey?

Women choose a mommy makeover in Turkey mainly for lower prices than at home, packages that bundle surgery with hospital, hotel and transfers, and relatively short flights from Europe. None of these replaces checking the surgeon, the hospital and the follow-up plan.

Turkey is one of the busiest destinations for plastic surgery and health tourism, and many mothers from Europe, the Middle East and North America travel there after they have finished having children. The main reasons are highlighted below.

Cheap Mommy Makeover

A mommy makeover is an expensive choice because it involves not just one, but several operations at once.

A mommy makeover in Turkey usually costs less than the same combination in the UK, the USA or Germany, which is why women on a budget often pick Turkey. A low price should never be the deciding factor: the NHS advises thinking about all the costs, including extra costs for aftercare and for correcting things if something goes wrong (Source: NHS).

The price ranges, what packages include and how payment works are covered in detail in mummy makeover Turkey cost, packages and payment plans.

Diversity of Options

You need a hospital that offers every procedure in your plan, such as liposuction, tummy tuck, breast lift, breast augmentation or breast reduction, and a plastic surgeon experienced in combining them.

Many Turkish hospitals offer these procedures together in a single mommy makeover package for international patients. Some also offer nonsurgical treatments for mothers who prefer less invasive options, with milder results.

Follow-Up Care

Follow-up care is essential after a mommy makeover in Turkey or anywhere else, because several healing wounds need checking at the same time.

Ask before booking where your follow-up appointments will be, what happens if there are complications and who you contact once you are home. The NHS warns that overseas clinics may not provide follow-up treatment and that travel insurance does not normally cover you if things go wrong in surgery (Source: NHS).

Stunning Results: Realistic Expectations

Good results are possible, but they take time and are never guaranteed. The final result of a mommy makeover may not be apparent for several months, and in some situations another operation is needed to reach the best result (Source: ASPS).

Before-and-after photos help you judge a surgeon’s work, so ask to see results for the same combination of procedures you want. In any case, mommy makeover results are judged against your own goals, so be clear with the surgeon about the change you want and why (Source: NHS).

Close to Home

Turkey is close to many European countries, which keeps flights relatively short for mothers from the United Kingdom, Germany and the rest of Europe. Distance still matters: you cannot fly straight after surgery, and the NHS advises against treating the trip as a holiday, so no alcohol, sunbathing, sightseeing or swimming during recovery (Source: NHS).

Comprehensive Packages

Many hospitals in Turkey offer packages that combine the operations with the hospital stay, hotel nights and transfers. International Clinics, for instance, offers customised mommy makeover packages that cover the planned procedures and the stay. Ask for every item in writing; the package checklist is in our guide to mummy makeover Turkey cost, packages and payment plans.

Procedures Included in Mommy Makeover in Turkey

A mommy makeover in Turkey includes the procedures your surgeon and you agree on after examining your body; the American Society of Plastic Surgeons lists breast augmentation, breast lift, buttock augmentation, labiaplasty, liposuction and tummy tuck as the possible procedures (Source: ASPS).

Surgeons commonly suggest procedures that address your individual concerns after pregnancy, which usually means body contouring and breast surgery. Not every woman needs every procedure.

The table summarises the procedure pages of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons and the NHS (Source: ASPS, ASPS, NHS, NHS).

A mommy makeover in Turkey can also include nonsurgical treatments for women who prefer noninvasive options. In short, here are the surgical and nonsurgical options:

Surgical Mommy Makeover

Most women combine two or more surgical procedures in one operation to treat several areas of the body. These procedures may include:

• Breast lift (see breast lift in Turkey)
• Breast reduction (see breast reduction in Turkey)
• Breast augmentation
• Liposuction
• Labiaplasty (see labiaplasty in Turkey)
• Abdominoplasty (tummy tuck)

A tummy tuck is the core of most plans because exercise cannot remove loose skin left by pregnancy, but it is not a quick fix for losing weight (Source: NHS).

Nonsurgical Mommy Makeover

Some women prefer nonsurgical treatments to avoid a long recovery and the risks of surgery. Their effect is much milder: they cannot remove excess skin or repair stretched muscles. Because surgeons advise having the surgery only once you have finished having children, nonsurgical options can be a stopgap while a further pregnancy is still planned (Source: ASPS).

Nonsurgical procedures include:

• Skin tightening treatments
• Skin resurfacing treatments
• Cellulite reduction
• Botox injections & fillers

Candidates for Mommy Makeover in Turkey

You may be a good candidate for a mommy makeover if you are in good medical health, at your ideal body weight, have a positive outlook and realistic expectations, and have finished having children (Source: ASPS).

A tummy tuck is usually only recommended for people with a healthy body mass index (BMI) (Source: NHS).

Women considering future pregnancies are advised to postpone a tummy tuck (Source: ASPS).

The surgery is also usually planned once you no longer breastfeed. Mommy makeover in Turkey might be a good choice for you if you are bothered by:

• Sagging or drooping breasts
• Loose sagging skin on the abdomen
• Body areas that need a lift or augmentation

Your general health also changes the risk. In a registry study of 58,756 women, a higher BMI, older age, smoking and more serious health problems were linked to more complications; for combined breast and abdominal surgery, a BMI of 30 or more, diabetes and age over 53 raised the risk score (Source: Aesthetic Surgery Journal, 2015).

Steps of Mommy Makeover in Turkey

A mommy makeover in Turkey follows three stages: consultations and preparation, the operation under general anaesthetic, and a hospital and hotel stay before you fly home. Since it is a combination of procedures, the details differ from one plan to another.

Your plan is customised to your needs. In any case, the general steps of a mommy makeover in Turkey involve the following:

Before Mommy Makeover

Before surgery you should have 2 consultations with the surgeon who will operate, not only meetings with sales staff, and use the time between them as a cooling-off period (Source: NHS).

Do not pay for a procedure until you have had a consultation to make sure it is right for you, and ask the surgeon about their experience, the most common complications and who provides your aftercare (Source: NHS).

Stop smoking as early as you can: stopping at least 8 weeks before surgery reduces the risk of a range of complications, because smoking slows wound healing (Source: NHS).

Follow the fasting instructions your anaesthetist gives you, and tell your surgeon about every medicine and supplement you take, because some need to be stopped before surgery to reduce bleeding.

During Mommy Makeover

A tummy tuck and breast implant surgery are usually done under general anaesthetic, and a tummy tuck alone can take between 2 and 5 hours, so a combined operation is a long one (Source: NHS, NHS).

For example, if breast augmentation is included in your mommy makeover plan, your surgeon makes the planned incisions, places the silicone implants and then moves on to the next procedure.

After Mommy Makeover

Most people need to stay in hospital for a few nights after a tummy tuck, and you need someone to take you back to the hotel and stay with you for the first 24 hours (Source: NHS).

The length of the recovery depends on the type and number of procedures in your mommy makeover; the slowest one, usually the tummy tuck, sets the pace.

Recovery After Mommy Makeover in Turkey

Expect about 4 to 6 weeks off work and exercise when your mommy makeover includes a tummy tuck, with full recovery after about 6 weeks (Source: NHS).

After surgery, an elastic bandage or support bra supports the breasts and a compression garment may be used to control swelling in the abdomen, waist and buttocks; you also receive instructions on wound care and medicines to aid healing and reduce the risk of infection (Source: ASPS).

You will not be able to drive for the first weeks, so plan help for the first days. Expect the following during recovery:

• After a tummy tuck you need about 4 to 6 weeks off work and exercise and usually wear a corset or tummy-control pants for 6 weeks (Source: NHS).
• Avoid heavy lifting or strenuous exercise for at least a month after breast implant surgery (Source: NHS).
• Avoid strenuous activities for 10 to 12 weeks after liposuction, and expect swelling to take up to 6 months to settle (Source: NHS).
• Mommy makeover scars improve over time but never disappear completely; the tummy tuck scar fades over 12 to 18 months (Source: ASPS, NHS).
• Wear your garments as instructed, keep the incisions clean and attend every follow-up (Source: ASPS).

Week-by-week detail for the core procedure is in tummy tuck recovery.

When can you fly home after a mommy makeover in Turkey?

Plan not to fly for 7 to 10 days after a tummy tuck and 5 to 7 days after breast surgery or liposuction, so a mommy makeover that includes a tummy tuck usually means at least 7 to 10 days in Turkey (Source: NHS).

Benefits of Mommy Makeover in Turkey

A mommy makeover can treat changes that diet and exercise cannot reverse, mainly loose abdominal skin, stretched abdominal muscles and changes in breast shape and volume after pregnancy and breastfeeding.

The most noticeable changes usually occur in the breasts after breastfeeding and in the abdomen because the skin has stretched. A tummy tuck removes excess fat and skin and can restore weakened or separated muscles, while it cannot correct stretch marks outside the removed skin and is not a substitute for weight loss (Source: ASPS).

The possible benefits of a mommy makeover in Turkey include:

• Improve the shape, volume and symmetry of your breasts
• Reduce sagging or drooping skin on your abdomen
• Remove unwanted, sagging skin from selected areas of your body
• Repair weakened or separated abdominal muscles
• Reduce stubborn fat that is hard to remove by diet or exercise
• Help clothing and underwear fit more comfortably
• Recover in Istanbul with the surgical team nearby during the first days (rest, not sightseeing)
• Explore different cosmetic surgical and nonsurgical treatments in one consultation
• Restore much of your pre-pregnancy body shape

Risks of Mommy Makeover

A mommy makeover is major surgery and carries real risks, and combining several procedures means a longer operation. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons lists bleeding, infection, poor healing of incisions, haematoma, seroma, loss of nipple sensation, inability to breastfeed, implant leak, capsular contracture, anaplastic large cell lymphoma, unfavourable scarring, recurrent looseness of skin, fat necrosis, deep vein thrombosis, cardiac and pulmonary complications, asymmetry, persistent pain, contour deformity, fat embolisation and anaesthesia risks (Source: ASPS).

In short, the complications fall into these groups:

• Common complications: These include bleeding, infection, fluid or blood collecting under the skin, numbness and wounds that are slow to heal (Source: NHS).
• Complications specific to surgery: Depending on the procedures, these include asymmetry, contour irregularities, implant problems such as capsular contracture or rupture, and changes in nipple sensation (Source: NHS).
• Rare complications: These are uncommon but serious, such as blood clots in the legs or lungs, fat embolisation and damage to internal organs during liposuction (Source: NHS).

Does combining procedures raise the risk?

Combining procedures can raise the risk, and how much depends on the combination. In an insurance database of nearly 25,000 tummy tucks, the major complication rate was 4% against 1.4% for other cosmetic procedures; it was 3.1% for a tummy tuck alone and 10.4% when liposuction and another body-contouring procedure were added, and age 55 or older and obesity also raised the risk (Source: ASPS).

For tummy tuck combined with breast surgery, a registry study found 30-day complications in about 9.4% of combined operations against 9.75% for abdominal surgery alone, so the combination was safe for most healthy women; the risk rose sharply in the small group with several risk factors (Source: Aesthetic Surgery Journal, 2015).

Mommy makeover death rate: what the evidence shows

There is no reliable published death rate for a mommy makeover as such; deaths after cosmetic surgery are rare, and blood clots are the main cause. A review of 42 deaths after outpatient cosmetic surgery in accredited US facilities from 2012 to 2017 found that 54.8% followed a tummy tuck, 38.1% were caused by blood clots, and in 59.5% of cases the clot risk assessment was absent or incorrect (Source: Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, 2018).

Ask your surgeon and anaesthetist how your clot risk will be assessed and prevented, and take the no-flying period after surgery seriously, because air travel and major surgery both raise the risk of a blood clot (Source: NHS).

How Much Is a Mommy Makeover in Turkey?

The cost of a mommy makeover in Turkey can range between 2,500 and 6,000 US dollars, depending on the nature and number of procedures included in the operation. A complete package that bundles several procedures with the stay usually costs more, at not less than 7,000 US dollars.

Although this cost may sound high at first, it is still lower than in countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom or Germany. The table shows the figures this article has published; always ask for a written quote for your own plan.

What changes the price, what an all-inclusive package should list and how deposits and payment plans work are explained in our guide to mummy makeover Turkey cost, packages and payment plans.

The Bottom Line

A mommy makeover in Turkey can restore much of the body shape that pregnancy and breastfeeding change, at a lower cost than in many other countries. It is still major surgery: choose the surgeon and the hospital first, plan two consultations, stop smoking well before surgery and stay long enough to recover before you fly.

We at International Clinics offer mothers customised packages that suit their needs. The packages can include mommy makeover procedures such as tummy tuck, liposuction and breast augmentation, together with the stay and transfers for international patients. For an overview of other operations, see plastic surgery in Turkey.

Read also:

Breast Lift Before and After Images with Breast Augmentation

Tummy Tuck in Turkey

Mommy Makeover Cost

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