Many people struggle with getting rid of fat pockets in certain areas of the body, no matter how hard they exercise or diet.
This can make their figure look disproportionate, and they find it hard to better fit into their clothes.
One cosmetic solution to this problem is liposuction. It reshapes the body in the desired aesthetic of the patient so that they can feel more confident.
What Is Liposuction?
The liposuction procedure involves the removal of excess unwanted fat from different areas of the body.
Most commonly, it is done in the abdomen, flanks, back, buttocks, arms, outer and inner thighs, knees, and ankles.
With this surgery, it is possible to remove a large amount of fat (6-8 pounds) in one session, which is not the case with non-surgical alternatives.
This plastic surgery uses a vacuum to suction the fat out of the body. The fat cells removed this way do not appear again.
If you do not gain weight after lipo surgery, you can maintain the results. Keep in mind liposuction is not a weight loss surgery.
You need to have achieved your ideal weight for getting this aesthetic surgery.
What Is The Cost Of Liposuction In Turkey?
In Turkey, you can get liposuction for around £1,500. However, in the UK, the same surgery can cost you £5,000 or even more.
In Turkey, liposuction is 3-5 times cheaper than in the UK, US or Europe because of the low cost of living. The exchange rate also lowers the prices for medical tourists, but the quality remains excellent.
Turkish healthcare public-private partnership (PPP) program ensures the provision of high-quality medical services to citizens and foreign tourists despite the low cost. Many of the facilities also have international accreditations.
The boom of medical tourism in Turkey has led to more competition between clinics, which means you can easily find affordable liposuction prices.
Still, of course, the cost of this cosmetic surgery can vary depending on the number of treatment areas and their size, and any additional surgery that you’re getting.
Many clinics also offer hotel accommodations, private transfer services, a 12-month aftercare program and translators so that there’s no communication gap between the patient and the surgeon.
Who Can Have Liposuction & Why?
Plastic surgeons recommend liposuction if you have:
- Excess fat deposits in the body or face (mainly the chin) because of genetics or pregnancy, which you can’t get rid of through diet and exercise.
- Good skin elasticity is an important requirement of this surgery. That’s because, after the removal of unwanted fat, your skin needs to bounce back and take the shape of the new contour.
If you have skin laxity, the skin will end up sagging, and you would need to undergo tummy tuck surgery to address it.
- Achieved your ideal body weight. Your body mass index (BMI) should be less than 30. That’s because it isn’t safe to give an overweight patient general anaesthesia.
They can have sleep apnea, where they stop breathing while they’re unconscious.
- Lipoma (non-cancerous fatty tumour beneath the skin) or want to get rid of fatty deposits right under your nipple (in males).
Am I Suitable For Liposuction?
What To Think About Before You Have Liposuction?
Before getting this fat removal surgery, you need to consider the following things to choose a qualified plastic surgeon and accredited private clinic:
- What are the qualifications and skills of the plastic surgeon?
- How many liposuction surgeries has the surgeon performed, and for how many years?
- What other plastic surgery does the surgeon recommend so that I achieve my aesthetic goals?
- What kind of results can I expect from the surgery? Can I meet with a previous patient of the surgeon who had liposuction?
- What complications can arise from liposuction, and how will the surgeon treat them?
- What are the overall success, complication, and patient satisfaction rates?
- Does the surgeon have insurance against malpractice?
- Is the medical facility registered with a health authority?
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How Best To Prepare For Liposuction In Turkey?
To prepare for your belly fat removal surgery, you should do the following:
- If you are scheduled for general anaesthesia, you should not eat or drink after midnight the night before your surgery.
- Inform the surgeon about your health condition and any medication/supplements that you’re taking. You are advised against taking any blood thinners.
- You need to stop smoking and drinking alcohol as they result in a risk of increased bleeding during surgery and delay healing afterwards.
- Do not apply any moisturizers on the body and remove any piercing, jewellery or contact lenses.
What Is The Procedure For Liposuction In Turkey?
Once you arrive at the clinic for the liposuction, the surgeon will guide you on the procedure itself and examine the target areas.
First and foremost, they’ll mark the surgical areas and walk through the treatment plan. Then, they’ll administer general anaesthesia.
This cosmetic surgery can also take place under local anaesthesia and sedation.
There are different surgical techniques to remove excess fat tissue through liposuction surgery. These are as follows:
Traditional Liposuction
It can involve the use of general anaesthesia, in which case you will be asleep during the surgery.
To remove the fat, incisions are made through which cannulas can be inserted to break the fat. It is then vacuumed out.
Traditional liposuction may be more recommended to you if a larger amount of fat needs to be removed from your body. Its recovery, however, can take longer, possibly around 1-2 weeks.
The entire surgery can take around 2 hours, however, it can change depending on the target area and the fat deposits there.
VASER Liposuction
This is another variation of this fat removal surgery. In VASER liposuction, the surgeon administers anaesthesia and then makes small incisions.
The VASER device uses ultrasonic sound waves to break down fat, transforming it into a more liquid form.
Since it’s more targeted, it better ensures the health of the surrounding tissues and doesn’t harm them.
The surgeon doesn’t have to move a cannula back and forth. However, a cannula and a vacuum are used for suctioning the fat.
Once that’s done, the surgeon sutures the incisions. This surgery can take anywhere around 2 hours as well, but it can vary according to the area being treated and the fat present there.
However, some patients want to have 360-degree liposuction, which is done using VASER and usually targets the love handles (flanks), abdomen, and back. This can take 3-4 hours.
Tumescent Liposuction
Tumescent liposuction is one of the most common fat-removal techniques that involves the use of a special tumescent fluid.
In this, the surgeon makes small incisions in the surgical area and injects a fluid, which can contain saline, epinephrine, lidocaine and sodium bicarbonate, into the fatty tissue to make it firm and swollen. Afterwards, micro cannulas are used to get rid of the excess fat from the target area.
Tumescent liposuction is, however, more suited for fat pockets that are relatively small. The surgery can take up to 4 hours, but it may vary depending on the size of the treatment area.
Overview: Traditional vs. VASER vs. Tumescent Liposuction
So, all in all, you’ll find the following differences between traditional, VASER and tumescent liposuction.
| Traditional Liposuction | VASER Liposuction | Tumescent Liposuction | |
| Procedure | Uses cannula to breakdown fat tissue | Uses ultrasonic sound waves to break down fat, turning it into a more liquid form | Tumescent fluid is infused into the fat, and micro-cannulas are used to remove excess fat |
| Anaesthesia | General anaesthesia | General anaesthesia or local anaesthesia with sedation | Local anaesthesia |
| Surgery Time | Around 2 hours (it can vary) | Around 2 hours (it can vary) | 3-4 hours (it can vary) |
| Suitability | More suitable when a large amount of fat needs to be removed | More suitable for removing small fat pockets with contouring and sculpting of the body | More suitable when a relatively smaller amount of fat (compared to traditional liposuction) needs to be removed |
| Downtime | 1-2 weeks | 1 week | 2-3 days (maybe less than a week) |
| Results | Permanent (but need to be maintained) | Permanent (but need to be maintained) | Permanent (but need to be maintained) |
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Recovery & Results Of Liposuction
Usually, it is inpatient plastic surgery; the patient needs to stay overnight. However, sometimes, it is outpatient.
No matter if the surgery is inpatient or outpatient, you shouldn’t drive for at least 24 hours after the liposuction.
You can take a bath 48 hours after the liposuction treatment. You will experience pain and swelling after the surgery.
Therefore, make sure to take the painkillers, antibiotics, and anti-inflammatory medicines that the surgeon prescribes.
The surgeon will also give you a compression garment/corset to wear for at least 6 weeks after the surgery.
You can only take it off when you’re going to take a bath. A compression garment will support you and ease discomfort during the recovery time.
It’s important to note that you need to wait for at least 3 to 6 months to see the liposuction results because that’s when the swelling goes down.
You may be able to go back to your work after 1-2 weeks.
However, you need to discuss this with your surgeon because it can vary depending on the nature of your job and the extent of the surgery.
Aftercare Of Liposuction
After the liposuction procedures, patients have to make sure that they’re following the aftercare instructions.
To begin with, you need to avoid all sorts of strenuous physical activities for at least 4-6 weeks after the surgery.
Before resuming contact sports, you need to consult the surgeon.
You should not smoke or consume tobacco products for 2 weeks because it can increase the recovery time.
You can start taking small walks to promote blood circulation. It will also lower the risk of the formation of blood clots.
You need to avoid going to the swimming pools for at least a month after the liposuction.
Just make sure that you have a healthy diet. All these will help with the healing process.
Side Effects to Expect After Liposuction
After having liposuction, you may experience the following side effects temporarily:
- Bruising, swelling, and soreness are some of the most common side effects. You can experience them immediately after the surgery.
They peak after 1-2 days but should start subsiding after 1-2 weeks.
- Numbness may occur due to swelling, which compresses the nerves. It can last for 1-2 months.
- Friction burns can also occur due to the back-and-forth movement of the cannula, which rubs it against the skin. They’ll go away after some time.
- Small bumps can also develop in the surgical area. These develop as the body is trying to get rid of the injured fat cells left behind after surgery.
What Could Go Wrong After Liposuction?
You may end up experiencing problems like:
- Infection
- Seroma (collection of fluids under the skin)
- Hematoma (blood pools outside the blood vessels)
- Blood clots in the leg and lungs
- Fat embolism (fat cells block the blood vessels)
- Changes in skin colour
- Allergic reaction to the general/local anaesthetic
What To Do If You Have Problems After Liposuction In Turkey?
If you think that your recovery isn’t proceeding normally, you can reach out to the Aftercare team for a free consultation online.
Other than that, there’s a support panel online from where you can create a ticket to get help.
Also, you can always read more about the aftercare and recovery time of the liposuction surgery through the guides available online.
Alternatives To Liposuction
There are non-surgical alternatives for removing unwanted fat from the body.
One way to get rid of persistent fat is through fat freezing in a procedure known as CoolSculpting®.
It permanently damages the fat cells, which the body then metabolizes. But it can take around a few months for you to see any results.
Apart from that, you can get laser fat removal surgery to break down the fat cells.
Keep in mind this is different from laser liposuction or laser-assisted liposuction, which still requires the surgeon to make incisions.
Other treatments to get rid of stubborn fat use radiofrequency, red light and ultrasound.
The treatment plan for these may include several sessions spaced apart by a few weeks.
The kind of non-surgical treatment that’ll best suit you depends on the area containing the localized fat deposits.
It should be noted that liposuction is invasive, and the patient’s body needs some time to heal, but the results are more dramatic than the non-surgical alternatives mentioned above.
Other Procedures to Have with Liposuction In Turkey
Most patients combine liposuction with tummy tuck surgery, which is for skin tightening.
That’s because if you’ve lost a lot of weight or had multiple pregnancies, you may be left with loose skin and persistent fat deposits.
You can get liposuction, tummy tuck and breast surgery (breast lift, breast reduction or breast augmentation) together as a part of the mommy makeover.
These surgical procedures will rid you of excess fat and sagging, excess skin in the breasts and abdomen.
A surgeon performing the surgery may also recommend fat grafting, where the fat from the abdomen may be transferred to other areas of the body, such as the face and buttocks.
You can also get cosmetic dentistry and other cosmetic surgeries while you’re in Turkey for liposuction.
FAQ
Does liposuction leave scars that are permanent?
The scars from the surgery will fade with time. If you’re getting VASER liposuction, you’ll only end up with 1-2 stitches, so the scars are barely visible.
Make sure to follow the aftercare so that any delay in the healing process doesn’t end up worsening the scars.
Does liposuction get rid of cellulite?
No. Liposuction will not rid you of cellulite. In fact, there’s no way to completely get rid of it.
Is liposuction permanent?
So long as you don’t gain weight or plan to get pregnant in the future, the results of liposuction are permanent.
How long will I need to stay abroad before I’m well enough to travel back to the UK?
You will have to come back to the clinic 2-3 days after the surgery for a checkup appointment, after which you can return to the UK.
What are the liposuction areas?
You can get liposuction in the following areas: abdomen, buttocks, back, thighs, face, back, flanks, waist, chest and upper arms.
Reviewed and Approved by Prof Fuat Yuksel
