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Tummy tuck: Istanbul or Medellín for your recovery?
The recovery rules for a tummy tuck are the same in both cities, because they come from the same published guidance. What changes is the city around you: the weather, the hills, the crowds and how much there is to do on each day of your stay.
Short answer
On day 3, our Istanbul list has 10 things that fit the rules and our Medellín list has 10. On day 10, it is 21 in Istanbul and 18 in Medellín.
Typical stay: 10 to 14 days: usually 1 to 2 nights in hospital, then a hotel near the clinic until your surgeon clears you to fly
Confirm with your surgeon. These are general activity limits from published aftercare guidance. Your clinic's written instructions always come first, and they may be stricter or looser for your procedure.
At a glance
| Istanbul | Medellín | |
|---|---|---|
| Weather | Hot, sunny summers (often above 28°C in July and August) and cool, wet winters. Spring and autumn are the easiest months for recovery sightseeing. | Spring-like all year, usually around 17 to 28°C, at about 1,500 metres above sea level. Showers are common, especially in April and May and from October to November. The sun is strong at this altitude. |
| Getting around | Use taxis or a ride app door to door in the first days. Trams and the metro are fast but packed at rush hour. Public ferries between Europe and Asia are cheap, seated and calm. | Ride apps and taxis are cheap and best for the first days. The metro and the Metrocable cable cars are clean and fast but busy at rush hour. El Poblado is hilly, so even short walks can be steep. |
| Clinic districts | Şişli and Mecidiyeköy, Beşiktaş and Levent, Ataşehir, Sultanahmet and Beyoğlu | El Poblado, Laureles, Envigado, Centro |
| Emergency number | 112 for ambulance, police and fire. | 123 for ambulance, police and fire. |
Safe things to do, day by day
Activities from our city lists that fit the published limits on each day. Tap a day for the rules and the full plan.
| Day | Istanbul | Medellín |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Rest day | Rest day |
| Day 2 | Rest day | Rest day |
| Day 3 | 10 safe things | 10 safe things |
| Day 4 | 10 safe things | 10 safe things |
| Day 5 | 10 safe things | 10 safe things |
| Day 6 | 10 safe things | 10 safe things |
| Day 7 | 10 safe things | 10 safe things |
| Day 8 | 21 safe things | 18 safe things |
| Day 9 | 21 safe things | 18 safe things |
| Day 10 | 21 safe things | 18 safe things |
What fits, and what to skip
Istanbul
- Day 3: Bosphorus sightseeing cruise, Bosphorus dinner cruise with show, Istanbul Modern and the Karaköy waterfront.
- Day 10: Guided food tour with ferry ride, Bosphorus dinner cruise with show, Princes' Islands day trip.
- Skip on day 3: Basilica Cistern, Turkish hammam.
Medellín
- Day 3: Pueblito Paisa on Cerro Nutibara, Parque Explora and aquarium, Metrocable ride over the hillsides.
- Day 10: Comuna 13 graffiti tour, Coffee farm tour, Rooftop bars and Parque Lleras.
- Skip on day 3: Coffee farm tour, Museo de Antioquia and Plaza Botero.
Checks before you book
Istanbul
- Ask for the clinic's Ministry of Health licence and, for foreign patients, its international health tourism authorisation certificate.
- Ask who will do each step of the procedure and for that doctor's full name, so you can look them up.
- Get the price, what it includes (hotel, transfers, medicines, follow-up) and the aftercare plan in writing before you travel.
Medellín
- Check the surgeon in ReTHUS, Colombia's national register of health professionals, and ask whether they are a member of the Colombian Society of Plastic Surgery (SCCP).
- Ask whether the clinic or hospital is registered in REPS, the national register of health service providers, for the surgery you are having.
- Ask where you will recover. Many clinics offer recovery houses with nursing care: get in writing what is included and for how many nights.