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Tummy tuck: Medellín or Tijuana 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 Medellín list has 10 things that fit the rules and our Tijuana list has 8. On day 10, it is 18 in Medellín and 13 in Tijuana.
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
| Medellín | Tijuana | |
|---|---|---|
| Weather | 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. | Mild and dry most of the year, around 20 to 27°C in summer. Bright sun even when it feels cool. |
| Getting around | 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. | Clinics usually include transfers from the San Ysidro border. Inside the city, use a ride app or the clinic driver. Avoid walking long distances in the first days. |
| Clinic districts | El Poblado, Laureles, Envigado, Centro | Zona Río, Zona Centro, Playas de Tijuana |
| Emergency number | 123 for ambulance, police and fire. | 911 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 | Medellín | Tijuana |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Rest day | Rest day |
| Day 2 | Rest day | Rest day |
| Day 3 | 10 safe things | 8 safe things |
| Day 4 | 10 safe things | 8 safe things |
| Day 5 | 10 safe things | 8 safe things |
| Day 6 | 10 safe things | 8 safe things |
| Day 7 | 10 safe things | 9 safe things |
| Day 8 | 18 safe things | 13 safe things |
| Day 9 | 18 safe things | 13 safe things |
| Day 10 | 18 safe things | 13 safe things |
What fits, and what to skip
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.
Tijuana
- Day 3: CECUT cultural centre and dome cinema, Seafood tostada stands, Playas de Tijuana seafront and the border wall.
- Day 10: Avenida Revolución walk, Valle de Guadalupe wine tour, Guided walk: Revolución, Mercado Hidalgo and CECUT.
- Skip on day 3: Valle de Guadalupe wine tour, Tijuana tacos and craft beer tour.
Checks before you book
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.
Tijuana
- Ask for the clinic's COFEPRIS health licence (Mexico's health regulator).
- Ask for the dentist's or surgeon's cédula profesional number and check it in Mexico's national register of professionals.
- For bariatric surgery, ask whether the surgeon is certified by the relevant Mexican surgical council and which hospital the operation is in.