Liposuction in Istanbul · Day 7 of 7
Day 7 after liposuction in Istanbul
Stitches usually come out around now. Ask your surgeon when you can fly, and walk about every hour on board.
Short answer
On day 7 after liposuction in Istanbul:
- Not today Exercise · Showers, baths and pools
- With care Compression garment · Walking · Fluid from the cuts · Flying home
Good options today: Hagia Sophia, Basilica Cistern, Balat and Fener streets.
Today's rules
Compression garment
Wear the compression garment or bandages constantly for several weeks, taking them off only to shower. How long depends on the area treated, often 3 to 4 weeks or longer.
Source: NHS · Kaiser Permanente
Walking
Walk every day, a little more than the day before. Normal walking and general movement are fine.
Source: Kaiser Permanente · NHS
Exercise
Nothing strenuous in the first couple of weeks. Sources differ on when it is fine: Kaiser Permanente says strenuous exercise may be fine in 2 to 3 weeks, while the NHS suggests gentle exercise at 3 to 4 weeks and avoiding strenuous activity for 10 to 12 weeks. Ask your surgeon.
Source: NHS · Kaiser Permanente
Showers, baths and pools
Showering is usually fine 24 to 48 hours after surgery if your surgeon agrees. No bath for the first 2 weeks. The sources cited here give no date for pools, the sea, hot tubs or the hammam, so ask your surgeon.
Source: Kaiser Permanente · NHS
Fluid from the cuts
Fluid can drain from the small cuts for several days, bloody at first and then clear. Light gauze under the garment helps.
Source: Kaiser Permanente
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.
4 things you can do today
Hagia Sophia
The great dome is worth it, but queues stand in the sun and the inside is crowded. Women cover their hair and everyone removes shoes.
Gentle walking, some open-air walking, about 1.5 hours
Basilica Cistern
The cool, dim underground cistern with the Medusa heads. Walkways get packed at midday; go at opening time.
Gentle walking, indoors, about 1 hour
Balat and Fener streets
Colourful houses, antique shops and cafés on steep cobbled lanes. Lovely, but hilly and sunny.
A few hours on foot with breaks, mostly in full sun, about 3 hours
Topkapı Palace
Courtyards, the Harem and the treasury. Three hours of walking with long open-air stretches between buildings.
A few hours on foot with breaks, some open-air walking, about 3 hours
Also fine today: Bosphorus sightseeing cruise · Bosphorus dinner cruise with show · Princes' Islands day trip · Guided food tour with ferry ride · Spice Bazaar · Pierre Loti cable car and tea garden · Public ferry from Eminönü to Kadıköy · Dolmabahçe Palace · Grand Bazaar · Nargile café in Tophane · Eminönü street-snack walk · Galata Tower · Whirling dervish ceremony · Pera Museum · Istanbul Modern and the Karaköy waterfront · Istanbul Archaeology Museums · Turkish cooking class
2 things to skip today
Turkish hammam
Why not: It means steam, hot water or sauna heat.
Not during the 7 days this guide covers. Ask your surgeon when it is safe.
Black Sea beaches at Kilyos
Why not: It involves swimming or water contact.
Not during the 7 days this guide covers. Ask your surgeon when it is safe.
Where to eat today
- Esnaf lokantası lunch. Tradesmen's canteens serve soups, stews, rice and vegetable dishes from steam trays. Point at what you want. Let soup cool if you have had dental work.
- Mantı in Kadıköy or Beşiktaş. Tiny dumplings under garlic yogurt and chilli butter. Ask for the butter on the side if you need it mild.
- Milk puddings at a muhallebici. Sütlaç, kazandibi and tavuk göğsü: soft, cool and very Istanbul.
Put every day of this guide in your calendar, with your dates