Tummy tuck in Istanbul · Day 1 of 10
Day 1 after a tummy tuck in Istanbul
You are in hospital. The team will help you up for short walks and show you how to look after any drains. The picks below are for your companion, all close to the clinic district.
Short answer
On day 1 after a tummy tuck in Istanbul:
- Not today Lifting and straining · Exercise · Showers, baths and pools · Flying home
- With care Walking · Compression garment · Sleeping position
For your companion today: Basilica Cistern, Topkapı Palace, Bosphorus sightseeing cruise.
Today's rules
Walking
Get up and walk a little as soon as your team allows, usually within the first day or two and with help at first. You may not be able to stand fully upright yet; that improves.
Source: Kaiser Permanente · Acibadem International
Lifting and straining
For 6 weeks, avoid lifting anything that makes you strain, such as a suitcase, heavy shopping bags or a child. Let your companion carry the bags.
Source: Kaiser Permanente
Exercise
No abdominal exercises and nothing strenuous, such as cycling, jogging, weights or aerobics, for 6 to 8 weeks.
Source: Kaiser Permanente · NHS
Compression garment
Wear the compression garment all the time except in the shower. The NHS says it is usually worn for about 6 weeks; your surgeon sets the date.
Source: Kaiser Permanente · NHS
Showers, baths and pools
Showering usually starts 24 to 48 hours after surgery or once the drains are out, as your surgeon says. No bath for at least 2 weeks, and ask your surgeon before pools, the sea, hot tubs or the hammam.
Source: Kaiser Permanente · Acibadem International
Sleeping position
Rest with your upper body raised and pillows under your knees. Keeping your knees bent takes tension off the stitches.
Source: NHS · Acibadem International
Flying home
Not yet. Surgeons usually ask you to stay near the hospital for about one to two weeks before a long flight, and the CDC advises medical tourists to wait at least 10 days after abdominal surgery.
Source: Acibadem International · U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · NHS
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.
Day 1: you are in hospital
Follow the ward team. Walking the corridor when the nurses say so is the most useful thing you can do today. The picks below are for your companion, all within a short ride of the clinic district.
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
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
Bosphorus sightseeing cruise
Two hours on the water past palaces, mansions and both bridges. Pick a seat in the covered cabin or the shaded side of the deck.
Seated, shaded or covered, about 2 hours
Turkish hammam
Steam, hot marble and a vigorous scrub. A must for your companion, a no for most patients.
Gentle walking, indoors, about 1.5 hours
Nothing to skip today
Nothing on our Istanbul list breaks today's rules. Keep following the food and care rules above.
Where to eat today
- Milk puddings at a muhallebici. Sütlaç, kazandibi and tavuk göğsü: soft, cool and very Istanbul.
- Turkish breakfast in Beşiktaş. A long, seated spread of cheeses, olives, eggs, honey and bread on the Çarşı breakfast street.
- Meze and fish at a meyhane. Beyoğlu taverns serve dozens of small plates. Rakı is traditional; you can skip it.
Put every day of this guide in your calendar, with your dates