Tummy tuck in Istanbul · Day 4 of 10
Day 4 after a tummy tuck in Istanbul
Soreness usually eases through the first week. A quiet museum or garden near your hotel works if you can walk there and back without strain.
Short answer
On day 4 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
Good options today: Bosphorus dinner cruise with show, Bosphorus sightseeing cruise, Istanbul Modern and the Karaköy waterfront.
Today's rules
Walking
Walk every day, a little more than the day before. Walking helps blood flow and lowers the risk of clots and pneumonia. Between walks, move your feet and legs often.
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.
4 things you can do today
Bosphorus dinner cruise with show
An evening of seated dinner, folk dance and city lights from the water. Drinks are optional; you can ask for soft drinks only.
Seated, indoors, 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
Istanbul Modern and the Karaköy waterfront
Turkish modern art in a cool, airy building on the water, with a café looking at the old city.
Gentle walking, indoors, about 2 hours
Public ferry from Eminönü to Kadıköy
Twenty calm minutes across the Bosphorus to the Asian side for the price of a transit card. Sit inside by the window and drink a tea.
Seated, shaded or covered, about 1 hour
Also fine today: Whirling dervish ceremony · Nargile café in Tophane · Pera Museum · Pierre Loti cable car and tea garden · Turkish cooking class · Istanbul Archaeology Museums
2 things to skip today
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