Tummy Tuck Surgery Abroad - What You Need To Know
Tummy Tuck Surgery Abroad - What You Need To Know
What is a Tummy Tuck?
A tummy tuck, or Abdominoplasty to use the surgical term, is a cosmetic procedure designed to tighten and flatten the tummy area.
Age, pregnancy and weight loss can make the abdominal area saggy, loose and wrinkly, which can be uncomfortable as well as unsightly. A tummy tuck is supposed to remove this excess skin and tighten the tummy to give it a toned, flat and firm appearance.
In the UK the typical cost of the procedure is anywhere between £4,000 and £6,000, whereas travelling abroad can enable you to access the same surgery for around 50 per cent of the cost. The Czech Republic and Turkey are both popular locations to travel to for the procedure, which is a common one for UK patients to choose to have abroad. Even including flights and accommodation for your trip, which is likely to be around 10 days in duration, the cost of a tummy tuck abroad can be a far more affordable option than back home. Careful research is needed of course, to ensure you are happy with the team, procedures and after care at your chosen clinic. There are many options, but it is important that you have specialist medical travel insurance in place to cover you for all eventualities.
What is involved in tummy tuck surgery?
Before having the surgery, itself, the patient would be seen by a consultant for the chance to discuss their goals in terms of the desired outcome of the procedure. Then on the day of the surgery the consultant is understood to mark the areas where the incisions will be made. In surgery, the surgeon is said to separate the skin from the abdominal wall and lift it up to expose the loose tissue which covers the abdominal wall. Then the excess skin and fat has to be removed and the remaining skin pulled down over the tummy to ensure it will now be tight and flat in appearance.
The operation concludes with sutures and the use of an abdominal drain to ensure no fluid up post-surgery. For some, liposuction is used as part of the procedure to ensure no accumulation of fat in the abdominal area. The patient then usually remains in hospital for around three nights to begin their recovery period. Once the drain after approx. 48 hours they can usually leave the clinic to return to their accommodation.
After the procedure
Stitches are understood to be removed around ten days after the operation so the time abroad would need to allow for this repeat visit before travelling home. Patients are often given special, close-fitting underwear to wear for up to eight weeks after the operation to ensure the tummy area holds the desired shape.
Some pain and swelling is thought to be expected after surgery but this might be managed by prescribed pain relief and the patient may also be prescribed additional medication to help with the swelling for the first few days.
Bruising and swelling around the abdomen is said to fade gradually over a few weeks following surgery. The chosen clinic abroad would advise when the patient arranges the procedure and how long they need to stay abroad which could be typically 10-14 days.
What to consider
Patients might need to discover whether they are a suitable candidate for this procedure, for example at least a year after (last) pregnancy / breast feeding.
Most crucially, when planning to travel abroad for abdominoplasty patients might wish to ensure their medical travel cover covers the purpose of the specific trip.
A single trip policy for travel insurance for a tummy tuck from Medical Travel Shield will cover travelers for everything that is expected from standard travel insurance such as lost or stolen items, accidental illness or injury and cancellations or curtailments outside of a person’s control. This is important because standard ‘travel insurance’ may not cover the policyholder for any of these typical risks if the purpose of your travel was for elective surgery.
However, Medical Travel Shield is also designed to provide specific additional benefits tailored for the user as a patient within the same policy For example, the policy can cover economy return travel, accommodation and living expenses if it is medically necessary to return to the same hospital/clinic within 12 months for further treatment.
Also, if a patient’s recovery period is longer than expected, Medical Travel Shield policy may cover a contribution towards accommodation and flights, plus a daily allowance.
If you would like to speak to one of the Medical Travel Shield travel insurance team you can send us an email on info@medicaltravelshield.com, give us a call on 0203 409 1236 or contact us using our online form.
This content in this article is based on a variety of third-party sources and is for information purposes only and Medical Travel Shield is not making a recommendation for abdominoplasty abroad.