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Upper back lift in Turkey

The rolls across the upper back are either fat under elastic skin, which liposuction treats, or stretched skin that will not shrink back, which only removal treats. An upper back lift, usually called a bra-line back lift, cuts out a horizontal strip of loose skin and places the scar under the bra line. The scar is long, permanent and prone to widening because the back's skin is thick and under constant tension. This page explains the pinch test that decides, the scar trade, and what sets the price in Turkey.

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Medically reviewed by Op. Dr. Arda Akgün. Written by Abdulaziz Ali.
Updated 10 September 2026 · Editorial standards

Upper back lift in Turkey at a glance

starting price, 25 March 2026from €2,300Treatment only
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Upper back lift clinics in Turkey

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Reviews on Trustpilot

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Why are these clinics ranked this way?

Clinics are scored from patient reviews and ordered by Flymedi. The facts behind each position are listed below. How ranking works.

RankClinicFlymediScoreLead doctorExperienceFromWhy it is ranked here
1Luna Clinic Turkey9.4Arda Akgün11 years€2,300Treatment onlyMost reviewed on this page (888 reviews). Lowest listed price on this page. Declares TURSAB, MOH, ESCAD, TTB. 32 doctors listed.
2Istanbul European Clinic9.3Arda Akgün11 years€2,400Treatment onlyDeclares TURSAB, MOH, ASAPS, ESCAD, ESHRS, ISAPS, TTB. 24 doctors listed.
3Memorial Sisli Hospital9.1Deniz İşcen40 yearsPrice on requestDeclares JCI, EFI, ISO 9001:2000, TTB. 4 doctors listed.
4Medipol Mega University Hospital9.4Plastic surgery7 yearsPrice on requestDeclares JCI. 4 doctors listed.
5Estethica Atasehir9.6Plastic surgery35 years€2,700Treatment onlyDeclares TTB. 4 doctors listed.
6Acibadem Healthcare Group9.5Abdullah Etöz19 years€3,800Treatment only4 doctors listed.
7Medical Park Gaziosmanpasa Hospital9.7Aslı Datlı25 yearsPrice on requestDeclares JCI, CEN, EMBT, ISCT, CIBMTR. 4 doctors listed.
8Ethica Incirli Hospital9.14 doctorsNot listedPrice on requestDeclares TTB. 4 doctors listed.
9Liv Hospital9.46 doctorsNot listedPrice on requestDeclares ASAPS, ISO 14001, ISO 9001:2015, JCI, TÜV SÜD. 6 doctors listed.
10Prof. Murat Turegun Aesthetic Surgery & Medical Aesthetic9.7Murat Türeğün40 yearsPrice on requestDeclares ISO 9001:2000.
1Luna Clinic Turkey · 9.4
From €2,300 Treatment only Most reviewed on this page (888 reviews). Lowest listed price on this page. Declares TURSAB, MOH, ESCAD, TTB. 32 doctors listed.
2Istanbul European Clinic · 9.3
From €2,400 Treatment only Declares TURSAB, MOH, ASAPS, ESCAD, ESHRS, ISAPS, TTB. 24 doctors listed.
3Memorial Sisli Hospital · 9.1
Declares JCI, EFI, ISO 9001:2000, TTB. 4 doctors listed.
4Medipol Mega University Hospital · 9.4
Declares JCI. 4 doctors listed.
5Estethica Atasehir · 9.6
From €2,700 Treatment only Declares TTB. 4 doctors listed.
6Acibadem Healthcare Group · 9.5
From €3,800 Treatment only 4 doctors listed.
7Medical Park Gaziosmanpasa Hospital · 9.7
Declares JCI, CEN, EMBT, ISCT, CIBMTR. 4 doctors listed.
8Ethica Incirli Hospital · 9.1
Declares TTB. 4 doctors listed.
9Liv Hospital · 9.4
Declares ASAPS, ISO 14001, ISO 9001:2015, JCI, TÜV SÜD. 6 doctors listed.
10Prof. Murat Turegun Aesthetic Surgery & Medical Aesthetic · 9.7
Declares ISO 9001:2000.

Read our full clinic ranking policy

In this article

  1. Upper back lift in Turkey
  2. Fat or skin: the test that decides
  3. Why the back scars differently
  4. How the operation works
  5. The risks worth understanding
  6. Who this does not suit
  7. Having it done in Turkey
  8. What sets the price in Turkey

Upper back lift in Turkey

The rolls across the upper back, the ones that sit above and below a bra strap, are made of one of two things: fat under skin that still has its elasticity, or skin that has been stretched and will not shrink back. Which of the two you have decides the operation entirely. Fat with good skin is treated by liposuction. Loose skin can only be treated by removing it, and that is what an upper back lift is.

An upper back lift, usually called a bra-line back lift, cuts out the excess skin and fat across the back in a horizontal strip and places the scar where a bra or bikini strap sits. It is a skin-removal operation with a long scar, it exists mainly for people who have lost a large amount of weight, and it is the wrong operation for anyone whose rolls are fat rather than skin.

Fat or skin: the test that decides

Take the roll between finger and thumb. If it is full and the skin over it is smooth and springs back, the roll is fat, and removing the fat will let the skin settle. If the roll is thin, wrinkled or marked with stretch marks and the skin stays where you leave it, the roll is skin, and no amount of liposuction will change it because there is little fat to remove.

Most people who arrive at this page hoping for liposuction actually have the first kind and are right to hope. Most people who have lost a great deal of weight have the second kind, and for them liposuction is a waste of an operation. The examination that separates the two takes seconds and cannot be done from a photograph.

  • Firm rolls, elastic skin

    Liposuction is the operation. A lift here would add a long scar to remove skin that would have retracted on its own.

  • Loose, stretch-marked skin after weight loss

    The situation the bra-line back lift exists for. Only excision changes it, and the scar is the price.

  • Weight still changing

    Wait. Skin excision done on a body that is still losing weight will need repeating, and the scar will not.

  • Back rolls with loose arms and breasts too

    That is usually an upper body lift, done as a planned sequence, rather than a back lift on its own.

For the arms, see arm lift, for the lower body see body lift, for fat removal without skin excision see liposculpture, and for the whole sequence after major weight loss see plastic surgery after weight loss.

Why the back scars differently

Skin on the back is thick, it moves with every reach and turn, and a horizontal scar across it is pulled from both sides whenever the arms move. Scars under that kind of tension tend to widen, and the back is known among surgeons as one of the harder places to keep a scar narrow. That is why the position under the bra line matters so much: a scar that is going to be visible needs to be somewhere clothing covers it.

It is also why the honest photographs to ask for are at a year, in ordinary light, without a bra. Early photographs show a thin pink line. The question is what it looks like once it has been stretched for twelve months.

How the operation works

  1. Examination and the pinch test

    Standing, arms at your side and raised, with the roll pinched to judge fat against skin. This is where the decision between lift and liposuction is made.

  2. Marking

    Done standing, with a bra on if that is what you wear, so that the scar is planned to sit under the strap. The width of skin to be removed is decided here.

  3. Anaesthetic

    General anaesthetic, lying face down. Ask how long the operation takes and whether other areas are being done in the same session.

  4. Removing the strip

    A horizontal strip of skin and fat is removed across the back and the edges are brought together. Liposuction of the areas around it is sometimes added for contour.

  5. Closing and dressings

    Layered stitches, dressings and often a compression garment. Drains are used by some surgeons and not others.

  6. Weeks of protecting the scar

    No reaching, lifting or lying flat on the back early on. The scar is under tension for months and how it is protected in the first weeks affects how wide it ends up.

The risks worth understanding

  • A long scar that may widen. The defining trade of this operation. The back's thick skin and constant tension make widening more common here than at most sites.
  • Wound healing problems. Tension across the closure and the difficulty of resting a wound on the back both slow healing, and smoking makes it considerably worse.
  • Seroma. Fluid collecting under the closure is common after removing a large strip and sometimes needs draining more than once.
  • Asymmetry and dog-ears. The ends of a long scar can bunch, and the two sides are not always identical. Revision of the scar ends is not unusual.
  • Numbness. Reduced sensation across the back is expected for a period and can persist in patches.
  • Clots. A prone operation under general anaesthetic with reduced mobility afterwards. Ask what prophylaxis is used.
  • Recurrence with weight change. Skin removed does not come back, but weight gain afterwards refills what remains and the contour changes.

Who this does not suit

  • Anyone whose rolls are fat with good skin. Liposuction is the operation, and a lift would add a scar to solve a problem that did not need one.
  • Anyone whose weight is still changing. Excision on a moving target is an operation that will need repeating.
  • Anyone who cannot accept a long visible scar. The scar is hidden by a bra strap, not absent, and it can widen. There is no version without it.
  • Anyone who forms thick or wide scars. The back is already a poor site for scars. Known keloid or hypertrophic scarring makes it worse.
  • Anyone who cannot protect the wound afterwards. Reaching, lifting and lying on the back all pull on the closure, and a job or a journey that demands them changes the outcome.

Having it done in Turkey

  • Ask whether you need a lift or liposuction, and why. In terms of your skin, not the package. The pinch test decides and it cannot be done remotely.
  • Ask to see healed back scars at a year. Without a bra covering them, and ask about widening directly.
  • Ask whether other areas are being done in the same session. Upper body lifts are often staged, and a long combined session changes the risk.
  • Ask how long before you can reach, lift and lie on your back. And how that fits a flight home in a seat.
  • Ask who operates and in what specialty. Plastic surgery, verifiable before you travel, and how many body-contouring operations after weight loss they do.
  • Agree the follow-up in writing. Seroma and wound problems appear in the weeks after, and scar management runs for a year.

What sets the price in Turkey

  • Lift or liposuction. Different operations at different prices. If you have been quoted for a lift without being examined, the quote is for an unknown operation.
  • How much skin is removed. A narrow strip after modest weight change and a wide one after massive weight loss are different theatre times.
  • Whether liposuction is added around it. Often used for contour, and priced as an area.
  • Whether it is part of an upper body lift. Combined with arms or breasts it is a line within a larger operation, and staging changes the total.
  • Hospital stay and drains. Prone surgery with a long closure usually means an overnight stay, which is appropriate.
  • Garments, aftercare and scar management. Compression, dressings, silicone or tape for the scar, and how many reviews are covered before you fly home.

The clinic listing on this page shows each clinic's current price with a note of what it covers. For instalments, see payment plans. For fat removal without skin excision see liposculpture and for the sequence after major weight loss see plastic surgery after weight loss.

References

  • American Society of Plastic Surgeons, patient information on body contouring after major weight loss.
  • British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons, patient guidance on body contouring and scarring.
  • International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, statements on post-bariatric body contouring.
  • Turkish Ministry of Health, register of facilities licensed for health tourism.

Frequently asked questions

Answers from the medical content team, reviewed by the medical reviewer named on this page.

What is an upper back lift?
An operation that removes a horizontal strip of loose skin and fat across the upper back and places the scar where a bra or bikini strap sits. It is usually called a bra-line back lift, and it exists mainly for people who have lost a large amount of weight.
How do I know whether I need a lift or liposuction?
Pinch the roll. If it is full and the skin springs back, it is fat, and liposuction is the operation. If it is thin, wrinkled or stretch-marked and the skin stays where you leave it, it is skin, and only removing it changes anything. The test takes seconds and cannot be done from a photograph.
Will there be a scar?
Yes, a long horizontal one across the whole upper back, placed under the bra line. It is permanent, and because the back's skin is thick and under constant tension, scars here widen more often than at most sites.
Can the scar be hidden?
It is planned to sit under a bra or bikini strap and for most people it does. Hidden by clothing is not the same as absent, and it is worth seeing healed scars at a year, without a bra, before deciding.
Is it done on its own or with other areas?
Both. After major weight loss it is often part of an upper body lift with the arms and breasts, done as a planned sequence rather than all at once.
What is the recovery like?
Weeks of protecting the closure: no reaching, lifting or lying flat on the back early on. The scar is under tension for months and how it is protected early affects how wide it ends up.
What are the main risks?
Scar widening, slow wound healing under tension, seroma, bunching at the scar ends, numbness and clots. Smoking makes the wound problems considerably worse.
Should I wait until my weight is stable?
Yes. Skin removed from a body that is still losing weight will need removing again, and the scar will not go away in the meantime.
Will back fat come back after a lift?
The skin removed does not return, but weight gain afterwards refills what remains and the contour changes. The result depends on keeping your weight where it was when you were operated on.
Can liposuction alone fix back rolls?
Yes, if the rolls are fat under elastic skin. No, if they are loose skin, because there is little fat to remove and the skin will not shrink. The pinch test tells which.
How much does an upper back lift cost in Turkey?
It depends on whether it is a lift or liposuction, on how much skin is removed, on whether liposuction is added, on whether it is part of an upper body lift, on the hospital stay, and on what aftercare and scar management are included. The clinic listing on this page shows each clinic's current price with a note of what it covers.
When can I judge the scar?
At about a year. Early photographs show a thin pink line; the question is what it looks like after twelve months of being stretched with every arm movement.

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About this page

Written by Abdulaziz Ali, Leading Medical Writer & Strategist at Flymedi. Medically reviewed by Op. Dr. Arda Akgün. Content updated 10 September 2026. Next scheduled review 10 September 2027.

This page is general information, not personal medical advice. It does not diagnose you and it does not replace an individual assessment by a doctor who has examined you.

Found something wrong or out of date on this page? Tell us and we will check it. Editorial standards and reviewer list: authors and reviewers.

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