SCOTTISH Sun columnist Zara Janjua has taken the plunge for a tummy tuck – and filmed the whole thing for TV.
The presenter and comedian, 38, shocked loved ones by traveling to Turkey for plastic surgery after spending most of her life trying to hide her belly.
3
3
She shares her experience on STV’s Scotland Tonight to show viewers what really happens when you fly thousands of miles for a flat stomach.
Zara, from Glasgow, says: ‘I’ve spent most of my life hiding my tummy but now I’m going to flaunt it for the world to see.
“Unlike so many women who get tummy tucks, I haven’t had many children. I needed a “mummy” but I was childless.
“I spent my teens and early 20s yo-yo dieting and covering up loose skin, a sad belly button and a bulge for most of my life.
“I could never call it a stomach, maybe a tummy on a good day. The truth is, I’ve been dreaming of this surgery for over 20 years and now that I’ve decided to go ahead with it. It wasn’t fair to disguise it as a natural stomach , transformed through diet and exercise.”
The idea of going abroad for the procedure was something Zara’s whole family struggled with.
Last year, Fife’s mum Carol Keenan died after complications from abdominal surgery in Istanbul.
And there are countless other cautionary tales advising people to avoid price-cutting jobs overseas.
But Zara was sure she had chosen the right place. they recommended her to Acibadem, a company with 21 hospitals that Zara compares to five-star hotels.
She chose Professor Bülent Saçak to perform her surgery – the procedure removed all the fat and skin from her navel to the top of her pubic bone, as well as liposuction of the upper abdomen and sewing the muscles together.
Zara says: “He asked me why I wanted a tummy tuck, looking for psychological issues that he knew plastic surgery wouldn’t solve.
“20 years ago, I was crippled with anxiety about it and had toxic unattainable body aspirations.
“I felt guilty that I couldn’t just accept and love my body the way it was. I was born healthy and fit. I was one of the lucky ones, wasn’t I?
“Whether it was through the benefit of age or a wave of body positivity movements, over time I felt more liberated in my own skin, but it still bothered me.
“I was uncomfortable while exercising and didn’t like the way my clothes fit. Deciding to get a tummy tuck was my reward for a healthier, happier body image.”
Zara admits she underestimated her recovery time after her surgeon showed her a 3D scan of the plans.
With a 25cm cut from hip to hip, she quickly realized it would take some time to get back to her best.
Despite all the warnings, Zara went ahead with the operation and hoped for the best as she woke up from the anesthesia.
Fortunately the result was even better than he imagined.
She says: “I knew that even with the best doctor in the world, all surgeries had risks.
“It’s obviously very common to wake up from surgery and wish you’d never gone through it.
“The first few days I adjusted to having a catheter, drains and cannula. I was bloated, couldn’t move easily and was in pain.
“But from my bed, there was a beautiful view of the Istanbul skyline and below I could hear the calls to prayer coming from a mosque which brought some comfort.
“The nurses and team who looked after me were even better than I expected, they comforted me through some tearful moments but I felt alone and a million miles from home, which thankfully was the only price I paid for having the operation abroad.
“It will be another five months before I’m fully healed, but what was once my biggest insecurity is now my favorite body part.
“The last thing I want to do is encourage more people to go under the knife, but I hope that by showing how to do it responsibly and sharing the reality of the process, others can make better, safer choices.”
We pay for your stories and videos! Have a story or video for The Scottish Sun? Email us at scoop@thesun.co.uk or call 0141 420 5200
