Body Lift Surgery

Body lift surgery is the surgical procedure the re-sculpts a person's abdomen, hips, thighs, and buttocks. Body lift offers a dramatic transformation of the mid and lower body for people who suffer from severe excess skin in those areas. A body lift surgery also includes components such as a tummy tuck (abdominoplasty), a thigh lift, and a buttock lift.

Body lift surgery is a procedure that becomes more popular every day. The body lift procedure is performed most on post bariatric patients as well as patients who have not had massive weight loss. After extreme weight loss, patients are left with excess skin especially on the abdomen, hips and thighs.

Body lift surgery can transform a patient's body by removing the excess skin and sculpting the body. Results from body lift surgery can be dramatic in patients who in addition to a tummy tuck want a tightening of the skin in their thighs and buttocks.

The body lift has the advantage that it can be done in one surgical session, or in stages, depending on the patients needs.

During the body lift surgery, skin is lifted from underlying tissues, excising what is redundant and then suturing the remainder closed. In a body lift surgery; the navel is often removed and replaced in its new position.

After a body lift surgery, surgical drains are needed for several days to weeks to evacuate excess liquids from the body, and patients are required to wear compression garments for weeks to facilitate a faster healing.

Often times the body lift surgery is performed in two separate operations. Each operation is approximately four months apart. In the first stage, the frontal tissue is removed. On the second stage, after the patient has healed from the first surgery; the back is addressed. For some patients not undergoing one very large operation is a better option. A body lift surgeon will be able to evaluate your case inform you of how many stages you would need.

A body lift is a surgery that is typically performed in a hospital. However, some body lift procedures may be performed in a fully accredited outpatient surgical center. This determination depends on the patient's body mass index (BMI) at the time of the body lift surgery. The time of a body lift surgery ranges from four to eight hours and it is performed under general anesthesia. This means that the body lift patient is asleep during the procedure.

Why Get Body Lift Surgery?

Aging, pregnancy, certain genetic skin conditions, and major weight loss can result in lax hanging tissues. When the problem extends around the body, Body Lift Surgery can address loose drooping tissues circumferentially.

People who experience massive weight loss are left with excessive loose sagging skin that not only does it not look good but it gets in the way of normal activities or movement. Additionally, this situation may interfere with a person's self-confidence and their social interaction. Body lift surgery can fix these problems.

Body Lift Surgery often involves several stages to address the entire body: Lower Body Lift, Breast Lift, Arm Lift, Upper Body Lift, Butt lift among other sculptures as needed.

Please keep in mind that every case is special. Only a consultation with a body lift specialist will let you know what type of body lift surgery you need.

Body Lift Surgery Consultation

The first step in body lift surgery is setting up a consultation with a body lift surgeon. During this consultation your surgeon will need to learn about your medical history, problems, past surgeries and current medications. Your body lift surgeon will then proceed to examine how the skin drapes, where the extra tissue is located, check for hernias, and examine any scars you may have.

Make sure that you go over all details about the Body Lift surgery with your surgeon. He or she can answer all your questions about the Body Lift surgery, what to expect, how long the Body Lift recovery will be, what medications to take after your Body Lift as well as many other important details.

The Body Lift consultation is a very important part of the Body Lift procedure where you will learn if you are a good candidate for Body Lift and what results you can expect. You should try to make the most of it in order to have a successful Body Lift surgery.

There are several different body lift surgeries possible depending on the problem and the nature of your tissues. Talk to your body lift surgeon about the risks, benefits and alternate methods of care before committing on getting body lift or any type of surgery. Understanding the benefits and limitations of body lift surgery will help you maintain realistic expectations about the results that you can expect.

Body Lift Surgical Sculpture is a common surgical procedure for people who have lost massive weight and suffered from Morbidly Obese to gain their body back.

A big part of the success of body lift surgery depends on the patient understanding what to expect and having realistic expectations about this surgery. The more informed you are about the body lift surgery procedure, the more likely you are to achieve satisfactory results.

Body Lift Surgery Candidate

You can be a good candidate for body lift surgery if you have excess or sagging abdominal, thigh, buttock or arm skin.

Body lift surgery usually takes between 3-6 hours depending on the extent of the procedure. The more areas treated with body lift surgery, the longer it will take.

Usually, a patient will require only one procedure. For cases where the extent of the procedure is too long, your body lift surgeon may recommend to divide the body lift surgery into several stages. Please keep in mind that a procedure that is too extensive may put the patient at risk. By dividing the body lift surgery into stages, the surgeon will be making sure that the body is able to heal properly and how go into shock from the trauma from an extensive body lift.

Am I a Good Candidate for Body Lift Surgery?

The best candidates for body lift surgery are people who have loose and sagging tissue in one or more body areas. They want to see an improvement, but they have realistic goals about what the surgery can and cannot achieve.

For a person to be a candidate for body lift surgery, he or she must be in a state of relatively good health. The patient must be free of medical conditions that could make uncontrolled bleeding or delayed healing more likely. Nicotine users are not eligible for the body lift surgery; they will need to find a way to be nicotine free before they are able to be operated on.

People with large body fat percentages may also not be good candidates for body lift surgery. For people in this category, it may be preferable to lose most of the weight before the body lift surgery. Body lift surgery can help to eliminate the sagging skin and fat that might remain.

When you meet with a body lift surgeon for your initial consultation, he or she will be able to help you to understand whether or not the body lift surgery would be a good fit for you.

Planning Your Body Lift Procedure

Are you considering undergoing a body lift? Make sure that all of your questions are answered before you decide to undergo this procedure.

Click on the different sections of our site dedicated to body lift to learn more about this procedure and to find a body lift surgeon in your area. The more you know about this surgery, the better you can prepare for it.

The first step toward getting your body lift underway is to schedule an initial consultation. When you've found a body lift surgeon that you might be interested in, schedule a consultation. Working together, you and your surgeon can make all of the plans necessary for you to have a successful and safe body lift. In many cases, a body lift consultation is free. In other circumstances, a small fee is charged.

What Are the Side Effects of Body Lift?

Although body lift is relatively safe it does have some mild side effects. The most common side effects are temporary bruising, numbness, swelling, and a tingling sensation. Some amount of scarring is also likely after a body lift. Patients should ask their doctors about body lift side effects that may affect their particular situation.

Body Lift Risks

All medical procedures carry with them a certain amount of risk, and body lift is no exception. The most serious complications can typically be avoided simply by only performing the surgery on the right candidates.

Some possible risks include anesthesia-related complications during the surgery, bleeding, blood clot development and infections. It is also possible for patients to experience a decrease in sensation in the surgical areas. This feeling of numbness can either be temporary or permanent.

Some patients also experience the development of seromas, or sites of fluid build-up under the skin. Another possible complication involves small areas of separation where the skin has been sutured together in the surgery. These small separations sometimes require the surgical site to be re-sutured. For more information on body lift complications and risks, please speak with your surgeon.

Body Lift Results

Body lift is a procedure that will give the patient tighter skin and a sculpted body. The results from body lift are long lasting, usually for many years.

In order to keep these results, a body lift patient must keep an active lifestyle and healthy diet. By maintaining their weight after surgery, a body lift patient will be making sure that their results are long lasting.

Body Lift Surgery Procedure

A patient's excess skin and fat from the entire midsection of the body are removed during body lift surgery. Then the skin closure is tailored to enhance the figure leaving the patient with smooth and thigh looking skin in the areas where the body lift procedure is performed.

Traditional Body Lift surgery is a procedure where general anesthesia is commonly used. Newer Body Lift surgery techniques often require only local anesthesia with a mild sedative.

After your anesthesia has been administered, your Body Lift surgeon then places the Body Lift surgery incisions in the area to be treated. After the Body Lift surgeon creates the incisions, he or she proceeds to reshape the body and tighten the loose skin.

The different body areas can be contoured with various techniques during Body Lift surgery. Finally, your Body Lift surgeon closes the incisions with sutures and places a dressing over your Body Lift surgery incisions.

Body Lift Surgery Length

The length of time required to perform the Body Lift surgery varies with the amount of skin that is to be removed and the number of areas to be treated. Most Body Lift surgeries take from 3 up to 6 hours, but extensive procedures can take longer.

The length of time required also varies with the manner in which the anesthetic is injected. In some cases, the Body Lift surgeon may divide the treatment into different stages if the patient desires to have several areas treated. For example; in some cases a Body Lift surgeon may treat the lower body first, and treat upper body in a different surgery.

Body Lift Surgery & Pain

As anesthesia is used, there is no pain during the body lift surgery. A certain degree of swelling and bruising is normal. The patient may feel sore for a few days after body lift surgery. Discomfort is usually easily controlled with medications prescribed by your body lift surgeon.

Postoperative bruising after a Body Lift surgery will go away within 10 to 14 days. Your Body Lift surgeon may prescribe you with additional medication to help heal the bruising and swelling faster. Postoperative swelling begins to go down after a week. It may take three to six months for the final results to be reached.

Some patients lose sensation in the area that has been suctioned after surgery, but most feeling usually returns with time.

Body Lift Surgeon

The body lift surgery is performed by fully licensed and highly skilled plastic surgeons in state of the art fully accredited outpatient surgical centers or hospitals for ultimate safety and comfort.

Finding the right body lift surgeon for you is a very important part of the process. During your body lift consultation, ask your surgeon about his or her credentials, experience performing body lift surgery, and ask to see pictures of other body lift surgeries that he or she has performed.

You must feel confident about your surgeon before getting a body lift. If you are not sure, set up other body lift consultations with surgeons in your area. Once you find the right body lift surgeon for you, you can schedule your body lift surgery.

Use our body lift surgeon locator to find a surgeon near you!

Before Body Lift Surgery

You must take certain preparations before Body Lift surgery or any type of elective surgery. Important measures before Body Lift surgery include eliminating smoking, eliminating the use of aspirin and NSAIDs (non-steriodal anti-inflammatory drugs) such as Motrin and Advil, and using only vitamins and other natural remedies that have been approved by your Body Lift surgeon.

Body Lift Surgery Anesthesia

Body lift surgery is usually performed under general anesthesia. Body lift surgery can perform in a certified Out-Patient surgery center or at a hospital. If your body lift surgery is performed in the hospital you can elect to have an overnight stay. Alternately, if your procedure is performed Out-Patient facility, you can arrange for an overnight nurse.

Due to the extent of the body lift procedure, you will need someone to drive you home after surgery. It is also highly recommended that you arrange for someone to help you for the first few days after your body lift surgery.

Body Lift Surgery Recovery

Following the body lift surgery patients should plan to be out of work for 2-3 weeks. Most patients are able to return to work within 7-21 days after their body lift surgery.

Mild side effects after surgery can include a burning, prickling sensation on the treated areas after the Body Lift surgery and for up to one month. The patient should expect swelling of the tissues below the area treated for up to six to eight weeks after Body Lift surgery.

Body Lift Surgery Cost

The body lift surgeon's fee can range from $10,000-$15,000 depending on the extent of the body lift procedure. Additional hospital and anesthesia costs can run between $3000- $5000.

Many types of financing are available and the entire body lift procedure can be financed. Most body lift surgeons offer a wide range of financing with 0% interest rate and low monthly payments. Ask your body lift surgeon about available financing options for you.

Body Lift Surgery Considerations

Body Lift surgery is considered a safe procedure if performed by a certified body lift surgeon. However, like with any surgery, Body Lift surgery risks include:

Blood clots
Excess fluid and blood accumulation
Infection
Shock (if too much skin and fat is removed)
Swelling
Bruising
Perforation (rare)
Damage superficial nerves
Numbness