Surgical procedures for body lift
A body lift is a major surgical procedure used to remove large amounts of loose, hanging skin. Patients typically seek a body lift because that has had an abrupt decrease in body weight, such as after pregnancy or gastric bypass surgery. A lower body lift (or belt lipectomy) addresses fat and skin in the abdominal area, thighs, buttocks, and lower back. The chest or breasts and the middle back area are targeted in an upper body lift. A combination of the two is referred to as a total body lift.
Candidates for body lifts should be at a stable weight. This means that they should weigh the same weight, plus or minus 5 pounds for several months prior to the body lift. Good health is also a requirement. Patients who have had gastric bypass surgery should not consider a body lift for at least one year to allow time for obesity-related health risks to diminish. Women who anticipate future pregnancies should also delay body lift procedures since future pregnancy could considerably compromise the lift results in the abdominal area. In other words, a later pregnancy will undo the beneficial effects of a body lift.
The body lift surgical procedures are typically performed in a hospital under general anesthesia and may take four to seven hours or more. Although the type of incisions used can vary, a lower body lift generally involves an incision that circles the body in the area where a low-riding belt might be worn, with the back half of the incision made first. Excess skin is removed and the remaining skin repositioned and sutured in place. The process is repeated for the front half with abdominal muscles tightened (as would be done in a ‘tummy tuck’ or abdominoplasty). The remaining skin and navel (belly button) are repositioned and sutured. Liposuction may be used in conjunction with the body lift to remove fat deposits.
An upper body lift is similar to the lower body lift in that the goal is to remove excess skin and reposition the remaining skin flap after resection (removal). The incision is made in the area of the bra line. When a total body lift (both upper and lower body lifts) is indicated, the surgical procedures may be performed independently due to the time required for such extensive surgeries. Also, potential risks and complications may be minimized by reducing the total time that the patient is under general anesthesia. An upper body lift for men usually includes correction of gynecomastia (enlarged male breasts). Liposuction may also be used to enhance the results of an upper body lift.
It is not uncommon for patients undergoing total body lifts to need additional lift procedures. These complementary procedures commonly include arm lifts and inner thigh lifts, but may also include breast and butt lifts or facial cosmetic surgery procedures such as face, neck, and brow lifts.
Recovery time after a body lift is significant. Most patients will remain in the hospital for one to three nights for pain control with injected pain medications. The patient is transitioned to oral pain medications for discharge. Small drainage tubes inserted under the skin to drain blood and fluid will require care until the drainage subsides enough for the tubes to be removed. Compression garments may be required at all times, except when bathing. Swelling will subside gradually over several weeks. Each patient must follow their physician’s post-operative instructions, but most require four to six weeks to return to normal activity and six to eight weeks before resuming any exercise other than walking. Scars may appear to worsen in the first several weeks after surgery, but will become less visible over many months.
As is the case with all major surgeries, patients should be aware and understand the risks and potential complications of body lifts. Fluid accumulation beneath the skin’s surface and small skin separations are the most commonly seen complications. Any time incisions are made, patients may have diminished sensation in those areas. Infection, bleeding, and blood clots are risks that may occur in all major surgeries, but are not common.
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