Body Lift

Body lifts are essentially like facelifts for the body. They are ideal for people who have lost a significant amount of weight, and find afterwards that they are left with loose, unsightly pouches and rolls of excess skin.

You can see the potentially transformative effects of a lower body lift on yourself by standing naked in front of a full length mirror and pulling up the saggy skin of your hips to stretch and tighten your upper thighs and abdominal area. Lower body lifts can address thighs, buttocks, abdomen, waist and hips in a single operation. The added benefits of the procedure are an overall improvement to any dimpling or cellulite.

What is involved in a Body Lift?

Body-lift surgery is performed under general anaesthesia and may require two or more nights in hospital. For thigh lifts, excess skin is lifted and removed through incisions made in the inner thigh and/or high upper outer thigh.

Simultaneous lifting of the thighs and buttocks is done using incisions that follow the line of a high cut bathing suit but a little higher just on the hip. The surgeon lifts and removes the excess skin down to the muscle and removes the thick layer of fat beneath the skin. Drain tubes may be placed at the incision to draw out fluids. The scars can usually be hidden in the natural skin creases so they are less visible.

What are the Risks?

The incisions can usually be hidden under clothing, but the scarring is significant, and healing varies from person to person. Fluid and excess blood can collect beneath the skin and may need to be aspirated with a needle. As with any surgery there is a slight risk of infection which can be treated with drainage and antibiotics, though it will prolong your healing process, although rare in general, it is more common with this type of surgery. Other risks include blood clots, infection, asymmetries, and prolonged numbness and delayed healing.

Post-Op Effects and Recovery Time

The recovery from a body-lift procedure is very similar to a tummy tuck, although it can take longer as the incisions are wider. Anticipate moderate pain, at the very least. When lying down, keep your head elevated above the level of your heart. Try to walk as soon as possible, to reduce swelling and prevent blood clots forming in your legs. Swelling will be considerable and take several weeks to settle down. Surgical drains may be placed for some days, and will have to be emptied.

For the first week following surgery, you must avoid bending or lifting. You will have several layers of stitches with body-lift procedures. Some will be absorbed by the body and some may need to be removed surgically. Deep stitches will be permanent. Usually the external stitches are covered with adhesive tape and surgical gauze. Small amounts of oozing and bleeding are common.

Changing position at least every 30 minutes and moving around carefully will limit stress on the incision lines. You will usually be able to shower on the third day after surgery. Numbness in small areas on the thigh is possible but usually disappears gradually over several months. Although most bruising and swelling will subside within three weeks, some swelling and stiffness may remain for six months or longer. You cannot resume vigorous aerobic exercise such as jogging or contact sports for six weeks.

If you have a history of bad scarring or thickened scars e.g. keloid or delayed healing from past surgical procedures you should inform your surgeon in advance. Usually scars will remain somewhat thickened and red for weeks and often months after surgery then gradually become less obvious, ideally fading into thin white lines, depending on your skin type and the area or your body where the scar is. If the scars don’t heal well, they can be revised with additional surgery, steroid injections, silicone-gel patches and laser resurfacing.

Before and After images

Click thumbnails for larger images.

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