A well-toned body with smooth contours often is a sign of fitness achieved by healthy diet and exercise. But exercise cannot always achieve desired results for people who have loose, sagging skin and uneven contours. Aging, sun damage, pregnancy and significant fluctuations in weight as well as genetic factors may contribute to poor tissue elasticity and can result in sagging of the abdomen, buttocks, thighs and upper arms.
If you desire a firmer, more youthful-looking body contour, then a surgical body lift may help achieve your goals. It improves the shape and tone of the underlying tissue that supports fat and skin. Excess sagging fat and skin are removed to treat conditions caused in part by poor tissue elasticity. In addition, the procedure(s) can improve a dimpled, irregular skin surface, commonly known as cellulite.
A body lift may include these areas:
• Abdominal area, locally or extending around the sides and into the lower back area
• Buttocks, that may be low, flat or shaped unevenly
• Groin that may sag into the inner thigh
• Thigh, including the inner, outer, or posterior thigh, or circumferentially
Possible risks of body lift surgery include:
• Unfavorable scarring
• Bleeding (hematoma)
• Infection
• Fluid accumulation
• Poor wound healing
• Skin loss
• Blood clots
• Numbness or other changes in skin sensation
• Anesthesia risks
• Skin discoloration and/or prolonged swelling
• Fatty tissue found deep in the skin might die (fat necrosis)
• Major wound separation
• Asymmetry
• Recurrent looseness of skin
• Pain, which may persist
• Deep vein thrombosis, cardiac and pulmonary complications
• Persistent swelling in the legs
• Possibility of revisional surgery
• Sutures may spontaneously surface through the skin, become visible or produce irritation that require removal
Good candidates for body lift surgery are:
• Individuals with significant soft tissue looseness in one or multiple body areas
• Healthy individuals who do not have medical conditions that can impair healing or increase risk of surgery
• Non-smokers
• Individuals with a positive outlook and realistic goals for what body lift surgery can accomplish
• Individuals committed to leading a healthy lifestyle including proper nutrition and fitness
Results & Recovery:
The results of a body lift are visible almost immediately. However, it may take as much as one to two years, or more, for the final results of the body lift procedures to fully develop. Scars will remain, but the overall results are long-lasting, provided that you maintain a stable weight and general fitness. As your body ages, it is natural to lose some firmness. However, most of your initial improvement should be relatively permanent. After your body lift procedure is completed, dressings or bandages will be applied to the incisions. A small, thin tube may be temporarily placed under the skin to drain any excess blood or fluid that may collect.
