Body Lift Surgery

Who Can Do It?
Plastic Surgeon

What is Body Lift Surgery?
Popularised by the rise of weight loss surgery - resulting in a lot of patients who've achieved their ideal weight, only to find that stretched, sagging skin leaves them still having to cover up in baggy clothes - body lift surgery can be a combination of any two or more body lifting procedures, such as Abdominoplasty, Thigh Lift, Arm lift, Mastopexy, Buttock lift.

Who is suitable for Body Lift Surgery?
Anyone who has lost an extreme amount of weight and has excess skin as a result could benefit from a body lift procedure.

You do need to have maintained a stable weight for about a year pre surgery - this isn't a procedure for yo-yo dieters, as the implications of putting the weight back on could be pretty horrific!

You also might want to delay treatment if you're female and you're thinking about starting a family.

What's the Body Lift Surgery like?
You should be fully out for the count during body lift surgery - a fact you'll be glad of, as the full package can take up to seven or eight hours!

Body lift surgery can be broken down into two stages: A lower body lift tends to focus on the stomach, thighs, buttocks and lower back.

First, a cut is made above the outer thighs and buttocks. Any excess fat and skin is removed and the underlying tissue reshaped.

Then a horizontal incision is made along the pubic area for the abdominoplasty and the process is repeated for the stomach area. If there is any remaining fat, liposuction can also be performed at this stage.

Once all of this is complete, the skin is redraped and the belly button repositioned.

An upper body lift works on the upper back, chest and breasts, although the upper arms can also be included.

This time, the cut is made along the bra line, and the steps above are repeated, with excess skin and fat being removed and muscles re-tightened before the remaining skin is stitched together.

These two surgeries can be combined to provide a total body lift, but your surgeon might not want you to be under general anaesthetic for as long as that would take.

What happens after Body Lift Surgery?
This is a serious surgical procedure and you won't be able to resume normal activities for at least four to six weeks after your body lift, so you'll need to talk this through with your boss before booking yourself in.

Will I have a scar after my Body Lift Surgery?
You certainly will, but this is usually seen as an acceptable compromise