Body contouring procedures vary in their purpose but they all provide dramatic results to the right patients. The body lift procedure, for example, can transform the lower body from loose and sagging to firm and fit. It can be used to reverse the effects that pregnancy, weight gain and loss, and even aging have had on the thighs, hips, lower abdomen and buttocks. The body lift, or belt lipectomy, is an intense but effective procedure that involves a lengthy recovery. Given the results it delivers, however, it’s easy to see why it’s such a popular option among body contouring patients.
What Problems Are Solved by a Body Lift?
If you were to place a belt around your hips, buttocks, and thighs, you’d have a pretty good estimation of what the body lift will address. Sagging skin, loose fat deposits, and weakened muscles can all be resolved in this “belt” area. More specifically, you can expect your body lift procedure to do the following:
- Remove unwanted fat deposits resistant to diet and exercise.
- Tighten loose skin sagging around the lower body.
- Excise any extra skin, especially hanging around the groin and inner thigh.
- Resolve buttocks that are too low, flat, or uneven.
- Repair abdominal sagging around the hips and lower bag.
- Tighten sagging thighs.
- Tone the upper arms, including the armpit region.
- Smooth dimpled or uneven soft tissue, or cellulite.
- Refine sagging body contours throughout the treatment area.
These symptoms are fairly common ones that happen as a result of aging. Weight fluctuations and pregnancies can exacerbate these conditions, however, making surgery necessary. A body lift is an especially common choice among patients of gastric bypass surgery, which causes fast and dramatic weight loss. The stretched out skin left behind can only be removed surgically in order to restore a fitter, firmer body contour.
Am I A Good Candidate for Body Lift Surgery?
If you are considering the body lift procedure for yourself, you must first be well enough for surgery. To be eligible for this procedure, you should be in good physical health, not smoke, and have realistic goals for your procedure. Prospective patients should have specific concerns about the skin laxity around the lower body and also be close to their ideal body weight at the time of surgery. Gastric bypass patients should maintain their weight for at least one year before undergoing a body lift procedure or any other body contouring surgery. Finally, a good body lift patient is one who can dedicate the time needed for a successful recovery. Talk to your plastic surgeon today to see if a body lift procedure is the best choice for you.
How Does a Body Lift Compare to Other Body Contouring Surgeries?
The lower body lift concentrates on specific areas of the body, while other procedures will tackle different problem spots. While the body lift does span a large area of the body, it will also take a little longer to recover from this type of surgery. For the right patients, the investment of time has a big payoff and the fabulous results they’ve been looking for.
Other body contouring procedures include: abdominoplasty (tummy tuck), arm lift, Brazilian butt lift, CoolSculpting or liposuction, fat grafting, and a thigh lift. Each of these procedures offer benefits to enhance the specific areas they address. They can be performed alone or combined with other procedures, like a body lift, to optimize a patient’s complete results. During your consultation with your plastic surgeon, ask about any other trouble spots you might have, such as “wings” hanging from your arms or unwanted fat at the back of your knees. He can help you customize the treatment that best suits your needs.
How Long Is Body Lift Recovery, Really?
Recovering from a body lift is much like recovering from any other major surgery. Many patients may need to spend the first day in an aftercare facility, just to start their healing process off right. Afterwards, they can go home to complete their recovery, often wearing compression garments over the treatment areas to help with swelling, bruising, and general healing. Patients will be given pain medication to manage their discomfort, as well as other tips to help reduce pain and swelling. Surgical drains may be put in place to help alleviate the accumulation of excess fluids at the treatment sites. These will be removed by your surgeon at a later visit.
The incisions from a body lift should be healed within four weeks. During this time, you should rest and relax for a healthy recovery, keeping your activity levels at a minimum. While some patients with very low-impact jobs are allowed to return to work, this will be assessed on a case by case basis by your plastic surgeon. A full recovery is usually made within two months, but every patient is different. Work with your plastic surgeon on the best recovery schedule for you.
How Do I Start Planning My Own Body Lift?
Vitenas Cosmetic surgery is based in Houston, Texas, and can be reached on (281) 484-0088. At the first appointment, Dr. Vitenas will run through your expectations, and his staff will take a full medical history.