35+ Years of Experience
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10,000+ Surgeries Performed
Texas Super Doctor
Body Lift Surgery in Houston
Dr. Vitenas is a leading body lift surgeon in Houston with over 35 years of experience. He customizes each body lift surgery to suit individual body contours, ensuring the results look natural.
Discover why patients from across the U.S. and around the world choose Dr. Vitenas as their premier Houston surgeon.
What Is a Body Lift?
A body lift is a plastic surgery procedure that combines a tummy tuck with a back lift. It also enhances the curve of the hips, tones the thighs, and creates a more defined waist and buttocks. This results in an hourglass figure.
Body Lift (Body Contouring) Surgery Benefits
The body contouring procedure targets loose and sagging skin in multiple areas of the body. This will help:
After a body lift, many patients experience restored self-esteem and self-confidence. The dramatic transformation helps them feel more comfortable in clothes and eager to show off their figure. A body lift allows one to finally achieve the body they have worked so hard for through diet, exercise, and weight loss.
A surgical body lift revitalizes body shape by restoring a youthful waist, lifting the thighs and buttocks, and smoothing body contour while eliminating unwanted skin folds. This body contouring procedure enhances the body’s overall aesthetic.
By removing excess skin, the body lift surgery helps to reduce skin inflammation and lowers the risk of developing certain medical issues. It also decreases the likelihood of hernias by tightening weakened abdominal muscles.
Body lift surgery contributes to strengthening the core, providing more stability and balance, improving posture, and reducing potential back pain. A stable core can positively affect many other areas of the body.
Who Is a Good Candidate for Body Lift Surgery?
A body lift is ideal for individuals who have lost significant weight and are struggling with loose or sagging skin, which cannot be improved through diet or exercise.
Most importantly, candidates should maintain a stable weight for at least six months and have good physical and mental health. Excessive weight loss after the procedure can compromise the results by creating new areas of loose skin. Candidates should also have realistic expectations about what the procedure can achieve.
If you meet these criteria, consider scheduling a free consultation. During your visit, Dr. Vitenas will evaluate your skin elasticity, fat deposits, and muscle tone. Thereafter, he will review your medical history, including previous surgeries, medications, and medical conditions, to determine whether a body lift or another surgical option will best achieve your desired outcome. He may also recommend combining a body lift with other procedures, such as a breast lift, to address additional concerns and create a more balanced figure.
Dr. Paul Vitenas is a board-certified plastic surgeon with over 35 years of experience. His deep knowledge of human anatomy and artistic eye allow him to customize each procedure and deliver natural-looking results.
Dr. Vitenas received his medical degree from Tulane University and completed advanced training at the University of Miami. He is recognized by Castle Connolly as one of America’s Top Doctors and named a Texas Super Doctor. His work is also featured in various magazines, including Allure, Glamour, and NewBeauty.
All procedures are performed at the Houston Surgery Center, a state-of-the-art private surgical center, designed to ensure the highest standards of safety, comfort, and discretion.
Types of Body Lift Procedures
Dr. Vitenas offers two types of body lift procedures. These include the lower and upper body lift. The incision pattern, length, or the area treated depends on each patient’s needs.
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Lower body lift (circumference body lift or 360 lower body lift): Addresses loose skin across the abdomen, hips, buttocks, flanks, and outer thighs in a single surgery. Incisions extend around the waist to allow full contouring.
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Upper body lift: Targets the upper back, and axillary region, creating a more toned and proportionate upper body.
What a Body Lift Can and Cannot Do
A body lift in Houston can dramatically improve the shape and tone of your body by removing excess skin and fat and tightening the underlying tissue. It enhances contours in key areas like the abdomen, back, buttocks, thighs, hips, and arms, especially after significant weight loss.
However, it is important to note that a body lift is not a weight loss procedure. While some fat may be removed as part of the surgery, its main goal is to reshape the body, not reduce body weight. It also cannot prevent future weight fluctuations or eliminate stretch marks unless they are in the areas where the skin is removed. To maintain results, body contouring surgery patients should stay at a stable weight and commit to a healthy lifestyle.
The Body Lift (Body Contouring) Surgery Procedure
Body lift surgery is performed under general anesthesia to ensure your comfort and safety. Once anesthesia is administered, Dr. Vitenas makes incisions based on the treatment plan. This may include the lower torso for a lower body lift or along the bra-line and axilla for an upper body lift.
He will then use these incision areas to remove excess skin and fat and reshape the underlying tissues to restore natural body contours. In some cases, the abdominal muscles may be tightened to create a firmer midsection. The remaining skin is then redraped and sutured.
The process can take 4 to 5 hours, depending on the extent of correction. After surgery, patients are moved to a recovery area where their progress is monitored before discharge. Long acting local anesthesia is placed during the procedure so patients are pain free when awakening in recovery.
Body Lift Surgery Recovery Process
A body lift is a highly transformative procedure. Here is what you should expect:
Week 1
During the first week, you’ll experience limited mobility but it is important to walk as much as possible. You will have surgical drains in place to reduce fluid buildup, care for these is very simple. Swelling and discomfort are expected, but can be managed using pain medication and antibiotics. It’s also important to rest, keep incisions clean, and wear your compression garment. This will help reduce swelling and prevent infection.
Weeks 2–3
Drains and stitches are usually removed during this period, and swelling will gradually improve. You should continue wearing compression garments and avoid strenuous movements.
Weeks 4–6
Most patients can slowly resume daily routines, including non-physical work. Light exercise may be reintroduced upon approval by Dr. Vitenas.
3–12 Months
Swelling continues to subside, and scars begin to fade. Your final body contour will take shape during this time, and the results will look more natural.
Dr. Vitenas and his team will guide you through each stage during your routine follow-up to ensure fast healing.
What is Body Lift Surgery?
A body lift is a surgical procedure to eliminate loose, overhanging skin and reshape the underlying tissue after major weight loss or in patients that require a more extensive procedure than a tummy tuck.
What is a 360 Body Lift?
A 360 body lift is a complete lower body contouring procedure designed to address excess skin and fat. It combines techniques to reshape the abdomen, sides, back, buttocks, hips, and thighs in one surgery. The 360 lift helps refine contours all the way around the midsection. The 360 body lift is especially beneficial for those who've experienced massive weight loss and are left with significant excess skin and fat.
What is the Difference Between a Body Lift and Liposuction?
A body lift removes loose, excess skin for contouring after major weight loss. Liposuction is fat removal only and does not address skin laxity issues. However, liposuction can supplement a body lift by eliminating isolated fat pockets.
What are Potential Complications of Body Lift Surgery?
As with any major surgery, potential body lift risks include bleeding, infection, scarring issues, fluid buildup, blood clots, and adverse reactions to anesthesia. A skilled, board-certified plastic surgeon like Dr. Vitenas will take all necessary precautions to minimize risks.
Does a Body Lift Procedure Leave Visible Scars?
The incisions required for skin removal will result in permanent scars. However, the surgeon strategically places the incisions so they can be hidden by the body's natural creases, undergarments, bathing suits, and clothing. Over time and with the appropriate care, the scars will fade significantly.
How Much Weight Can You Lose with a Body Lift?
A body lift trims away redundant skin left behind after significant weight loss achieved through proper diet and exercise. The amount of weight lost directly correlates to the excess skin able to be removed by the surgeon. Many patients have experienced massive weight loss of 50 to 150 pounds. Healthy lifestyle choices post-procedure can help a patient maintain these life-changing results.
How Much Does a Body Lift Procedure Cost?
A Body Lift, starting at $28,000, involves several procedures to improve the body's shape and contour, covering the surgeon, anesthesiologist, use of the surgical suite, and follow-up care. The procedures typically include:
- Extended Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasty): Removal of excess skin and fat from the abdomen, extending to the sides and possibly lower back.
- Back Lift: Targeting excess skin and fat in the back to improve contour.
- Buttock Lift: Lifting and possibly augmenting the buttocks for a better shape.
- Thigh Lift: Removing excess skin and fat from the thighs for a toned appearance.
The cost reflects the complexity of the surgeries, the expertise required, and comprehensive post-operative care. The final cost for your specific body lift will be set during your consultation.