Body Lift

This surgery is often requested in both men and women, and at any age, commonly as a result of weight loss, but may be related to other causes. It is also known as belt lift, or buttock lift or outer thigh lift. This condition is very disturbing to patients and I understand this. I can help you with it.

The common features patients present with are loose hanging folds of skin mostly over the outer thighs and buttocks and abdomen. There may also be loose skin above the knees. By using a simple test of pinching up the excess skin and pulling up, patients can determine the locations, amount and vectors of “pull” of excess skin in the abdominal area, over the outer thighs, and over the buttocks. There may be some excess fat in all of these areas as well. The anatomic features that give rise to this condition are basically just excess and loose hanging skin. The underlying muscles and bones are fine. There is laxity in the ligaments that course from the muscles to the skin that support these areas. The relationship between the amount of excess skin, skin elasticity, vectors of laxity, and excess fat is what determines the surgical intervention. I will coordinate all these features of your anatomy with your expectations, formulate a plan with you, and guide you through this. Surgery involves a general anesthetic, performed where I do surgery, which is in a hospital setting, and an overnight stay in the hospital. The surgery is safe and predictable. There is some pain and swelling after surgery but this is not severe or prolonged. The stitches are all dissolvable, with return to work in as little as 10-14 days, and to some physical exercise in the third week. The surgical procedure and results in body lift depend on your anatomy, the number of areas involved, the amount of excess skin, and vectors of laxity. Collectively, these all determine where the incisions need be made, how long the incisions need to be, how much will be removed, and can this surgery be done in one or do you need multiple stages. The different categories of this surgery which I offer in my practice are:

• Outer Thigh Lift. This is where the abdomen and buttocks are mostly okay and a lift to just the outer thighs is needed. Here the incision is some length along the belt area of the outer thigh.
• Inner Thigh Lift. Same as above as applies to inner thigh. Here the incision is just in the groin area where I remove a crescent of skin.
• Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasty). This may be done alone or in stages combined with body lift. See the separate section for this.
• Buttock lift. This can be done alone or as part of one of the stages of body lift, and involves an incision in the belt area just in the back and part way around the sides.

The surgery involves making incisions in concealed areas, such in the underwear lines, then creating a space to loosen any retaining ligaments, tighten underlying muscles as indicated, pull the edges together at just the right tension, trim the excess, and close up the incisions. The surgery is not that uncomfortable because it is essentially a surface surgery and I do not cut through things that hurt like muscles, tendon, and bone. I have great expertise in body lifting procedures and have performed many of these operations over the years, and with very natural results. I spend a great deal of time discussing your anatomy, listening to your expectations, and interpreting for you what your anatomy and tissues will allow me to do in a safe and predictable way. In addition, I consider your body as a whole and I build a system into all body contouring surgeries that, initially, allows you to recover much quicker and, secondly, it serves to preserve your surgical results. This system includes a special diet, special attention to blood clotting, vitamins, supplements, special garments, skin products, physical training and knowing what to avoid. Together, all of this allows me to create results that are consistently very beautiful, quick to heal, exceptionally natural, and with minimal incisions. I am delighted to surgically provide you with such a profound yet natural body image change, and one that has consistently so pleased my patients and changed their lives.

Please also review the article on Body Contouring in my Articles Section of the website.

For before and after images of this procedure click here

Please call or contact the office for any further information or to schedule an appointment.