What is body lift surgery?
A lower body lift is referred to as a belt lipectomy. Belt lipectomies are focused on toning the lower areas of the body. For instance, if you are looking to tighten your tummy, buttocks, thighs, or back, a belt lipectomy would be the ideal choice for you. An upper body lift involves the breasts, chest, and the mid back. If a patient decides to have both upper and lower lifts done it is considered a total body lift.
What is involved?
This procedure is carried out in a hospital environment with at least a 2 night stay. The body lift surgery takes about four to seven hours to complete while the patient is asleep using either an IV sedation or general anaesthesia. A lower body lift begins with the surgeon creating a belt-like incision above the buttocks and outer thighs. Your surgeon may decide to further separate the thigh skin to help with your unique procedure. The surgeon will then suture this area and begin performing a tummy tuck, also known as an abdominoplasty. The next part of the surgical procedure involves a horizontal incision made along the pubic line area, followed by the removal of fatty tissues from the belly button and further downward. Next, your surgeon will remove any excess fat from these areas using liposuction. The surgeon will then tighten the muscles in this area after the excess skin is detached. The remaining skin is then repositioned and sutured at the pubic line area. The upper body lift is similar, except that the incision is made on the bra-line. The back fat rolls will be removed and the waist will be toned using similar procedures as the lower body lift.
Your Recovery
Body lifts are major surgical procedures and they require a significant amount of time to fully recover. Every individual is different when it comes to their unique recovery time, however the average time for recovery is four to six weeks. Pain and discomfort following the surgery will initially be maintained by intravenous medication and later treated with oral medication. A complete list of follow-up instructions will be given to you by your surgeon. Drainage tubes will be inserted during your body lift procedure and these must be taken care of and kept clean at all times for up to two weeks. The tubes will be safely removed when the drainage fluid that is coming out is low. Normal and strenuous activities should be avoided until you are fully recovered from your procedure. It is advised to allow four to six weeks to recover, but six to eight weeks before embarking on any strenuous activities such as exercising.
Your Results
Final results from your body lift procedure will show completely once the scars have matured fully around the sixth month mark after your surgery. Every individual is different when it comes to scarring and some report that their scars fade faster than what others might. Your body lift results will last for quite some time. However, maintaining a healthy diet and doing routine exercises will improve the results your body lift will give you over time.