Body Lift

Abdominoplasty plus Outer Thigh and Buttock Lift

On this page, Dr. Loftus will explain how loose skin after weight loss is treated.
Whether a person loses weight through diet and exercise or through bariatric surgery, there are a few issues that arise following weight loss. One of the most noticeable is the loose skin that remains after the weight is gone. To understand why loose skin is an after-effect of weight loss, here’s an explanation: when someone is overweight, the skin stretches to accommodate the increased volume of weight. After weight loss, the stretched skin remains loose, and so it sags. In some cases, it hangs. It acts as a constant reminder of the weight you once were. Further diet and exercise WILL NOT tighten skin (exercise never tightens skin). The only way to tighten loose skin is through surgery.

If the problem is...	Then the solution is...
Loose abdominal skin	Tummy Tuck
Loose arm skin	Arm Lift (brachioplasty)
Loose breast skin	Breast Lift
Loose inner thigh skin	Inner thigh lift
Loose thigh and buttock	Outer thigh and buttock

Most people who accomplish significant (50 pounds or more) weight loss often need or want to have all of these operations.
A body lift, by the way, is the combination of tummy tuck, inner thigh lift, and outer thigh/buttock lift (explained below).

Is Liposuction an Option?

The only time liposuction is a better choice is when there is a lot of fat and the skin is reasonably tight. This is not typically the case following weight loss.

Incisions and Scars

As with any surgery, scars will be present. The more skin that is removed, the more extensive are the scars. For a body lift, they will extend from along the lower abdomen, around the hips, and around your back. One way to look at it is that this operation exchanges one cosmetic problem (loose skin) for another (scars). In general, those with very loose saggy skin following significant weight loss are likely to find this exchange worthwhile. Those with a small amount of looseness will probably not want the scars.
The images below show the incision sites in dotted white lines. the skin between these lines is removed. The red lines in the post-operative images shows scar locations.

Body Lift: During and After Surgery

Anesthesia: General
Location of operation: Hospital.
Length of surgery: 4-6 hours
Length of stay: 1 night
Discomfort: Moderate. Anticipate 5-10 days of prescription pain medication.
Swelling: Improves over 2 weeks.
Bruising: Is not typical
Stitches: Will be absorbable.
Back to work: 1-2 weeks
Exercise: 4 weeks
Final result: Will be seen after the scars have matured, which will be about six months.

Tips and Traps of Body Lift

Realize that this is a large operation that involves the exchange of one cosmetic problem (loose skin) for another (scars). If you are unwilling to accept scars, you should not have this operation, as no surgeon can predict how the scars will heal on you.