Body Lift or Lower Body Lift

Typically, weight loss patients have excess skin and fat of the abdomen and buttock. Many patients have lateral thigh or hip laxity resulting in rolls of skin on the side. Other patients have significant saddlebags. The 360 circumferential lower body lift came into existence because more and more patients wanted to have more areas addressed during one surgery than just the abdomen. The purpose of the 360 circumferential lower body lift is to remove excess skin and fat from the lower abdomen, mons or pubic region, hips, and buttocks all in one surgery. During the lower body lift, the pubic area is reduced, flattened, and raised, and the rectus muscle is tightened. There are some slight variations on the lower body lift, but typically it includes an incision from the top of the pubic region over the hips to join in the buttock. Sometimes the lower body lift is approved by insurance, but not all body lifts are approved. Body lift approval from your insurance is dependent on your anatomy, associated rashes, and the quality of your health insurance. The 360 lower body lift is performed under general anesthesia. Some plastic surgeons perform this procedure on an outpatient basis, while some perform the lower body lift in the hospital. After the surgery, you will be required to wear a compression garment for a minimum of six weeks. The recovery is approximately three to four weeks. You should be able to return to a sitting job in approximately three to four weeks. You should be able to return to light activity at approximately four to six weeks. Heavier physical activity may require a further delay of roughly two to three months postoperatively. Most of the swelling after a circumferential body lift is gone after approximately six to eight weeks. Most patients will experience some level of pain; however, most pain is easily managed with pain relievers. Most patients will take pain medications for one to two weeks. Four drains are placed inside your body and are brought out through the pubic region. Usually, most of the drains are removed during the second or third week. However, drain removal is not dependent on the amount of time they are in your body, but rather on how much fluid the drains are collecting. Typically, you can start to exercise once all the drains are removed, and the incisions are well healed. This is typically at approximately six to eight weeks. You can have intercourse once the incisions are healed and the drains removed; this is typically about three to four weeks. You do not necessarily have to have massages. However, if you have swelling, you may require some form of massage. You will be expected to wear your medical compression garment for at least six to eight weeks to minimize swelling. If you have continued swelling, you may have to wear the garments longer. Once the incision has healed, you can apply skin creams and lotions to minimize the scars. The body lift takes approximately six to eight hours to complete. After the body lift, you will be typically monitored for one to two nights to ensure your pain is under control and your vital signs are stable. After the surgery, you will be placed in a semi-sitting position. As the healing progresses, you will be able to fully straighten your back approximately ten days after your body lift.