Lower body lift

WHO IS A GOOD CANDIDATE?

Lower body lift is also known as a "belt lipectomy," "circumferential body lift," or "torsoplasty." This involves two parts - the front part is done exactly like an abdominoplasty, and the back part functions to lift the buttock and outer thigh region. This is done when a person has excess skin and fat both in the front of the abdomen and above the buttock area. Patients end up with a scar that extends all the way around their body. This procedure is most commonly done for patients that have an excess of skin on the abdomen and lower back after a significant amount of weight loss.

​

THE PROCEDURE

A lower body lift is done as an outpatient procedure in an ambulatory surgery center, and the surgery takes about 3½-4 hours total. The procedure starts with the patient in a prone position (laying on stomach) with the excess skin above the buttocks removed first. The patient is then turned onto their back, and an abdominoplasty is done connecting with the incisions around the back. There are usually 4 drains in place, and they remain for 2-4 weeks, depending on how much fluid they put out.

​

RECOVERY

Recovery from a lower body lift is quite significant as there are a lot of incisions to heal. Patients typically are on pain medications for 1-2 weeks and wear some type of compression such as an abdominal binder for 4-6 weeks. Activities are limited to lifting less than 5lbs. for 4-6 weeks and only gentle slow walking for 4-6 weeks. Final results are not usually apparent until at least 6 months after surgery because it takes this long for swelling to subside and for the scar to become less visible.