Significant weight loss after diet and exercise or gastric bypass surgery can result in excess skin on the body. With a circumferential body lift (a procedure that extends beyond the abdomen to the back), excess skin is removed from the abdominal area, buttocks, thighs, and back. This achieves the removal of redundant skin and fat, resulting in a better contour and smoother appearance for these areas.
A body lift requires general anesthesia and multiple incisions to properly address all problematic areas. By removing excess skin from the abdominal region, the area appears tighter and flatter. By positioning the patient on their side during surgery, excess skin can be removed from the lateral abdominal areas, resulting in a lift of the outer thighs and buttocks, and correcting issues in the lateral abdomen and back.
The plastic surgeon, in consultation with the anesthesiologist, determines the duration and extent of the surgery and decides whether the patient will stay in the hospital or clinic for one or two nights. Many patients choose to combine this procedure with others to correct additional problematic body areas. Thus, a body lift can be combined with a breast lift, thigh lift, and brachioplasty.