How Does Body Lift Surgery Work?

A body lift procedure gives the buttocks, abdomen and thighs an improved appearance. Excess fat and skin are removed caused mostly from a significant loss of weight, cellulite or sagging and drooping caused from bearing children or aging of the body itself.

Schedule a consultation with a skilled and qualified plastic surgeon. Look over all of his before and the after pictures of other patients he has performed this procedure on. Ask him any questions you feel are important.

The body lift surgery is done in a hospital or an outpatient surgical center. The duration of this procedure varies depending on the BMI (body mass index) of the patient being operated on. It could last from 4-8 hours until completed and will be done while you are under a general anesthetic.

The surgeon usually starts with surgery in the abdomen area first, there he will remove fat and skin of excess around the pubic and naval areas, then he will strengthen and tighten the muscle walls of the abdomen.

You will have an incision horizontally along your pubic region. Fat and skin of excess amounts will be taken out around the naval and the bone of the pubic region. Skin remaining is drawn down above your naval area and then sewn into position in the area of the pubic incision. Your naval will be repositioned into a natural looking position. The same technique will be continued throughout the buttocks and thigh areas until all of the excess fat and skin have been removed and everything has been lifted and sutured into the correct positions.

Before your surgery you will need to follow all guidelines and instructions your surgeon gives you, this is important to help with your recovery and healing process afterwards. Get any medications you will need after the surgery is completed filled ahead of time and any groceries or supply you will need also. You will need to have someone with you at the hospital that can drive you home and be able to stay the first 48 hours after surgery with you. If you are a smoker then smoking should be discontinued 2 weeks before your procedure is scheduled to be done.

The body lift surgery is considered a major procedure and you will need a significant amount of recovery time to heal. Usually you will stay in the hospital 2-3 nights afterwards for your comfort and for observation. Your discomfort and your pain will be managed via intramuscular or intravenous pain medications and then gradually switched over to pain medications taken orally. You will also be on a specific plan for diet; this should be followed exactly to help decrease any risks of problems and complications after surgery.

You will have tubes for drainage purposes and these will stay in you for about 14 days, so the care of these will have to keep up at your home. A garment for compression purposes will also be given to you to wear; you must keep this on continuously, removing only when you are taking a shower or bath. Bandages and dressings that you have post operatively will be removed within 2 days after surgery.

You will have restrictions on activities such as picking up anything weighing 5 or more pounds is strictly prohibited as is any form of activities deemed strenuous and exercising is prohibited. The encouragement of walking will start the day of your procedure though as this is great therapy to help you regain strength and wok your way back into the routines of your day to day life. Recovery periods are normally about 8 weeks and no pressure should be applied to any areas that were treated. Swelling will start dissipating in about 6 weeks and should be almost completely be gone within 3 months.

The risks of this body lift procedure include fluid accumulating in the treated areas, bleeding, separation of skin, infection, clots of blood forming, scars of the abdomen and sensations reduced in the treated areas.