Body Lift

A body lift is suitable for people who have experienced dramatic weight loss due to diet and exercise or as a result of a gastric band or bypass procedure. Unfortunately, for those who have a lot of weight to lose, shedding the pounds may only be half the battle as, with weight loss, comes loose skin and stretch marks. For some people, these outcomes are worse than for others and although a tummy tuck can be a very effective procedure for many, more extreme measures are sometimes needed for people with excess skin that is not confined to the stomach area alone.

It can be very distressing for patients who have worked hard to lose weight over months (and sometimes years) as, unfortunately, one of the outcomes of dramatic weight loss can be slack, unsightly skin due to skin losing elasticity. Therefore, in addition to weight loss, patients may find that in order to accomplish the figure want; they will need to undergo body re-shaping surgery.

A body lift can address the above concerns as this procedure involves the removal of excess tissue and skin and gives the body a tightened appearance.

The body lift can be performed to include the following areas:

• Arms (see arm lift)
• Thighs (see thigh lift)
• Tummy tuck / abdominoplasty (see tummy tuck)
• Breast uplift (see breast uplift)

Depending on individual circumstances, patients can choose to have an extended tummy tuck instead of a full body lift in order to remove loose skin on the abdomen, back and hip areas.

The standard tummy tuck procedure can improve loose skin on the abdomen area but does not address the flank and back areas. An extended tummy tuck however, involves the removal of excess skin from the patien's sides and the surgeon also works on improving muscle laxity at the flank (or "love handles") and hip region. The incision of a standard tummy tuck is increased so that it spans the entire length of the abdomen and extends to the back of the patient's hips and around the back in order to tighten the whole of the back and stomach in addition to the hips and buttocks. This procedure is also known as a lipectomy or belt lipectomy.

The body lift is a major cosmetic surgery procedure and usually takes at least two operations to complete depending on the areas being treated. Surgeons and anaesthetists will only operate for a certain amount of time as performing all operations at once is not safe and would put the body under too much stress.

Recovery time for most excess skin removal operations is around 6 – 8 weeks and it is recommended that patients wait a minimum of 8 weeks until undergoing their second operation. However, if you wish to err on the side of caution, a 6 month break in between surgical procedures is suggested.

Risks

As with all surgical procedures, there are always some risks involved and these can include:

• Anaesthesia complications
• Haematoma
• Seromas
• Infection
• Asymmetry

However, these risks are rare and regulatory pre-operation checks are carried out in order to reduce and prevent these conditions from materialising. Patients are also usually provided with a course of antibiotics as a precautionary measure after surgery and will be required to wear a compression garment throughout their full recovery period.

Cost:

Price From £5,000 - £15,000

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