Answer: A body lift improves contour primarily by removing excess skin, smoothening and tightening the remaining skin and lifting sagging surrounding structures. Some amount of liposuction is almost always done as a complimentary part of body lift procedures however, to further improve contouring in areas with prominent fat and to enhance the end result. In some body lift procedures, areas of fat may actually be repositioned by what is called an autologous flap as with a gluteal auto-augmentation.

Answer: Body lift procedures are by no means indicated only for patients who have lost a lot of weight. Many patients like you who are not and who have never been overweight, may develop laxity and sagging of the skin of the hips, buttocks and thighs. This commonly develops as a result of aging and sun damage. A body lift procedure may be of great benefit to such patients by lifting and tightening the skin around the posterior waistline, the buttocks and the posterior and lateral thighs. The skin of the inner and anterior thighs is similarly tightened and lifted with a medial thigh lift. These procedures are often combined with at least some liposuction to optimize the contour improvement; however when skin laxity and inelasticity is the main problem, then liposuction is not the ideal primary procedure but is complimentary.

Answer: Body lift procedures are often performed in a hospital setting with an overnight stay. Sometimes, especially when combined with other procedures, two nights in the hospital may be preferred. When you return home, you will probably have a little difficulty getting around the house and taking care of basic needs by yourself. You will most likely have drain tubes at the surgical sites and bandages that will require changing daily.  It would be best to arrange to have someone stay with you for a few days until you are better able to care for yourself.

Answer: A lower body lift properly describes a procedure that utilizes an incision across the back, at the waistline. Tissues of the buttocks and posterior and lateral thighs are lifted and excess skin is removed along the waistline. This procedure addresses the posterior portions of the trunk and thighs only. Contouring of the anterior portions of the trunk and thighs are similarly addressed by an abdominoplasty and a medial thigh lift. In almost any setting, these procedures are performed in stages. For patients in whom all of these procedures are indicated (a total body lift), most often the anterior procedures would be performed as the first stage, and the posterior procedures would be performed as the second stage. Some amount of liposuction is very often performed as a part of all of these procedures.

Answer: A lower body lift is meant to address the saddle bags or lateral thigh region. The primary goals of the lower body lift are to correct sagging or ptosis of the lateral and posterior thighs and of the buttocks by resection of excess skin. The lateral thighs are often further contoured with liposuction. The buttocks are often simultaneously augmented with the patients’ own tissue (auto-augmentation) or with implants.

Answer: A lower body lift will remove only the skin/fat roll along the waistline. This procedure is not meant to address the skin/fat rolls higher up at the mid-back. Contouring in this area is performed with either liposuction or with direct excision, as in a bra line lift, or possibly with a combination of these two procedures.

Answer: Technically speaking, in my opinion the combined procedures that accomplish what you are describing are most appropriately named as an abdominoplasty with a lower body lift. A belt lipectomy or belt-plasty or circumferential abdominoplasty are all terms that describe the same procedure. These operations tighten skin all the way around the waistline but they do not lift and tighten the skin of the buttocks or thighs. A lower body lift is more extensive and involved than the posterior portion of the belt lipectomy, because it does involve lifting and often augmenting the buttocks and lifting and tightening the skin of the lateral and posterior thighs.

None of these procedures is designed to improve the contour of the inner thighs. For that, an additional medial thigh lift procedure would be indicated. Following a lower body lift, a medial thigh lift would also further tighten the skin of the lateral and posterior thighs.

A belt lipectomy or abdominoplasty with lower body lift will probably take between four and five hours. It is most often and most safely performed under general anesthesia. The scars will extend completely around the lower trunk in a belt-like fashion. The scar is meant to be kept low so that it is concealed below the waistline of your swimsuit.