Dr. Hootan Daneshmand
Lower Body Lift
Lower Body Lift Surgery in Orange County and Bakersfield, CA
Fitness and extreme weight loss are on the rise in the realm of beauty. But what happens when you lose so much weight that your body lacks the same tone and tightness that it once had? You might opt for just a tummy tuck to remove the excess skin around your midsection. Alternatively, you could opt for a lower body lift, which allows you to target multiple areas of sagging skin all at once.
At Silhouette, we offer a wide range of procedures to help you look and feel your best. Confidence in your own body and appearance is extremely important. That’s why we offer a variety of ways to bolster that confidence. If you’d like to schedule an appointment with Dr. Daneshmand, please call our office at 949-359-8397. You can also fill out our online intake form.
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What Is a Lower Body Lift, or Belt Lipectomy?
Saggy skin below the waistline is a common result of drastic weight loss. It also happens due to fluctuations in weight, as well as the body’s natural aging process. During a lower body lift, the surgeon sculpts and tightens multiple areas, including the buttocks, outer thighs, inner thighs, abdomen, and hips. Any skin that the patient deems visually unappealing or that restricts their mobility is removed. Generally, this procedure is appropriate for those who have reached their goal weight or are very close to it. You can also ask your surgeon to combine this procedure with an upper body lift. Each year, thousands of patients undergo successful and effective lower body lift procedures.Who Is a Good Candidate for a Lower Body Lift?
Those who have lost a substantial amount of weight, frequently due to bariatric surgery, and have extra skin or tissue around their lower torso are the ideal candidates for this treatment. The skin’s elasticity is decreased after weight reduction, and it is difficult to tighten to its normal level, leading in drooping skin. By tightening the slack skin around the waist, the look of the lateral thighs can be improved as well. You should be weight stable or at your target weight to get the best benefits. All of our patients are reminded not to smoke or use nicotine-containing products. Smoking has a negative influence on your body’s capacity to recover and raises your chances of problems after surgery. Prior to scheduling your surgery, we do a risk assessment to identify whether you are at risk for blood clots and take any required precautions before and after your procedure.How to Prepare for a Belt Lipectomy
Generally, we recommend certain steps to follow the week before, night before, and day of the surgery. During the week before, make arrangements for someone to drive and accompany you home. Before your operation, check with your surgeon to see whether you need to stop taking aspirin or any other medications. When you visit your surgeon, bring your pill bottles or a list of your medications. Tell him or her if you have any drug allergies. If you use any herbs, dietary supplements, or over-the-counter medicine, tell your doctor. Before your operation, you may require blood or urine testing. Talk to your doctor about these and any other tests you might need. For each exam, make a note of the date, time, and place. The night before your surgery, ensure that you understand and follow the eating and drinking recommendations provided by your doctor. Your surgeon may instruct you to use antibacterial soap to bathe your abdomen and the region around it. This soap may aid in the battle against infection caused by bacteria. On the day of the surgery, you will receive an IV. This IV will supply you with medicines and liquids. You or a close relative will be asked to sign a permission form, which is a legal document. It authorizes the surgeon to do the procedure. It also discusses the dangers and options available to you. Before you sign this form, double-check that all of your questions have been addressed. Before your operation, you will meet with an anesthesiologist. Anesthesia medication will be required to keep you unconscious throughout surgery. If you or anybody in your family has had an issue with anesthesia in the past, tell them.How Is a Body Lift Performed?
Body lift surgery is creating an incision at or just below the waist, removing extra skin, and then tightening the skin. The length and pattern of the incision is determined by the amount and location of extra skin to be excised. A body lift is most often used to treat both the belly and the back, and is therefore circumferential. The buttocks, belly, waist, hips, and thighs are all treated in one treatment with a total lower body lift. A circumferential incision around the body eliminates an apron of extra skin and fat, as well as repositioning and tightening tissue. To create a better overall shape, your plastic surgeon may prescribe a mix of liposuction and body lift treatments. Deep under the skin, support sutures help establish your newly formed features. Because only one or two regions of the body are generally treated at a time, overall skin removal may be done in phases over several years. Your plastic surgeon will advise you on the best course of action for meeting all of your needs in the safest and most effective way possible.What to Expect After a Lower Body Lift
There will be some discomfort for you. This is, however, to be expected and is usually readily managed with pain medicines. The discomfort will fade in a week or two. After you come home, your doctor will prescribe pain medicine for you to utilize. After the operation, you’ll need to wear a compression garment for a few weeks, and your plastic surgeon may advise you to follow a particular diet. You’ll need to take at least two weeks off work and limit your regular activities for the next 4-6 weeks. You’ll have to wait around 6-8 weeks before you can start exercising again. In a few weeks, the swelling should start to subside, and in a few months, it should be totally gone. While the scars will last a lifetime, they will diminish in approximately a year and may be concealed with clothes.Lower Body Lift and Belt Lipectomy Recovery
Lower body lift surgery is a significant procedure. Patients can expect a two-week period of decreased activity before returning to their regular routine. Your gym routine and other intense exercise can be put on hold for up to six months. Dr. Daneshmand will go over all of your post-operative instructions with you, including what to expect during recovery and wound care, so that your scar fades over time. Following surgery, it is important to take care of oneself. Patients are thrilled with the outcomes of their smoother, tighter bodies, free of the dangling, loose skin that was obstructing their life.Is a Lower Body Lift Safe?
Having cosmetic surgery is a very personal decision. You must determine whether the advantages will help you accomplish your objectives and whether the risks and probable consequences of body lift surgery are reasonable. The dangers of surgery will be thoroughly explained by your plastic surgeon and his or her team. You will be asked to sign permission documents to confirm that you understand the treatment and any risks or issues that may arise. The following are some of the potential side effects of body lift surgery.Risks and Complications with a Lower Body Lift
- Anesthesia-associated risks
- Asymmetrical results
- Bleeding, or hematoma
- Deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary and cardiac complications
- Fat necrosis
- Fluid accumulation
- Infections
- Numbness or other skin sensation issues
- Pain, sometimes persistent
- Persistent leg swelling
- Poor healing of the wounds
- Possibility for revision surgery
- Recurring looseness of skin
- Skin discoloration or prolonged swelling
- Loss of skin
- Sutures spontaneously surfacing through the skin or producing irritation
- Unfavorable scarring
Does Insurance Cover a Lower Body Lift?
Despite the fact that the heavy, extra skin left over after weight reduction might be deemed a medical issue owing to pain and an increased risk of skin diseases, most insurance companies will not fund body lift surgery, at least not fully. However, if you fulfill specific requirements, some insurance companies will pay a portion of your body lift costs. The criteria mentioned by insurance firms are listed below.- A loss of at least 100 pounds
- Stable weight for no less than 6 months
- You underwent bariatric surgery, and it happened at least 1 year ago.
- You developed documented skin disorders that resulted directly from the excess skin.
- Your primary care physician recommended a lower body lift.