Body Lift: Tailoring Your Contour to Your New Outlook
Some of life’s great forward movements, like weight loss and pregnancy, can leave us with a suit of sagging skin. And despite our best efforts at regaining fitness, stubborn areas of fat may still remain.
A surgical body lift can help us achieve a profile and body contour that’s consistent with the new chapter of life we envision for ourselves. Though body lifts can be upper, middle, lower, or total – and arm lifts and breast lifts are often considered too – the body lift usually refers to procedures that shape the abdomen, thighs, and buttocks.
Even though a body lift doesn’t entirely take the place of weight loss itself, these body areas might be the ones that inspired a person’s weight loss in the first place, and a body lift may be just the finishing touch they need.
Orchestrating the Procedure That’s Right for You
Depending on the skin’s elasticity, liposuction may be the best way to remove remaining fat so the skin can conform to the new contour rather than pull it tight. With careful incisions, your board-certified plastic surgeon removes excess tissue and reconnects the skin to fit your new contours. Many times, the incisions that reshape the waist, groin, thighs, and buttocks can be hidden under the bikini line.
Whether the scope is a “mommy makeover,” a tummy tuck, or comprehensive help after a significant weight loss or bariatric surgery, the basics of body lift surgery are similar.
What You Can Expect to See, Today and Tomorrow
The results of a body lift are apparent right away. What some find surprising is that improvements continue for months, because the skin and its new foundation of underlying tissue continue to work together for an even better profile. And if you maintain your weight, you can expect the results to be virtually permanent, because fat cells have been removed for good.
Patient satisfaction after a body lift is among the highest in all plastic surgery. An informal poll conducted by RealSelf found that 97% of people who had body lift surgery said their procedure was worth it.
Who’s a Good Candidate?
People in generally good health can be candidates for body lift surgery. So, if you’ve born a child, worked a program of weight loss, or embarked on a lifestyle of proper nutrition and exercise, then this very likely includes you.
Sitting down with an experienced, board-certified plastic surgeon may make sense for carrying on the positive outlook that inspired these choices in the first place. Ask the surgeon about his or her experience and point of view on body lift surgery. Your first conversation can tell you a lot more than whether you are indeed a candidate for a body lift. A vital element in successful surgery is the feeling of trust you develop with your doctor.
About Marc Klein, MD
Dr. Marc Klein is a board certified plastic surgeon who has practiced in the northern Atlanta area for 20 years. He is a graduate of Duke University, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology with honors, and Rutgers Medical School, where he also graduated with honors. He completed a six-year residency in general surgery at the University of Maryland, followed by a two-year residency in plastic and reconstructive surgery at the Medical College of Wisconsin. He was a research fellow in plastic surgery during his general surgery residency, and a trauma fellow at the prestigious Maryland Shock Trauma Hospital. He has published many articles and participated in plastic surgery research. Dr. Klein is a Diplomate of the American Board of Plastic Surgery, and a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgery.
