Losing a significant amount of weight is a massive achievement for obese people and a big step towards a healthy life. However, the happiness of this feat can be short-lived when you realize that your body is not good-looking the way you had expected due to the amount of excess sagging skin. This can cause both mental and emotional distress and is sometimes painful.
The good news is that these problems can be addressed with body lift surgery, a procedure to remove the excess baggy skin to create a more tightened body appearance. Body Lift treatment helps you achieve your goals by shaping your silhouette, especially after a substantial weight loss.
Table of Contents
- 1 What is a Body Lift?
- 2 Candidate for a Body Lift Surgery
- 3 Preparation For The Surgery
- 4 Body Lift Procedure
- 5 What to Expect After Body Lift Surgery?
- 6 Recovery
- 7 What is the average cost of a Body Lift?
- 8 What does a full-body lift include?
- 9 Is a body lift painful?
- 10 How long does a body lift take?
- 11 Consult Our Surgeons
What is a Body Lift?
Body lift surgery or Belt lipectomy is a plastic surgery procedure that removes excess fat and sagging skin to improve the shape and tone of your body. The skin can lose elasticity and become saggy when stretched for a long duration. This overstretched skin doesn’t regain its pre-weight gain appearance on its own.
Individuals who have lost a significant amount of weight through exercise and diet or bariatric surgery are usually left with large amounts of loose, heavy skin folds on different body areas. With body lift surgery, they can eliminate those skin folds along with cellulite and fat on the face, abdomen, thighs, buttocks, breasts, and arms.
Candidate for a Body Lift Surgery
Ideal candidates for body lift surgery include:
- Individuals with excess loose skin in one or more body areas
- Individuals without a medical condition that affects their body’s ability to heal
- Individuals with realistic expectations of the procedure
- Non-smokers
- People who are willing to lead a healthy and active lifestyle after surgery
Preparation For The Surgery
Your surgeon will discuss the body lift during consultation before the procedure. They will likely give you an overview of potential risks and outcomes, analyze your current medications, and inquire about your medical conditions, drug allergies, and use of tobacco, alcohol, and drugs. You will also be evaluated for any existing conditions and your general health.
Your surgeon may:
- Ask you to get medically evaluated through lab tests
- Prescribe alternative medications
- Advise you to stop smoking a few days ahead of the body lift procedure
- Advise you to stop taking certain supplements, NSAIDs, and medicines known to increase bleeding
Body Lift Procedure
A body lift procedure is performed under general anesthesia. It typically involves making an incision at the waist or a little below, removing excess skin, tightening the muscle and skin tissues, and closing the incision. The length and pattern of the incision may vary from case to case depending on the location and amount of extra skin tissue. This procedure can help treat both the abdomen and the back.
A complete lower-body lift procedure may involve skin removal from the waist, hips, buttocks, and thighs. The incision made during this operation is generally circumferential, allowing the surgeon to remove a significant fold of excess skin. Following this removal, they reposition and tighten the tissue to improve your silhouette.
What to Expect After Body Lift Surgery?
The patient’s diet during the recovery will be changed to reduce the risks of complications.
A medical compression garment will be provided and should be worn at all times except when showering. Two days post-op, the dressings are removed, and showering is allowed. You will be taught how to take care of the incisions.
Walking and moving around are encouraged as soon as possible, but exercising and lifting weights should be avoided until you are recovered well enough. It usually takes a few weeks before you can resume your pre-surgery routine.
Recovery
Body lift surgery is a major surgical procedure, after which you will have bruises and general discomfort. These complications usually subside in a few weeks but can be managed with pain medication administered intravenously or intra-muscularly and later orally. And while you are recovering from the procedure, you can return to work in 2-3 weeks.
Your doctor will give you some post-op instructions which you should follow to ensure a smooth recovery and attain desired results. Surgeons may recommend you spend a night or two in the hospital for post-surgery monitoring.
What is the average cost of a Body Lift?
The cost of a Body Lift in Dubai may start from 25,000 AED. The exact price of this treatment can vary from person to person due to the following factors:
- Surgical Technique
- Anesthesia costs
- Costs of medical tests
- Hospital charges
- Pre-op and post-op medication
What does a full-body lift include?
A full-body lift may comprise three procedures: a lateral/bilateral thigh lift, a butt lift, and a tummy tuck.
Is a body lift painful?
Since you will be under anesthesia, you won’t feel any pain during body lift surgery. However, you will feel pain in the treated regions once the anesthesia wears off. This pain can last one to two weeks, depending on the speed of your recovery. Your doctor may prescribe some pain medications to keep discomfort at bay.
How long does a body lift take?
A body lift is a complex surgical procedure that can take 6-8 hours. The time taken by this surgery can vary from person to person because it is usually combined with other surgical procedures, such as liposuction, arm lift, tummy tuck, or butt lift.
Consult Our Surgeons
Do you want to look beautiful and more in shape? EuroMed Clinic Dubai is here offering top-of-the-line aesthetic treatments from highly skilled surgeons and cosmeticians. You can contact us by calling +971 4 394 5422. Or, you can fill out the form below to book a consultation at our clinic.
Check Out Our Specialists Profiles
Dr. Ken Arashiro
Physician Specialist Plastic SurgeryDr. Ken Arashiro is a seasoned plastic surgeon with more than 30 years of experience in this field. He is certified by several prestigious organizations and licensed by the Dubai Health Authority.
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