What's involved with a Lower Body Lift?
A circumferential lower body lift, involves removing the excess skin and fat from the lower part of the abdomen and the lower back and upper buttocks to improve the shape and contour of the lower torso, and make it flatter and more attractive. This procedure is an extension of the traditional tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) that allows for more redundant tissue to be removed. During the procedure, the gap between the rectus abdominus muscles (also known as your ‘abs’) is also typically tightened to provide a flatter abdomen that corrects any bulging. This is called a rectus diastasis repair and can make a significant difference to the contour and shape of the belly.
Those individuals who have lost a significant amount of weight frequently develop excess loose skin and fat of the lower abdomen, flanks, and the lower back and upper buttocks region, that simply does not disappear with diet and exercise, despite even the best efforts to get rid of it. This is because of a process called ’tissue expansion’ in which the skin, fat, and abdominal muscles have stretched out and then after becoming deflated later on, the stretched out loose tissue is unable to return to its previous contour. Many times, patients will have wrinkled skin, stretch marks, and extra skin and fat that can easily be pinched. Typically a circumferential lower body lift is required to remove much more skin and soft tissue than a traditional abdominoplasty.
A circumferential body lift can dramatically improve your self-esteem and make you feel more confident about your body and comfortable wearing certain clothing. Many times all of the hard work put into losing a large amount of weight can only truly be appreciated after removing the excess skin 360 degrees around the belt-line. Dr. Sharma will sit down with you to discuss your goals for the surgery and review in detail how the procedure is performed to get you the look you deserve.
Incisions are typically placed along the lower part of the abdomen and around the belt-line circumferentially. The scar line is place low down and can be well hidden when wearing underwear or a swimsuit. There is also a scar around the belly button, since it is re-positioned after removing the excess loose tissue. Dr. Sharma will discuss the pros and cons of the surgery and develop a treatment plan that best suits your individual needs.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Am I a Good Candidate?
Good candidates for this procedure are men or women who:
- are self-conscious about the appearance of their abdomen, flanks, lower back, and upper buttocks and wish to improve their shape and figure and remove the excess skin
- may be embarrassed or find it uncomfortable to wear certain types of clothing or a bathing suit that reveals excess skin and fat tissue
- are physically healthy to undergo surgery, do not smoke, and have realistic expectations
- have gained and then lost a significant amount of central abdominal weight (such as previous pregnancies, massive weight loss following bariatric surgery, or moderate weight loss from diet and exercise)
- have unwanted stretch marks, skin indentations, wrinkles, rolls, bulging, C-section scars, other surgical scars, or tattoos on the lower torso that they wish to have removed
- are at a stable weight and do not have any further plans for significant weight loss or gain
- are not planning to have any further pregnancies
- are tired of being unable to get rid of the excess tissue by diet and exercise
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What are the important considerations?
There are a variety of factors that go into making a decision about a circumferential lower body lift. Dr. Sharma will discuss your options with you in order to get you your desired look. Sometimes liposuction may be combined with a lower body lift procedure to remove unwanted fat around the waistline, hips, and flanks, in order to get the look you want. It is important to remember that a circumferential body lift is not a substitute for weight loss and a healthy diet and lifestyle.
Patients are often extremely happy with their results after a lower body lift, since this operation has the ability to dramatically improve one’s shape and figure, with a flatter more toned look to the abdomen, and removal of the extra sagging tissue 360 degrees around the belt-line. The surgery is done in two positions – laying on your back, and laying on your belly to complete the 360 degree lower body lift.
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