Lower Body Stretching

It is also known as a tummy tuck (belt lipectomy).

Excessive weight loss, constant weight gain and loss or natural aging often cause sagging skin in the areas below the waist. Lower body lift surgery tightens and sculpts the buttocks, the back of the legs, the outer areas of the legs, the inner areas of the legs, and the abdomen. Loose skin that does not look aesthetically satisfactory and makes it difficult to move is removed. A lower body lift is suitable if you are near your ideal weight and after or before an upper body lift procedure. Thousands of people successfully undergo lower body lift surgery every year and are satisfied with the results.

Am I a good candidate for a lower body lift?

If you are working to achieve a healthy weight or have had bariatric surgery, you may feel uncomfortable with excess skin in the lower abdomen, loose abdominal muscles, or loose and wrinkled skin along the legs and buttocks. A lower body lift, which leaves hidden circumferential scarring at the bikini line, can greatly improve areas of sagging skin and/or cellulite below the waistline. Here are some common reasons why you may want a lower body lift:

You have lost significant weight through dieting or have had bariatric surgery.
If you suffer from loose skin and cellulite in the lower back due to pregnancy and/or aging.
You have loose skin on your buttocks, on the sides and front of your legs, on the inside of your legs and on your abdomen.
If you have complaints of very prominent loose skin, excess skin, ptosis (sagging) of the buttocks and sagging abdominal muscles.
If the fat layers under your loose skin are relatively thin.
You can accept a very thin scar under the loose skin.
You do not smoke. Smoking slows the healing process and increases the risk of serious complications during and after surgery. If you smoke, you should quit six weeks before surgery.
You do not have a chronic medical condition such as diabetes or heart disease and are in good health. People in poor health are not good candidates for body contouring surgery. Get a plastic surgery opinion from your family doctor or doctors who are familiar with your medical condition.
You have a healthy diet. Problems such as protein deficiency can negatively affect the healing process.
You are mentally tough. Surgical body contouring procedures require patience and endurance.
If you are in good general health, have a positive attitude and realistic expectations, you are probably a good candidate for this procedure.

Advantages of Lower Body Lift

Loose skin will be removed and your body contours will be shaped. So you can see the results of your weight loss.
You will have high self-confidence that comes with good looks.
You will get rid of sagging skin that causes painful diaper rash, rashes and infections.

Disadvantages of a Lower Body Lift

It is a surgical procedure that requires a long recovery period.
You will need to be hospitalized for one to three days or cared for at home by an experienced nurse.
You will have a scar that will be hidden by the bikini line.

How is a Lower Body Lift Procedure Performed?

A full lower body lift gives you the benefits of buttocks, abdomen, waist and leg treatment in one procedure. Basically, a lower body lift extends the tummy tuck incision that completely wraps around the lower torso to assist your surgeon in lifting and tightening the buttocks as well as the traditional tummy tuck. The length and shape of the incisions vary depending on the amount of excess skin to be removed and where they are placed. Your plastic surgeon will do his or her best to take your incision preferences into consideration.

Your surgeon will make a circumferential incision around the torso. In this incision, he will remove a layer of excess skin and the fat under the incision, reorganizing and tightening your tissues.
The remaining skin on the buttocks and legs will be pushed upwards and your skin and underlying tissues will be stretched and tightened. During this part of the procedure you will be on your abdomen or navel.
Once your back or flank has been addressed, you will need to lean back so that your surgeon can deal with the front.
At this point, there are two options that will be discussed with you before surgery. One is to combine a lower body lift with abdominal contouring, otherwise known as abdominal tightening plastic surgery (abdominoplasty). The other option is to combine a lower body lift with an inner thigh lift if you do not need abdominal contouring or if you have already had an abdominoplasty.
Your incisions will be closed with many layers over drains placed to control stretching and swelling. Deep support sutures in the lower tissues help to maintain the form of the newly created shapes. Sutures, skin adhesives and tapes are used to close the skin incisions.

Immediately After Lower Body Lift

You will usually be wrapped in bandages and a tampon garment, and several surgical drains will have been placed. You will probably spend at least two days in hospital or under the care of an experienced nurse. During this time you will learn how to care for your drains and how to walk and move comfortably. After you have been relieved with oral painkillers, you will be discharged.

You may have some pain after the anesthesia wears off. If the pain is unbearable and does not go away, contact your doctor immediately. There will also be redness and swelling after the operation. In some cases, it may take weeks or months for the swelling to go down. Contact your doctor to find out if your complaints of pain, redness and swelling are normal or a sign of a problem.
Make sure you can get help at home, you should not get tired. You should have someone at home who can help you quickly. You should not do strenuous work such as heavy lifting for four to six weeks as you will not feel well for at least two weeks. If you have small children, you should leave them in someone else's care for at least two weeks.

Consult your doctor to find out how you should sleep and use pillows in a way that will not damage your stitches, reduce pain and allow your surgical wounds to heal faster.
Swelling, which is common after body lift operations, is controlled with a compression garment that reduces swelling, supports the affected tissues and softens and stretches the skin.

Recovery Process

Follow all post-operative instructions, which will include information about bandages, drains, the use of a prescribed antibiotic and whether an activity is safe for you to do.

Weekly check-ups will help you to recover by making any necessary adjustments as part of your healing process.
Your movements will be determined by the healing of your incisions. Movement becomes easier after the drains are removed.
Your discomfort will decrease a week or two after surgery. Your doctor will give you pain medication to use after you are discharged. You will need to wear a compression garment for a few weeks after surgery. Your plastic surgeon may ask you to follow a special diet according to the situation.
Sutures are usually removed in your plastic surgeon's office within two weeks after surgery.
It may take four weeks, or longer in some cases, for your surgical wounds to fully heal.
Wound separations may occur (but rarely require surgical intervention), which may delay the healing of the wounds.
You will need to miss work for at least two to three weeks. You should limit your normal activities for four to six weeks. During this time you will feel some discomfort. This is to be expected and can usually be easily controlled with painkillers.
You should wait about six to eight weeks to resume exercising. Bruises will start to disappear within a few weeks. Swelling should also start to decrease within a few weeks. Although the scars are permanent, they will become indistinct within twelve months and can be easily hidden under clothes.

How long do the results last?

The stretching effect of the lower body lift is mostly permanent. The shape obtained by removing excess skin and fat is permanent. The effects of weakening, processing and tightening the skin of the buttocks and legs are also permanent. Naturally, there will be a loosening of the skin immediately after surgery. In addition, the skin and connective tissues will loosen and sag over time depending on your age.