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Body Lift After Weight Loss

Show off your weight loss results with a Las Vegas body lift

Las Vegas Body Lift

A body lift is a broad term used to describe a variety of procedures designed to lift sagging skin and muscle and eliminate subcutaneous fat. Body lifts are often performed after weight loss surgery, as it is normal for patients to be left with extra skin and fat after losing a massive amount of weight (defined as 50 or more pounds). This is because weight loss surgery specifically focuses on changing the anatomy of the stomach and small intestines but doesn’t remove excess body fat and skin.

The extra skin and fat deposits left behind from massive weight loss can’t be eliminated through diet and exercise alone, making body lift surgery the best option for contouring your new  physique. At Cosmetic Surgery of Las Vegas, board certified cosmetic surgeon Dr. Samir Pancholi performs an array of body lifting procedures to help you look and feel your best after your major weight loss.

  • Removal of Excess Skin: Following substantial weight loss, excess, sagging skin can be removed, which is not possible through exercise or diet alone.
  • Improved Body Contour and Shape: A body lift can enhance the overall body contour and shape, leading to a more toned and proportionate figure.
  • Alleviation of Skin Irritation and Infections: Excess skin can lead to chafing, irritation, and infections. Removing this skin reduces these risks and discomforts.
  • Enhanced Mobility and Comfort: Excess skin can hinder movement and cause discomfort. Its removal can increase physical comfort and mobility, making everyday activities and exercise easier.
  • Boost in Self-Confidence and Body Image: Many individuals experience a significant increase in self-esteem and body confidence after a body lift, particularly if they were previously self-conscious about their excess skin.
  • Improved Clothing Fit: Clothes often fit and look better after a body lift, especially form-fitting garments, enhancing the individual’s clothing choices and comfort.
  • Motivation to Maintain Weight Loss: The visible improvement in body contour can serve as a strong motivator to maintain a healthy lifestyle and keep the weight off.
  • Correction of Post-Weight Loss Body Changes: A body lift addresses various areas affected by significant weight loss, offering a more comprehensive improvement than procedures targeting only one area.
  • Anesthesia: Medications used to prevent pain during surgery; can be general (inducing unconsciousness) or local (numbing a specific area).
  • Arm Lift (Brachioplasty): A surgical procedure to remove excess skin and fat from the upper arms, often sought after significant weight loss.
  • Belt Lipectomy: Also known as a lower body lift or circumferential body lift, this procedure involves removing excess skin and fat from around the waistline, often after massive weight loss.
  • Body Contouring: A range of surgical procedures, including body lifts, that reshape and redefine the contours of the body, often after significant weight loss.
  • Body Lift: A cosmetic surgical procedure that removes excess skin and fat from various areas of the body, particularly after significant weight loss.
  • Circumferential Body Lift: Another term for a belt lipectomy, targeting the abdomen, buttocks, lower back, and thighs.
  • Excess Skin: Skin that remains sagging and stretched after significant weight loss, often targeted for removal in body lift procedures.
  • Liposuction: A procedure that may be combined with a body lift to remove excess fat from specific areas of the body.
  • Lower Body Lift: A surgical procedure focusing on the abdomen, outer thighs, buttocks, and lower back, to remove excess skin and fat after significant weight loss.
  • Massive Weight Loss: Significant reduction in body weight, often resulting in excess loose skin that may require surgical procedures like body lifts for removal.
  • Postoperative Care: Instructions and care required after a body lift to ensure proper healing and reduce the risk of complications.
  • Recovery Time: The period required for healing after a body lift, during which certain activities may be restricted.
  • Skin Elasticity: The skin’s ability to stretch and return to its original shape. Post-weight loss, skin may lose elasticity and require surgical intervention to tighten.
  • Stable Weight: A weight that has been consistent for a significant period. Achieving a stable weight before undergoing body lift surgery is often recommended for the best results.
  • Sutures: Stitches used by surgeons to close incisions. In a body lift, sutures are used to close the surgical sites and reshape the body contours.
  • Thigh Lift: A surgical procedure to remove excess skin and fat from the thighs, particularly after significant weight loss.
  • Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasty): A cosmetic surgical procedure that removes excess skin and fat from the abdomen and tightens abdominal muscles, often included as part of a body lift.

Belt Lipectomy

A belt lipectomy, or circumferential body lift, is a combination of body contouring procedures that remove excess skin and fat from around the waistline for a thinner torso. By removing tissues from around the waist, this procedure will also lift your buttocks and outer thighs because they are no longer weighed down.

After the waist, butt, hips, and thighs have been addressed, Dr. Pancholi will perform a standard tummy tuck to complete your belt lipectomy procedure.

What are the benefits of a belt lipectomy?

A belt lipectomy can provide the following benefits:

  • Removal of excess fat and skin from midsection
  • Increased confidence and self esteem
  • Prevent swelling and rash between skin folds, which can lead to infection if not addressed
  • Improve hygiene
  • Improve mobility in the lower body
  • Improve urination
  • Increase sexual pleasure

How is a belt lipectomy different from a tummy tuck?

A tummy tuck tightens skin and muscle and removes fat on the front and sides of the lower abdomen. A belt lipectomy is often considered an “extensive tummy tuck” because it improves the appearance of the front and back of the lower abdomen by removing excess skin and fat in the hips, thighs, back, and buttocks.

Belt lipectomy with gluteal fat transfer

Though you may have extra fat around your hips, stomach, and thighs, your butt may be a little flat from major weight loss. During your belt lipectomy, Dr. Pancholi can enhance your rear by transferring fat from these other areas to your buttocks to create a more sculpted bottom and recreating curves.

Arm lift

An arm lift, or brachioplasty, removes excess skin and fat from underneath the upper arms (sometimes called “bat wings”) to create a more contoured and flattering arm shape. After major weight loss or liposuction, the skin on the arms is not always able to “snap back,” making it appear saggy. If you’re self-conscious about your arms, an arm lift may be for you.

What are the benefits of an arm lift?

An arm lift can have numerous benefits for weight loss patients, including:

  • Eliminate sagging skin
  • Restore a more youthful and firm shape to the upper arms
  • Help shirts fit more comfortably
  • Improve mobility
  • Improve arm contours, especially when combined with liposuction

Thigh lift

After undergoing a major weight loss, you may have an abundance of loose skin and cellulite dimpling on your thighs. A thigh lift, or thighplasty, removes excess skin to smooth the thighs, improving their definition and shape. A thigh lift alone typically does not address excess fat in the thighs, but liposuction can be included in the procedure to remove fat and cellulite.

Depending on your cosmetic goals and needs, Dr. Pancholi may perform an inner or outer thigh lift.

  • An inner, or medial, thigh lift removes excess skin and lifts sagging tissues on the inner thighs
  • An outer, or lateral, thigh lift removes excess skin on the outer thighs and buttocks

What are the benefits of a thigh lift?

A thigh lift can have a significant effect on a patient’s appearance, health, and overall wellbeing. Some of the benefits of a thigh lift include:

  • Reduce cellulite and excess skin folds & fat
  • Smooth any skin inconsistencies
  • Reveal your natural muscle definition
  • Create a more contoured and youthful thigh shape
  • Remove stretch marks
  • Enhance sexual intercourse

Back lift

If you’ve recently had major weight loss, a back lift can contour the upper and/or lower back by removing excess skin and fat. It is often performed in conjunction with other body lift procedures such as a tummy tuck and/or thigh lift.

Depending on your cosmetic goals and needs, Dr. Pancholi may perform a lower or upper back lift.

  • A lower back lift removes excess skin and fat from the lower back and buttocks and lifts tissues
  • An upper back lift removes excess skin and fat from the upper back and beneath the bra line

A back lift can also be performed following back liposuction. Liposuction can be extremely effective for spot-reducing back fat because people typically have less fat and more muscle in their back than other areas of their body, and the skin on the back tends to contract well after fat is removed from beneath it. Liposuction on the back can also be performed to eliminate flanks, or “love handles.”

What are the benefits of a back lift?

  • Smooths back skin
  • Slims the back
  • Reveals your natural muscle definition
  • Decreases BMI for a healthier lifestyle
  • Makes clothing and underwear fit more comfortably
  • Scars can often be concealed by a bra or underwear

About your body lift procedure and recovery

Dr. Pancholi performs Las Vegas body lift surgery exclusively in our fully accredited surgical facility for your safety, comfort, and privacy. General anesthesia is provided by our board certified anesthesiology team. After your body lift procedure, you will wear surgical drains to allow excess fluid to exit the body after surgery. These drains are usually removed after several days. Recovery time for these procedures is typically 2-3 weeks, with results becoming fully visible after 3 months. Your recovery time may increase if you combine multiple body lift procedures.

Combining body lift procedures

After losing a significant amount of weight, it’s normal to experience excess skin and fat all over your body. Combining body lift procedures allows Dr. Pancholi to address multiple areas of the body in a single surgery, which can reduce your overall recovery time and help you save on surgical fees. Keep in mind that because body lifting procedures are demanding on the body, Dr. Pancholi may decide to break your procedures into multiple surgeries. You can learn more about combining body lift procedures in a personal consultation.

Who is a good candidate for a body lift?

In general, patients who have recently lost a significant amount of weight and struggle with excess skin and/or fat on their waist, hips, thighs, arms, and/or back may be good candidates for a body lift. Patients should be at their ideal weight and be prepared to maintain a stable weight before undergoing surgery. Patients should be non-smokers and have realistic expectations of their results.

Want to learn more about a Las Vegas body lift after massive weight loss?

Board certified cosmetic surgeon Dr. Samir Pancholi is renowned for his artistic eye and surgical skill. If you’d like to learn more about a body lift procedure after weight loss, contact Cosmetic Surgery of Las Vegas online or call (702) 363-0240 to schedule a personal consultation with Dr. Pancholi.

References »

Soldin M, Mughal M, Al-Hadithy N; Department of Health; British association of Plastic, ElAbd R, Samargandi OA, AlGhanim K, Alhamad S, Almazeedi S, Williams J, AlSabah S, AlYouha S. Body Contouring Surgery Improves Weight Loss after Bariatric Surgery: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. 2021 Jun;45(3):1064-1075. doi: 10.1007/s00266-020-02016-2. 

Soldin M, Mughal M, Al-Hadithy N; Department of Health; British association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons; Royal College of Surgeons England. National commissioning guidelines: body contouring surgery after massive weight loss. Journal of Plastic, Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgery. 2014 Aug;67(8):1076-81. doi: 10.1016/j.bjps.2014.04.031. 

Aldaqal SM, Makhdoum AM, Turki AM, Awan BA, Samargandi OA, Jamjom H. Post-bariatric surgery satisfaction and body-contouring consideration after massive weight loss. North American Journal of Medicine and Science. 2013 Apr;5(4):301-5. doi: 10.4103/1947-2714.110442.

Herman CK, Hoschander AS, Wong A. Post-Bariatric Body Contouring. Aesthetic Surgery Journal. 2015 Aug;35(6):672-87. doi: 10.1093/asj/sjv008. 

ElAbd R, Samargandi OA, AlGhanim K, Alhamad S, Almazeedi S, Williams J, AlSabah S, AlYouha S. Body Contouring Surgery Improves Weight Loss after Bariatric Surgery: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. 2021 Jun;45(3):1064-1075. doi: 10.1007/s00266-020-02016-2. 

Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons; Royal College of Surgeons England. National commissioning guidelines: body contouring surgery after massive weight loss. Journal of Plastic, Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgery. 2014 Aug;67(8):1076-81. doi: 10.1016/j.bjps.2014.04.031. 

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