Get A Firmer Figure With A Body Lift
Following a dramatic weight loss, many patients are disappointed to find that their skin has not kept up with the shrinkage in their body size. Excess hanging skin can hide your amazing achievement and make you feel unattractive and unhappy with your new shape. At our plastic surgery center in Las Vegas, Dr. Mary C. Herte performs a variety of body lift procedures to address uncomfortable and unsightly sagging skin left behind after weight loss and to restore your figure to a more youthful and fit appearance.
Body Lift Options
Many body lift options are available, and skin tightening procedures can be performed in most areas of the body. Breast lift and tummy tuck are very often the first consideration after a major weight loss but other lifts can be dramatic and restorative as well. The most commonly requested body lifts are arm lift (brachioplasty), thigh lift and buttock lift. Combination lifts, or lower body lifts are a much more extensive approach with a much longer recovery and much higher risk of complication.
Any type of skin tightening or lift procedure is best performed when you are stable at your best weight to minimize additional relaxing of the skin if you lose additional weight after surgery. This is more important in some areas of the body than others and is related to hereditary fat distribution and your usual pattern of weight loss. Dr. Herte will discuss timing of the procedures with you so that you will achieve the best and most long lasting results.
When considering the option of surgical lift to remove and lift excess hanging skin, the trade-off of shape for scars must be carefully considered. In order to remove the skin, an incision (and therefore scar) must be made for removal of the skin. With more extensive skin removal, longer incisions are needed.
Brachioplasty
Brachioplasty or upper arm lift is an excellent way to improve hanging upper arms and reduce bulk that may limit clothing choices. Incisions can be placed in the armpit for a very minimal approach (for modest aging related skin laxity), or, as is more common after massive weight loss, along the inside of the arm where the scar will be hidden when your arm is down at your side. In extremely loose arms, an extended lift can require tightening and restoration of the armpit and upper chest skin for maximal improvement. When needed, brachioplasty may be combined with liposuction to refine the arm contours further.
Buttock And Thigh Lifts
Sometimes performed together, buttock and thigh lift can tuck the buttocks up (adding volume) and pull the thigh up especially in the inner thigh area. The combined procedure usually involves an incision that extends from the groin crease at the top of your thigh around the crease between the legs and along the buttock crease line to your outer thigh. Excess skin is removed and the skin is released and lifted up, anchoring and tucking the skin into the groin crease on either side of the pubic area. The excess buttock tissue is preserved and tucked up to enhance your buttock if it has been flattened by your weight loss.
In those patients who have loose hanging thigh skin, there is no substitute for a thigh lift in restoring the figure, not only for enhanced confidence and attractiveness, but also for improved comfort.
When buttock lift is performed alone, additional incision choices are available, including a Tanga incision (following the shape of a thong or Tanga panty from crease between the buttock cheeks sweeping up towards the sides over the top buttocks), or the incision can be extended to the ends of the tummy tuck incision creating a continuous line of tightening all the way around the body (combination lower body lift).
“Brazilian Butt Lift”
The so called “Brazilian Butt Lift” is not really a lift at all and does not involve any skin tightening. The procedure is, however, designed to add volume and shape to the buttocks by adding fat through grafting (fat injections). To obtain fat for grafting, liposuction is performed in areas that have excess fatty deposits. A fairly large volume of fat is required to enhance buttock volume. Our biggest challenge for buttocks fat grafting is harvesting enough fat to make a difference. The patients who tend to request this procedure have very little fat layer and searching for enough fat to harvest an adequate volume can be difficult.
Fat Reduction Procedures
Fat reduction in the area targeted for lifting can be an excellent enhancement to the final result. Additional liposuction contouring of the area can refine the result further or prepare the area for lifting when a large amount of excess fat is present in the area. CoolSculpting© is another option for fat reduction and result refinement without the need for additional surgery.
The Body Lift Surgical Procedure
At our own QUAD A-certified surgery center in Las Vegas, Nevada, a safety-conscious and private environment is provided for your body lift surgery. Dr. Herte customizes each body lift procedure to your individual anatomy and areas of concern, thus the details of your surgery will be unique to you, and fit your anatomy and specific needs.
Because the specifics of each surgery may differ according to the specific area to be treated and how much extra skin needs to be removed, your post-operative limitations and the overall length of your recovery phase will vary widely. You should discuss any questions or concerns about your healing and recovery individually with Dr. Herte, after you decide together exactly which procedure will be best for you.
Most patients heal well and are back to work in a week with arm lift and a couple of weeks with a buttock or thigh lift. Protection of your incisions and support of your recovering and re-positioned skin is essential after body lift. Wearing the recommended support garment after surgery will improve comfort and accelerate healing and final contouring of the lifted area.
Contact Our Las Vegas Body Lift Surgeon
Dr. Herte focuses her surgical expertise on achieving high quality and long lasting results for her patients. She would be delighted to help you to restore and reveal your new sleek figure. Call today for your personal and in-depth body lift consultation with Dr. Mary Herte.
To learn more about how body lift procedures can transform your figure, and about our highly-esteemed plastic surgeon, Dr. Mary Herte, we encourage you to contact the Herte Center for Cosmetic Surgery today.