What is a Body Lift Surgery?
During a tummy tuck surgery, a plastic surgeon removes loose skin, tightens the abdominal muscles, and eliminates stubborn deposits of fat. This proven surgical treatment can be thoroughly customised to meet the unique needs and goals of each individual patient. There are several variations of a body lift surgery, each designed to target certain areas of the body or specific issues. The various types of body lift surgeries are:
- Full Body Lift – Includes all the below procedures, surgeons often do full body lifts in stages as the surgery can take up to 7 hours to be completed.
- Upper Body Lift – Removal of sagging skin, fat, and tissue on the arms, back, and breasts.
- Torsoplasty (Mid Body Lift) – This procedure treats the abdominal area as well as the lower body, that is treated in a Belt Lipectomy.
- Belt Lipectomy (Lower Body Lift) – Removal of lower body skin, lifting of the buttocks and creating flattering contours.
The Ideal Candidate
This surgery is highly customizable taking into account the needs of the patient. The ideal patient for this surgery is anyone who has lost between 30 to 50 percent of their body weight. As with all plastic surgery candidates, the patient must have undergone a mental health evaluation and be determined to follow the recovery protocol to the letter.
- Weight loss due to Bariatric surgery (Gastroplasty).
- Committed to maintaining excellent nutrition and exercise.
- Do not plan on becoming pregnant after the surgery.
- Suffer from drooping skin, fat and tissue around the abdomen.
How Much Does a Body Lift Cost?
Before any surgery can be scheduled a consultation must take place, where the surgeon will assess the patients’ needs and suggest the best procedure to achieve the required results. (Procedures will vary in extent from person to person).
Consultation Fee: R1000 – No subsequent consults are charged, either before or after surgery.
Surgical cost are subject to:
- Duration of procedure (hospital & anesthesia fees also are affected by this).
- Duration of your hospitalisation recovery
- Additional procedures possibly suggested achieving required results
As per the above, It can become difficult to put a general price tag on the procedure.
(Estimated Price: R80 000)
Body Lift Before and After
Body Lift Recovery
The recovery time for a full body lift surgery is anything from 4 to 8 weeks, depending on the patient. During the patients first few weeks post surgery, drainage tubes will be placed to remove excess blood. The surgeon will provide the patient with all the information required for complication-free recovery.
Complications | Risks | Side Effects | Scars
Body lift surgery is an extremely invasive operation. The scarring involved in the removal of excess skin is not as easily hidden as with other surgeries. Patients who have undergone a full body lift will have scarring on their back, arms, thighs, and abdominal area.
With all surgery, there are various risks and side effects a patient may suffer from. These include:
- Hematoma (Bleeding)
- Infection
- Poor wound healing
- Fluid accumulation
- Numbness or change in skin sensitivity
- Fat necrosis (Fatty tissue under the skin dying)
- Pain
- The recurrent looseness of skin
- Swelling in the legs
- Skin discoloration
- Asymmetries
- Deep vein thrombosis, cardiac and pulmonary complication
- Skin loss
- Sutures may surface to the skin
- Unfavourable scarring
These risks will be fully disclosed and explained by the surgeon, if at any point post surgery a patient suffers from any of these side effects – please consult your surgeon immediately.
