After losing over 100 pounds, this patient in her 60's had a large amount of hanging and loose skin. The Body Lift procedure transformed her lower body.
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Body Lift
What is a Body Lift?
A Belt Lipectomy, also known as the lower body lift, offers the most dramatic transformation of the mid and lower body. It is truly a resculpting of the abdomen, hips, thighs, and buttocks. Broken into its components, the lower body lift includes a tummy tuck (abdominoplasty), a thigh lift, and a buttock lift.
The body lift procedure is performed on post bariatric patients, as well as patients who have not had weight loss. The body lift transforms patients that have experienced massive weight loss and have excess skin. However, results are just as dramatic in patients who in addition to a tummy tuck want a tightening of the skin in their thighs and buttocks. The body lift (belt lipectomy) has the advantage that it can be done in one surgical session, or in stages, depending on the patients needs.
Who benefits most from the lower body lift procedure?
I feel like I have a tire roll around my waist.
To determine if you might be interested in consulting a plastic surgeon about having a body lift, stand in front of a mirror and look at your abdomen. Use your thumb and palm of your hand to hold one edge of skin on your lower abdomen and then grasp the lower skin with all four fingers. If you like how your skin tightens, and the way your pubic mound lifts, you are a candidate for the abdominoplasty procedure.
Now pinch the loose skin around your hips. See how it lifts the hips and thighs? If you like this maneuver, you are a candidate for the lateral thigh lift. In combination with abdominoplasty, this is called an extended abdominoplasty.
Stand facing away from the mirror and look over your shoulder so you can see as much as you can of your backside. Reach back with the palm of your hand and lift the butt. This approximates what a posterior butt lift can accomplish. The traditional butt lift will lift the butt by excising a wedge of skin and pulling up the skin so that the butt is lifted. Occasionally, patients also want fat injection into the buttocks if the butt has become very flat as a result of all the weight loss. The technique of transferring fat into the buttocks is called brazilian butt lift.
If you want improvement in all these areas, the Lower Body Lift (belt lipectomy) is the cosmetic surgery procedure for you.
What is involved in the lower body lift?
Excess skin and fat from the entire midsection of the body is removed. The skin closure is tailored to enhance the figure. Dr. Rodriguez uses the Lockwood technique of body lifting. He has used this technique for years because it has the least amount of complications and provides the best surgical result. Learn more about why Dr. Rodriguez believes in the Lockwood technique. Please read his blog.
What type of anesthesia is used?
The body lift procedure is done under either IV sedation or general anesthesia. Dr.Rodriguez prefers to perform the procedure with IV sedation as patients have a quicker recovery. Dr. Rodriguez can perform your surgery in our Medicare Certified Out Patient Surgery Center or at one of three Baltimore hospitals. If your surgery is performed in the hospital you can elect to have an overnight stay. Alternately, if your procedure is performed Out-Patient, arrangements for an overnight nurse are highly recommended.
How long is the recovery for lower body lift surgery?
Following the body lift procedure patients should plan to be out of work for 3-4 weeks. Some patients can resume limited desk functions at 3 weeks.
Can Dr. Rodriguez accommodate patients who live out of town?
Dr. Rodriguez has performed the body lift procedure on many patients who live outside of the Baltimore area. We arrange for nurses to take you to your hotel from our Out Patient Facility. You will discuss these choices with our staff and Dr. Rodriguez.
Our office can help arrange for special accommodations in several local area hotels. Weekly hotel rates are as low as $600 per week for a handicapped room with a special shower and recliner chair. These rooms additionally offer a fully equipped kitchen with refrigerator, microwave, and stove top in addition to laundry facilities and free computer data port.
Dr. Rodriguez and his staff will make post operative visits to your hotel room during the first week of your surgery. In the second week, his office staff will transport you to and from the office for your follow up appointments. Cosmetic surgery patients who live more than 5 hours from Baltimore should plan to stay in the city for two weeks. Cosmetic surgery patients who live within 1-2 hours of Baltimore are only required to stay in Baltimore overnight.
What is the cost of the lower Body Lift procedure?
Total cost for the Lower Body Lift procedure are approximately $18K to $21K. Many types of financing are available and the entire body lift procedure can be financed. Please call our office in Baltimore at 410-494-8100 to find out how you can transform your lower body.
Before and After Body Lift Photos
See Before and After Body Lift Photos for patients who had the procedure performed by Dr. Ricardo Rodriguez, Board Certified Plastic Surgeon with over 20 years experience. Please note that all of these patients have given written consent to use their photos at our web site. We are very grateful for their participation in patient education!
Interested in More Body Lift Information?
Please view our lower body lift testimonials to read what actual patients have had to say about their Body Lift experience. Patient satisfaction rate is very high!
And, of course, we would be happy to have you Contact Us to discuss your individual needs with you and answer any questions you may have about the Lower Body Lift.
I love my new cleavage in my breasts! 