Surgical Procedures
Body Lift
Body Lift New Jersey
A body lift is a comprehensive procedure to remove excess skin and fat from the arms, thighs, abdomen, groin, and buttocks. This surgery can improve the tone and shape of many areas of your body for an overall smoother and more youthful look.
Many body lift patients have loose skin as a result of significant weight loss, whether it is from exercise and diet or bariatric surgery. Anyone who has uneven body contours and several areas of loose skin that cannot be corrected with diet and exercise is a potential candidate for a body lift.
If you are planning to lose a substantial amount of weight or become pregnant, you should postpone your body lift surgery. Pregnancy and weight loss may cause additional areas of loose skin and uneven contours.
Your Consultation
Your consultation for a body lift procedure will include a thorough discussion of your desires, expectations, and concerns as well as limits and risks of the procedure. Your surgeon will take pictures of the areas to be treated and carefully examine your overall body contours. He or she will review your medical history and recommend the best options to achieve the results you want.
The Procedure
A body lift is usually performed under general anesthesia, and most patients spend at least 1 night in the hospital. During the procedure, excess skin and fat is removed, and the overlying skin is then tightened, shaped, and smoothed. Liposuction also may be performed to provide the best possible result.
The extent and location of your incisions depends on the areas that need to be sculpted. The duration of the procedure will vary depending on the number of areas you are having treated; but body lift surgery generally lasts 4 to 5 hours. Your surgeon will let you know what you can expect.
Recovery and Results
You will be given thorough written instructions to help you prepare for and recover from your body lift procedure. This will include ways to prevent infection and when to follow up with your surgeon.
Dressings will be applied over your incisions and tubes will be placed in some areas to drain excess fluid. You also may wear compression garments for a short period of time to reduce swelling.
You can expect bruising, swelling, and some pain following surgery, but oral prescription medications can help manage any discomfort. Your stitches will probably be removed within 10 to 14 days.
Depending on the extent of your body lift, you should be able to return to nonstrenuous activities, including work, within 7 to 14 days. Although scars from the procedure are long and visible, they usually fade somewhat over time. You may also be able to receive a laser scar revision procedure to further reduce the appearance of your scars.
While you will be able to see results of your body lift right after your surgery, the final results will develop gradually over a period of 12 to 24 months. Body lift results are long lasting, but you will lose some additional firmness as a natural part of aging. If you maintain your weight, it is unlikely that the treated areas will return to their former loose appearance.
Our Surgeons
Peter Hyans, MD, FACS, is Director of the Plastic Surgery Center and Chief in the Department of Surgery and Surgical Specialties at Summit Medical Group. Dr. Hyans has 15 years’ experience in plastic surgery. He is board certified. Dr. Hyans is listed in Castle Connolly’s Top Doctors in America.
In addition to his position at Summit Medical Group, Reza Momeni, MD, FACS, is Chairman of Plastic Surgery at Overlook Hospital in Summit, New Jersey. He has been listed in New Jersey Monthly’s “Top Doctors.” The Consumer Research Council lists him in “Top Plastic Surgeons in America.”
Call Summit Medical Group today at 908-277-8759 to make an appointment or for more information about how a body lift can remove loose skin and fat to give you a slimmer, smoother body.
