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Are Back Muscles Tightened During a Lower Body Lift?

asked 2 years ago by flabbyback in NY,NY
Latest answer by Mary Lee Peters, MD
Question viewed 794 times
Tags: abdomen, back, thighs, muscle

One week ago I had a lower body lift. Everything is going well, but I am curious. My question is about my back. 2.5 years into dropping 200lbs I threw my back out. The chiropractor told me my lower back had no muscle tone. Fwd to now. The back pain is very similar to my stomach. A burning tightness in the muscle.

Is it possible the surgeon also tightened my back muscles during the procedure? If so, is that routine?

18 answers to Are Back Muscles Tightened During a Lower Body Lift?

Are Back Muscles Tightened in a Lower Body Lift?

No back muscleas are modified in the buttock/flank lift of a lower body lift. In the front portion, the tummy tuck the muscles are brought closer together by stitches that close the gap between the rectus (sit up ) muscles. The stitches are in the lining of the muscles, rather than in the muscle bellies. This narrowing of the gap is what makes the abdomen appear flatter.

Mary Lee Peters, MD
Seattle Plastic Surgeon

www.maryleepetersmd.com

Back Muscles Tightened during Lower Body Lift?

Thank you for the question. No, the back muscles are not tightened or even exposed during the procedure. The “burning tightness” you're experiencing may be related to the suture line or pressure from lying on the back ( very common after this procedure). I would suggest continued follow-up with your plastic surgeon to adjust questions and concerns. I hope this helps.

Tom J. Pousti, MD
San Diego Plastic Surgeon

Lower body lift & back muscles

No, back muscles or muscle fascia are not tightened with this approach. The operation just removes excess skin and fat. The burning symptoms that you feel are common post-op sensations....sometimes they are more common if you had liposuction as part of the procedure. All the best,

Thomas Fiala, MD
Altamonte Springs Plastic Surgeon

Lower body lift muscle tightening

Your back muscles are not tightened in a lower body lift. The muscles that are tightened are part of the tummy tuck portion of your body lift. These are the rectus muscles in your anterior abdomen.

C. Bob Basu, MD
Houston Plastic Surgeon

www.basuplasticsurgery.com

Back muscles and lower body lift

The lower back muscles are not tightened in a lower body lift; I am curious did your chiropractor offer you some strengthening exercises to help with decrease muscle strength? Lower body lifts address excess skin and fat only. I generally will not do circumferential body lifts, as I feel it leaves you with no place to recover and the procedure can be very easily staged and will be much safer than doing front and back at the same time.

Thomas B. Lintner, MD
Atlanta Plastic Surgeon

Back muscles and lower body lift

The back muscles are not tightened during a lower body lift. Usually just the msucle in the abdomen are tightened. This may help the core and back a bit.

Steven Wallach, MD
Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Back muscles not touched.

The back muscles are not touched during a lower body lift. The abdominal muscles are routinely tightened.

Bernard Shuster, MD
Hollywood Plastic Surgeon

Lower body lift does not tighten back muscles

A lower body lift is essentially a circumferential or 360 degree tummy tuck. It is a wrap-around skin removal around the waistline. While the front tummy part may include plication or tightening of the rectus (stomach) muscles, it does not include tightening any of the back muscles. That is not physically possible (due to the bony spine) nor is ever needed. The lower body lift is only ever done in patients who have had extreme weight loss, most commonly after bariatric surgery. more

Barry L. Eppley, MD, DMD
Indianapolis Plastic Surgeon

Are Back Muscles Tightened During a Lower Body Lift?

Muscles of the lower back are not tightened during lower body lift surgery. Muscles of the anterior abdomen called the rectus abdominis muscles are commonly tightened, especially in women who have had children. It is common for patients to experience lower back pain after abdominoplasty or lower body lift surgery due to positioning. Because of the muscle and skin tightening along the anterior abdomen, the patient has to be placed in a "beachchair" or semi-Fowlers position.... more

Kenneth Bermudez, MD
San Francisco Plastic Surgeon

Not routine.

Hello The back portion of a lower body lift involves primarily skin and fat removal and contouring, You would not want muscles manipulated much as they need to move smoothly for your posture to be uninterrupted. Best Regards, John Di Saia MD

John P. Di Saia, MD
Orange Plastic Surgeon

A lower body lift does not tighten back muscles

You'll need to do back exercises to strengthen those muscles. Meanwhile, that burrning tightness you're feeling is part of the early healing process and will eventually resolve.

Carmen Kavali, MD
Atlanta Plastic Surgeon

Need to do back strengthening exercises

The lower body lift operation does not address the muscles in the lower back. The operation is designed to remove excess hanging skin and fat from the lower back. Your best bet for the lower back is to learn some core muscle strengthening exercises from a personal trainer.

Kevin Brenner, MD
Los Angeles Plastic Surgeon

A LBL does not tighten the back muscles

An abdominoplasty tightens the laxity between the rectus muscles- but a LBL is designed to tighten loose pelvix, thigh and buttock skin. It does not touch the muscles of the back. An abdominoplasty is usually combined with the 'front side' of a LBL.

Scott Sattler, MD
Bellevue Plastic Surgeon

Lower body lift does not tighten back muscles

A lower body lift will improve the loose skin and excess fat of the thighs, hips, butt, and abdomen. The abdominal muscles may be tightened, but the back muscles are not. After such surgery, it is not uncommon to change your activity or posture, which could lead to some back problems. Proper exercises will help you regain muscle strength and tone.

Randy J. Buckspan, MD
Austin Plastic Surgeon

Lower Body Lift and Muscle Tone

A Lower Body Lift is made up of a Butt lift, bilateral lateral Thigh Lifts and a Tummy Tuck. The only muscles tightened during a Lower Body Lift are the FRONT muscles as part of the incorporated tummy tuck component.

Peter A. Aldea, MD
Memphis Plastic Surgeon

Lower Body Lift

No, there is no muscle tightening done in the back. The abdominal muscles are tightened which may help with week back muscle and lower back issues. There is only skin and fat removed from the back area. Good luck.

Farbod Esmailian, MD
Orange County Plastic Surgeon

Back Pain after Lower Body Lift

Hi there- It is not possible to tighten the muscles of the back in the manner of those of the abdomen. In many tummy tuck and lower body lift patients, back pain occurs in the first few weeks after surgery because the patient is using the back muscles for activities and support usually provided by the (now sore) abdominal muscles. If it doesn't get better over time and as your abdominal pain subsides, I would recommend you see your doctor.

Armando Soto, MD
Orlando Plastic Surgeon

Muscle tightening during body lift

During a lower or total body lift your abdominal muscles would routinely be tightened. However, only skin and fat are removed posteriorly and there is no tightening of the back muscles performed. I suspect that your discomfort is related to posturing in response to postop pain, but if it persists you should make your surgeon aware of it.