Can a Full Body Lift Be Done in Seperate Surgeries Instead of One?

Every surgeon has their own preference for combining or separating procedures. I prefer to separate upper and lower body lift procedures. The main reason for this is that the tension for the lower body lift is in the opposite direction as the tension for an upper body lift. Since the procedures pull against one another, I feel I cannot optimize the tension for either procedure meaning you may have some residual skin laxity. The advantages of staged procedures is that the surgeries are shorter and the recovery quicker and it will also give the opportunity to make any revisions to previously performed surgeries if needed. The down side is that it may cost slightly more to do separate surgeries and you need to take time off a second time.

I hope that helps. Good luck

Dr. Joseph Michaels   

Thank you for your question regarding if a full body lift can be done in separate surgeries instead of one. Thank you for your history. First, we need to clarify what a full-body lift entails. In my mind, a full-body lift entails the upper and lower bodies. Regarding the lower body, this would be a 360 circumferential lower body lift combined with a thigh lift reduction. During a 360 circumferential lower body lift, the pubic region is raised and reduced, the abdominal wall is sutured, and the abdominal muscles are plicated. Excess skin and fat are removed. The hips are lifted and reduced, and the buttocks are lifted and also reduced. This winds up with a scar going ultimately around your lower body. Some plastic surgeons call this a belt lipectomy. In addition, a vertical medial thigh lift can be performed simultaneously.
The vertical medial thigh lift includes thigh liposuction and an incision from the groin to the knee. This is a full day and should not be combined with other surgeries. Please give yourself at least two to three weeks to recover from this procedure before your second surgery. The second surgery would entail your upper body lift. An upper body lift would typically entail an arms reduction/lift or brachioplasty. This would include arm liposuction and an incision from the armpit to the elbow. In addition, you may need an upper back lift. This would be an incision that goes across the back or an incision that goes down the sides to eliminate skin and fat from the upper back. If you need a chest reduction, this can be performed simultaneously. This may require removing excess skin and fat if you are a male. If you are a female, it may require a lift and implants. This can all be performed at the same time. Therefore, if you are looking for a total body makeover to include the arms, chest, back, buttocks, hips, tummy, and thighs, this would require two separate surgeries or more. I would not suggest you have an upper or lower body lift simultaneously. This is too much. I hope my answer helps to clarify whether a full body lift can be done in separate surgeries instead of one. Good luck.
Sincerely,
Dr. KAtzen

As you surmised there are pros and cons about doing many surgeries at once vs separately. One surgery, one recovery speaks for doing many surgeries at once. However there are more risks such as blood clots in your veins (DVT or PE), increased risk for infection, etc. Typically, I do a combination of surgeries but limit my operative time to less than 6 hours and often use a surgical assistant for efficiency, BMI within normal range, non smokers, use anticlotting strategies to prevent blood clots. The informed consent with your surgeon should cover in great detail all of the above and more. #bodylift#postweightlosssurgery