Is a Lower Body Lift the Same Thing As a Body Lift?

In general, a lower body lift is a body lift.

Having said that, the lower body lift is a combination of these three body contouring procedures performed in the same operative session:


Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasty)

Outer Thigh Lift

Posterior Buttocks Lift


This procedure is not only for patients who have lost lots of weight, but also for patients who desire a general tightening of sagging skin in the lower body area. To read more about the procedure, please read the blog post below and watch my Body Lift Video explaining the procedure.

The terminology surrounding massive weight loss surgery is a major source of confusion. It's not unusual for two surgeons to use different terms to describe the same procedure. For this reason, it's important to have a detailed understanding of your surgeon's treatment plan before proceeding with surgery.The term body lift is a general term that's utilized to describe procedures that are designed to elevate anatomic structures. The term lower body lift is a more specific term. It describes a circumferential procedure designed to remove excess lower back and abdominal tissue while simultaneously lifting the buttocks in an upward direction. This procedure is associated with excellent clinical results and high levels of patient satisfaction.If you're considering a lower body lift, it's important to thoroughly discuss the procedure with your plastic surgeon. This will minimize confusion and, hopefully, optimize your surgical result.

Those terms do sound very similar and frequently are used
synonymously but they do imply a slightly different meaning. A body lift describes removing tissue to
elevate areas of the body that have fallen (descended due to gravity to laxity
of the skin after weight loss or pregnancies). This most frequently involves
the waist line circumferentially but also can involve tissue if the upper back
/bra line and around onto the upper abdomen. A lower body lift specifies that the area for lifting is around the
waist and buttocks region. Just make sure you and your doctor are on the same
page about the region of your body you wish to have addressed.

Dear Anon:
There is a difference between a body lift and a lower body lift.  This has to do with semantics and the fact that a body lift has many different names and to some doctors mean one thing and to other doctors another.  A lower body lift can also be called a circumferential body lift, a 360 body lift, a belt lipectomy, among others.  There is also an upper body lift.  However strictly speaking, a lower body lift as interpreted by most board certified plastic surgeons addresses the abdomen, hips and buttocks.  During the surgery, excess skin and fat of the abdomen, hips and buttocks is addressed.  During the surgery, the skin and fat from this area is directly excised.  It does lift the lateral portion of the legs but not the inner portion of the legs.  Whereas a body lift can typically imply that the whole body is lifted.  During a total body lift in one surgical setting, the arms are lifted, the breasts are lifted, the torso is reduced, the abdomen is removed as well as the hips, buttocks and legs.  It also lifts the inner legs.  As you can imagine, this procedure takes a significantly longer amount of time under anesthesia and a significantly longer recovery time.
Basically, you need to ask yourself what area bothers you.  If it is your abdomen, hips and buttocks, then I would suggest you undergo a lower body lift.  If your breast and upper back bother you, then I would suggest an upper body lift.  If you are also concerned about your legs and arms, you may contemplate an upper body lift but this should only be done by very experienced surgeons with a well-coordinated team.
 
Thank you,
J. Timothy Katzen

The short answer is they are the same.  We all use different confusing names.  The best answer is ask your plastic surgeon exactly what he can do for you and for how much. 

The terminology is a bit confusing - most surgeons use these two terms interchangeably.  

But some folks use slightly different definitions, so ask your surgeon to clarify what he/she includes in a body lift, and which procedures are done at the same time, and which are done in separate stages. 

Lower body lift (LBL) can mean different things to both patients and to plastic surgeons. Many people think of LBL as a circumferential trunk contouring procedure that combines a tummy tuck, lateral thigh lift and buttock lift into one operation. Some consider it just the lateral thigh lift and buttock lift. LBLs will allow for a true lift of the lower trunk as the attachments of the lateral thigh to the underlying deep tissues are released. This is very different from a belt lipectomy which is just a circumferential excision of excess skin and fat. Also some plastic surgeons do auto-augmentation during their buttock lifts to preserve buttock projection while others do not. To avoid confusion, I use the term circumferential LBL to help avoid confusion. The bottom line is, have you plastic surgeon explain exactly what he plans to do when he says lower body lift!

Many terms are used interchangeably by surgeons who perform these operations. Some of us use the terms to differentiate between circumferential procedures around the abdomen, hips, and buttock, and the same procedure that also includes more lateral thigh tightening and/or medial thigh tightening. The former is often included in "body lifts' or "lower body lifts" but the latter is frequently done separately, or in a patient who had a previous tummy tuck, and now is having a medial thigh, hip and buttock lift as one procedure. Other surgeons might use one term or the other to denote lifts that include some degree of inner or outer thigh liposuction, with or without lift in these areas.

It IS confusing, so just talk to your doctor and make sure your understanding coincides with your surgeon's plan!

The terms body lift and lower body lift cover a wide variety of procedures, and they are often used interchangeably. In general both terms refer to a circumferential excision of loose skin at about the belt line. This is also termed a belt lipectomy, which is not much more accurate. 

Body Lifts can also be used as a generic term for all the lifts performed off the face, breast lifts (mastopexy), arm lifts (brachioplasty), thigh lifts, tummy tucks, back lifts, bra lifts and even circumferential lower body lifts.

For any term, it is good to be specific about what is meant. Thanks for the question.

The terms "body lift" and "lower body lift" are generally used for the same operation. In this procedure an incision is made that goes all the way around the body starting with the lower abdomen and going around the hips and over the buttocks. It allows for the combination of a tummy tuck, outer thigh lift, removal of excess tissue from the lower back, and a butt lift. The two terms almost always refer to the same operation. In rare instances people use the term "body lift" when speaking about upper and lower body procedures (not necessarily done at the same time). 

You can see some before and after images of lower body lifts on the attached link.

I hope this info helps...