Body Lift vs Smart Lipo

Question

I am 63 years old and in medium condition and within the average weight category. at my age, I am worried that the lipo may leave sagging skin.. I would like feedback on these options

Robert W. Kessler, MD, FACS · Answer

I share your concerns. Liposuction is a wonderful treatment when skin quality and elasticity are good. It can make saggy inelastic skin look worse if significant volume is removed exceeding the ability of the remaining skin to tighten. If the skin is already lax, removing more volume from it will only make the problem worse.

I do not believe the laser lipo systems cause significant skin tightening.

Seek out a board certified plastic surgeon to evaluate you and help make this decision.

good luck

I do not believe the laser lipo systems cause significant skin tightening.

Seek out a board certified plastic surgeon to evaluate you and help make this decision.

good luck

J. Timothy Katzen, MD, FACS · Answer

Thank you for your question regarding whether you should undergo a 360 circumferential lower body lift or smart lipo, given that you are 63 years old and in medium condition. Without a thorough physical examination, pictures, and a more thorough history, this is a difficult question to answer. However, at 63 years old, your skin has lost a lot of elasticity. Therefore it is unreliable in retraction after intelligent lipo. Therefore, without pictures, more history, and a physical examination, I would suggest a 360 circumferential lower body lift. However, a thorough past medical history and preoperative evaluation, including blood, EKG chest X-rays, stress test, and curated duplex test, need to be done to know if there are any preoperative conditions before surgery. However, due to your advanced age, I suggest 360 circumferential lower body lifts yield better results than intelligent lipo. Good Luck.
Sincerely,
Dr. Katzen

Joseph Michaels, MD · Answer

You hit the nail on the head. Liposuction removes the excess fat from a given area, but will not remove the excess skin. Liposuction relies on the skin's own elastic properties to tighten following the removal of the fat. If there is skin excess already present or the skin has lost its ability to "snap back" then liposuction is not a good option. In patients that have gained and lost significant weight and in older patients, the skin has lost some of its elastic property, so a body lift may be the better procedure for you. To determine which procedure will give you the results you desire, see a plastic surgeon that has a lot of experience performing lower body lifts. Good luck.

Paul Vitenas, Jr., MD · Answer

At 63 years of age the body has lost a considerable amount of its skin elasticity. The exact amount depends on many factors such as genetics, sun exposure, smoking etc. In general, excess skin is better treated with some form of excision than trying to get skin contracture with liposuction. The answer to your specific question can only be obtained through a consult with a Plastic Surgeon who has experience with the body lift procedure.

Alejandro J. Quiroz, MD · Answer

It s important to evaluate what is best for you. If the problem is excess of skin, a body lift or similar surgery is indicated, if you remove fat only and you have lose skin and poor skin tone you are not going to be happy with the results.

Armando Soto, MD, FACS · Answer

Hi there-

	There are a few important points to make:

	
		Liposuction of any kind is fundamentally a fat removal and (when well done) a body sculpting procedure.
	
		In patients with good skin tone and quality, there is always a bit of skin contraction in response to the procedure- INDEPENDENT of the machine used. In other words, please do not allow yourself to believe that Smart Lipo (or any other device/technique) is necessarily a better liposuction option than another.
	
		In patients who have lost some skin elasticity and tone, liposuction is often not the best option, as excess skin of poor quality will give a less than ideal outcome.


	In patients who have lost skin tone and elasticity over time due to aging, weight loss, or both, body lift and abdominoplasty procedures are often better alternatives.

	Please be sure you prioritize your safety and happiness appropriately and choose only a surgeon certified by The American Board of Plastic Surgery.

Christopher V. Pelletiere, MD · Answer

As we age, the skin loses its elastic recoil ability, which means it will not snap back to a tighter position compared to when you are in your twenty or thirties. Because of this, liposuction often makes the skin looser and more saggy appearing. This goes for any of the liposuction modalities - VASER, Ultrasonic, Smart Lipo, etc. None of them can stimulate the skin to tighten enough on its own, no matter what the marketing companies or paid surgeons report. This generally means that you need some skin excision as well or in replacement of the lipo. I would go for a consultation with a board certified plastic surgeon and see what they have to say. That way you can get an accurate idea of what is best for you.

Tom J. Pousti, MD · Answer

Really, this needs to be addressed on a patient by patient basis. Yes, generally, above 40 years old, the skin doesn't bounce back as well as when we are younger so liposuction may lead to saggy skin... Which surgery will give you the goals you want to achieve depends on your specific goals. I had an older patient come in for liposuction surgery. I informed her that her skin wouldn't "bounce back" because of her skin elasticity and she said that her "goal" was to look good "in clothes" not out of clothes so she was OK with that - we performed the liposuction surgery and she is very pleased with her results. Realistic expectations of the patient is very important.

C. Bob Basu, MD, MPH, FACS · Answer

Body lift surgery and liposuction are two different ball games.

	If you have excess skin, then you will likely need a procedure such as a tummy tuck or a body lift for definitive treatment (depending on your areas of concern).  liposuction can be added as an adjunctive procedure.

	Liposuctioning helps to sculpt and remove fat.  skin does shrink a bit with lipo, but at 63, liposuction alone will likely not achieve the best results for you if you indeed have extra/excess skin.

	Please visit with a board certified plastic surgery to learn more about your options.

Steven Wallach, MD · Answer

If you are choosing between a body lift or lipo then more than likely you have a lot of loose skin.  Liposuction will only make that worse.  An exam is critical to assess what would be best for you.

Body Lift vs Smart Lipo

Answers (18)

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