So After a Belt Lipectomy; Can You Sit? is It Painful?

Thank you for your question. Body contouring after weight loss has become increasingly common, which includes lower body lifts. With a lower body lift, or belt lipectomy, the excess skin of the belly, flanks, buttocks, and lateral thighs is removed, which recontours these areas. This does leave a scar that circles the body, but can be quite effective in treating the skin excess.

People are able to sit after a lower body lift. Though there is some recovery time, it is manageable  After 2 weeks time, most people are able to resume normal activities of daily living.

Belt lipectomy surgery removes excess skin from the abdomen and back. Patients can anticipate limited physical activity for ten to fourteen days following surgery. I typically tell my patients bathroom and kitchen privileges initially with slow resumption of normal activity over the next two weeks. During this period, it's reasonable to sit in a recliner chair. This should provide no risk to the integrity of the wound closure.Although it's not unusual for patients to experience pain following belt lipectomy, the vast majority of patients tolerate this pain without difficulty. The pain associated with this procedure is severe in the first 24 to 48 hours following surgery, but rapidly diminishes with time. We typically use a synthetic codeine derivative called hydrocodone, which has a decreased incidence of nausea compared to codeine. We replace narcotic pain relievers with Tylenol as soon as possible following surgery to avoid the potential for drug problems. Pain tolerance varies from patient to patient following belt lipectomy, but when these steps are taken, most patients do well and tolerate their pain without difficulty.

The body lift is a very effective procedure for contouring the buttock, love handles, lateral thighs and abdomen.  It is most commonly used in patients who have experienced significant weight loss with lax skin.   The excellent results seen by these patients have prompted its increased use in cosmetic patients.  While the procedur is uncomfortable, sitting is possible even if the buttock is augmented.  Exercising before surgery increases functional reserve and makes transferring and recovery much easier in my experience.  Good luck!