Full Lower Body Lift Vs. Tummy Tuck & Then Lower Body Lift?

Thank you for your question. A consultation would help determine which of the following procedures is the right one for you:1)
Traditional tummy tuck: Reduces a great amount of skin laxity,
tightens the abdominal wall muscles and keeps the incision hidden in the
underwear line.2) An extended tummy tuck: Same as a tummy tuck, but helps to reduce more skin laxity around the flanks.3)
A corset tummy tuck: Adds a vertical scar and breast fold scar, but
reduces a significant amount of vertical skin laxity in addition to the
horizontal skin laxity and creates the most hour-glass type figure.
Downside is more visible scar4) A belt lipectomy (or lower body lift) helps lift the outer thighs and buttock in addition to the benefits of an extended tummy tuck.Options
3 and 4 usually have a significant amount of skin laxity that is being
addressed. I would recommend visiting with a board certified plastic
surgeon who can spend time with you to explain the different options in
more detail.

It's not unusual for patients to experience significant weight loss following pregnancy. When this situation arises, they frequently develop redundant abdominal skin with weakened abdominal muscles. In many cases, this redundant skin extends posteriorly as a roll and results in buttock sag as well. This is often accompanied by localized fat deposits in the hip and saddle bag regions. Significant weight loss is also associated with loss of breast volume and associated breast sag.When this situation arises, correction of these problems will usually require one of the variants of the mommy makeover. In this particular case, lower body lift surgery , breast augmentation and breast lift surgery are not an unreasonable combination. When these procedures are combined, there's improved synergy, less expense and one recovery.When these procedures are performed together, safety has to be the first priority. For this reason, we believe it's important to minimize the length of these operative procedures. An experienced surgeon, 1st assistant and surgical team that focus on efficiency can minimize the length of the procedure and reduce the potential for complications.When these resources aren't available, it's appropriate to stage these procedures. Combination surgery isn't for everyone. Patients may have co-existing health problems which prevent this approach. If you're considering this approach, it's important that you discuss these issues with your plastic surgeon. Your surgeon should be able to formulate an appropriate surgical plan.

Often
with major weight loss, excess loose skin occurs over the abdomen, hips
buttocks and thighs. I prefer to perform the abdominoplasty and the lower body
lift at the same as more balanced abdominoplasty results can be achieved when
the incision can be extended around the body without limitation. In addition,
often there is a loss of fullness in the buttocks after weight loss. Some of
the fat in the lower abdomen which would otherwise be thrown away with a tummy
tuck alone can be harvested and used to fill out the loose skin on the buttocks while at the same time lifting the buttock with a lower body lift.

Hello!  Congratulations on your weight loss!  Body contouring after such weight loss are very popular procedures and can produce excellent results!  These procedures may be safely combined at one setting, given you are healthy and without significant medical comorbdities.  I would consult with a plastic surgeon who would examine you and discuss the various options and assist you to decide if you wish to undergo all of the procedures at once or at smaller staged procedures.  An examination of the amount of work to do with each will also make the decision.  There would obviously be a cost saving and recovery benefit for a one-stage procedure.  However, your safety should not be sacrificed for these reasons.If it was deemed wisest to stage these procedures, you will have to decide which procedure(s) are most important to you.  You should devise a priority list and discuss this with your surgeon and several of these procedures will still likely to be combined at the same procedure.  Thank you for your question!  Hope that his helps and best wishes for a superb result!

Dear BMJ:

I would suggest a full lower body lift to be done at one surgery.  When I do body lifts, I do an aggressive tummy tuck on the front side.  I do not see any benefits of doing an aggressive tummy tuck followed by a lower body lift at a later date.  Therefore I would suggest a full lower body lift followed 1 or 2 months later by a breast lift with implants.  If your full body lift is not that “extensive,” your body lift and breast lift can be done at the same time.
Thank you,

Hello,

While surgeons have their personal preferences, scientific evidence is clear: there is a significantly higher rate of all complications when comparing a one stage lower body lift to a staged procedure of abdominoplasty followed by a posterior body lift.

Best of luck!

Thank you for your question and congratulations on your successful weight loss.  The tummy tuck procedure addresses the anterior abdominal wall whereas the lower body lift addresses the torso circumferentially.   In other words, the lower body lift will address the lateral thighs, back and buttocks areas (to some degree).
 Which operation you should undergo will depend on your areas of concern (goals) best communicated directly with your plastic surgeon in front of a full-length mirror and with the help of goal photographs.
 Best wishes.

They are technically
separate procedures.  However, they can
be performed at the same time.  A tummy
tuck is basically contouring the front part of the torso, the body lift
extending this to the back part of the torso plus helps lift the gluteus.  Some patients have a tummy tuck first, then
proceed with the lower body lift at a later time.  However if you desire the lower body lift for
sure , then the tummy tuck portion is usually performed at the same time to get
the full circumferential effect.

I would recommend that you consider doing a circumferential body lift/ belt lipectomy/ lower body lift or doing an extended tummy tuck with breast lift/implants.  

 

When considering the staging and order of body contouring procedures, we assess the patients goals, body habitus, medical problems, and then we recommend procedures or combinations that can allow for a safe recovery.

 

I would recommend consulting with 3 board certified plastic surgeons who have an interest in body contouring surgery to make the most educated decision.   I wish you a safe recovery and amazing result!!

 

Dr. Gill

There will be varied opinions, and mine is to have two procedures, the first being the tummy tuck and breast surgery, then later the posterior part of the body lift. The Breast and TT combination can be done without a position change, and in a reasonable amount of operating time.

Congratulations on the weight loss, good luck with your procedures.