Will a LBL Address Significant Saddlebags? I Hear Resagging is Almost a Given.

Thank you for asking whether an LBL will address significant saddlebags and is messaging almost a given. Congratulations on your weight loss! The best procedure for lateral saddlebags is a hip lift or 360 circumferential lower body lift. If you have liposuction in this area, you will have hanging skin and needs a secondary procedure to correct hanging skin. Therefore, I suggest going to an experienced board-certified plastic surgeon specializing in reconstructive plastic surgery after massive weight loss. Specific techniques can be used during a lower body lift to minimize sagging over the hips. Resagging is not a given. There are minimal sagging or saddle bags if the lower body lift is performed correctly. The 360 circumferential lower body lift is an excellent procedure because it addresses the abdomen, hips, saddlebags, and buttocks all in one surgery. I believe you will get exceptional results. I hope my answer helps answer your question regarding whether an LBL will address significant saddlebags and whether messaging is a given.
Sincerely,
Dr. Katzen

Hello Txestella,

It is true that outer thigh lifts or lower body lifts have a difficult time with the saddlebag region due to it's unique anatomy.  However, that does not mean you won't get a significant permanent improvement, even with some settling of the tissues after surgery.  Body contouring for those that were morbidly obese has a very high re-operation rate due to poor tissue and skin characteristics; it's the norm not the exception.  You should enter into any plastic surgical procedure armed with the knowledge that you will probably benefit from some form of revision surgery that may require general anesthesia or just local anesthesia, depending on how extensive the revision. A responsible and experienced plastic surgeon will tell you this during a preoperative consultation.

Please don't misunderstand what I am saying; body contouring is the best way possible to change your appearance after adequate weight loss, and other less expensive or minimally invasive techniques will give you no results.  An alternative to the LBL is direct excision of the saddlebag region.  It is more effective, but has a much more conspicuous scar placement and will not address other issues including the waist, hip, and buttocks.

Best of luck!

Thank you for the question and picture. Congratulations on your successful weight loss.

The area you are concerned with can be treated with a lateral thigh lift along with liposuction surgery. If you are also concerned about the abdomen, flanks and lower back areas then a lower body lift would be indicated.

I think you are correct in that some “sagging” after surgery is to be expected given the skin elasticity changes  that occurred after the weight loss.. Nevertheless, as long as your expectations are realistic,  you should have a very nice contoured change with either one of the operations mentioned above.

I hope this helps.

A lower body lift (aka circumferential body lift) is essentially 3 procedures in 1: an extended tummy tuck, lateral thigh/waist lift, and buttock lift +/- buttock augmentation.   In my experience the "saddle bag" area can be successfully treated with a properly planned lower body lift.  In some cases, if there are dense fat deposits in addition to excess loose skin, I will often liposuction this area.    You will see significant permanent changes.   In the most severe cases of excess skin/fat in the saddle bag area, an additional smaller secondary tightening procedure may be needed to fine tune the final result.   Please visit with a board certified ASPS member surgeon to learn more about your options.  Best of luck.

Dr. Basu

A lower body lift, if performed properly, should correct your saddlebag deformity very nicely.  I personally have not seen a recurrence of the problem.  In addition to correcting your saddlebags, a lower body lift should also address excess skin in the buttocks, flanks, and back.  Make certain that your surgeon has performed this procedure since it is very lengthly.  Congratulations on your wonderful weight loss!