BODY LIFT FAQS DR. WILLIAM ALBRIGHT
BODY LIFT FAQS DR. WILLIAM ALBRIGHT https://sanantoniosurgeon.wordpress.com/2021/08/30/body-lift-faqs/ BODY LIFT FAQS
A body lift involves removing excess skin and and fat from around the lower hip area from front to back. The procedure is an incredibly powerful way to improve the contour of the belly and lower back. By removing this tissue, you can get rid of the dreaded "muffin-top" that hangs over your pants, or stop having to tuck it into your pants. It can be done! Dr. Albright will use his artistic skills to accentuate the hips and improve symmetry. Call today to see if you are a good candidate for this life-changing procedure.
Am I good candidate for a body lift?
Good candidates for a body lift are women who are finished with child-bearing or are men or women at a stable, preferably ideal, body weight. For the best cosmetic results, patients should have a body mass index (BMI) less than 30, and have most of their fat located under the skin instead of inside the abdomen. Dr. Albright will assess for this during the physical exam. As safety is of utmost importance to Dr. Albright, patients should be medically healthy enough for general anesthesia, and should not have had major abdominal surgeries or mesh-based large hernia repairs. Patients who have had bariatric surgery, should be at least 1 year after their procedure, and have stable weight with adequate follow up and laboratory studies by their bariatric surgeon prior to considering body contouring procedures
What are the typical scars like with a body lift?
The common scar pattern is a horizontal (side-to-side) scar located above the pubic mound near where a C-section scar would be placed. The scar is contoured and positioned so that it should be fairly easy to hide with most types of underwear and bikini bottoms. However, the scar is longer than a C section scar, and will reach around to the back to be nearly circumferential. For patients who have had dramatic weight-loss success including after bariatric surgery, it may be necessary to perform a staged surgeries, whereby a "fleur-de-lis" abdominoplasty (tummy tuck) is performed first, followed about 6 months later with a lower back lift. The fleur de lis abdominopalsty combines a traditional lower side-to-side incision with a long vertical incision creating an upside down âTâ pattern on the front of the abdomen. This is sometimes needed to address not only top-down skin excess but also side-to-side skin excess. Although the scar pattern is more visible and difficult to hide out-of-clothing, the resulting improvement in shape and waist definition is usually considered a fair trade by these patients. Still unsure? Come in today to see what these results can look like.
Will I need drains with a body lift?
Yes, Dr. Albright uses drains after this procedure. Your body has a natural tendency to release clear fluid from your circulation (serous fluid) into areas of inflammation and surgically-created space. If this fluid is not reabsorbed in a timely manner, it can collect and form a seroma, which may need to be drained with a needle or even (rarely) require more surgery to fix. Dr. Albright tries to minimize this risk with surgical drains. He and his staff will help educate you and your caregivers in the proper maintenance of your temporary drains.
How is a body lift different than a tummy tuck?
Tummy tucks (abdominoplasty) only addresses skin excess on the front of the abdomen, and does not extend around over the hips to the back. Since tummy tucks only address this area, it is easier to remove more excess skin from the front without having to worry about tension on a closure around the back. This means that with a body lift (where the incision extends nearly completely around the body), there is an inherent compromise in how much excess skin can be removed from the front and back. If one attempts to remove too much skin from the front, then there is a much greater likelihood of wound problems. Even with the most careful pre-surgical planning, body lifts have a higher rate of small wound issues at the incision site compared to traditional tummy tucks. Dr. Albright will discuss risks of the procedure with you during your consultation and answer any questions you have so that you can feel confident in your surgical plan.
Can I get other surgery procedures like breast surgery or arm/thigh lift, at the same time as my tummy tuck?
Yes, it is common to combine procedures as there is usually less total expense and only one postoperative recovery period. Additionally, patients will have a much more profound body makeover. The most common procedures performed with a tummy tuck plastic surgery are breast surgeries (breast augmentation, breast lift, augmentation mastopexy or fat transfer to the breasts) and is commonly described as a "mommy makeover". However, there are drawbacks to combining procedures and it may not be ideal for all patients. The complications from combined surgeries is slightly higher than doing the procedures independently especially for blood clots. Dr. William Albright, one of the best surgeons for tummy tuck surgery, and he will assess these risks and will be happy to give you his honest opinion.
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Originally published on https://www.alamoplasticsurgery.com/surgical-procedures/body-lift
