Body Lift

Individuals who have achieved significant weight loss, whether through diet, exercise, pregnancy or bariatric surgery, are often left with loose, excess skin. The body lift is a plastic surgery procedure which improves the body shape by removing excess skin and sometimes fat from the torso and upper legs. It is ideal for individuals who have excess skin following weight loss or those who have loose, inelastic skin for other reasons.

Candidates for body lift surgery are generally healthy, do not smoke, and have realistic expectations for the outcome of the surgery. Most candidates are looking to improve excess skin in the abdomen, hips, thighs and/or buttocks. The surgery can be combined with other procedures like the arm lift, breast lift or facelift to target other areas of the body and to retain a proper body proportion.

Many times patients can be dissatisfied or disappointed the lack of improvement in contour from older body "lifting" techniques which leave an excess of thickness around the abdomen and trunk. The skin has been lifted in the vertical vector, but NOT removed, and the patients still feels "thick." For these patients, Dr. Steinbrech offers the "Hourglass Trunk-lift" which excises the excess skin in the trunk leaving a more hourglass silhouette for the patient.

Dr. Steinbrech performs body lift and the Hourglass Trunk-lift surgery at his JCAHO accredited office-based surgery facility at Gotham Plastic Surgery of New York City. General anesthesia is commonly used. This surgery may take anywhere from three to seven hours to complete. While the incision pattern will vary according to the individual patient, a circumferential incision is often made around the body to target the buttocks, abdomen, waist, hips and thighs. Through this incision, excess fat and skin are removed and the underlying muscles and tightened and stitched. The navel is commonly repositioned. Liposuction may also be performed for an improved contour.

After surgery, some swelling and bruising can be expected. Medication can be taken to alleviate discomfort. Drainage tubes may be applied at the incision sites and these are generally removed within several days to weeks. Patients will need to wear a compression garment for several weeks. The recovery generally lasts four to six weeks and patients are often able to return to work after this time.

See Body Lift before and after photos