Body Lift Procedure Steps

By Gary Motykie, MD

People with significantly sagging skin in specific areas of the body can benefit from body lift plastic surgery. This condition may occur due to aging or after a pregnancy or a major weight loss.

A few key steps are involved in the body lift surgery, which may slightly vary depending on whether upper body, lower body or both areas are treated in the same procedure.

The surgeon will discuss all aspects of body lift during the pre-op consultation, and will educate the patient about the steps involved in the procedure. It usually helps to reduce pre-surgery anxiety levels when the patient knows how the procedure will be performed.

Dr. Gary Motykie is an experienced cosmetic surgeon providing body lift and other procedures to patients in Beverly Hills, West Hollywood, Los Angeles, and surrounding communities and cities in this part of the state.

Steps in Lower Body Lift

Lower body lift surgery is more popular, and it may address areas such as the waist, abdomen, thighs, buttocks and hips. The surgeon will perform skin and tissue tightening in multiple areas in a single procedure. As a first step in the procedure, the patient will be administered anesthesia once they are inside the surgery room.

Thereafter, the surgeon will place discreet incisions in pre-determined locations. To provide a gentle lift to the thighs and tighten the buttocks, an incision will be created in the lower waist area. If the procedure is combined with abdominoplasty, the incision will be circumferential around the waist. The pattern and length of incisions will be decided according to the degree of lift needed and the patient’s personal preferences.

Once the customized lower body lift plastic surgery is completed, the surgeon will close the incisions in multiple layers over the drain tubes to mitigate stretching and swelling. The underlying tissue will have deep sutures to support the new contours. Traditional or dissolvable sutures may be used to close the incisions.

Steps in Upper Body Lift

Following anesthesia, the surgeon will create an incision under the arm or along the back of the arm. If a significant lift is required, the incision may run from the elbow to the armpit, and may even extend along a part of the upper chest wall and towards the back. Through the incision, the surgeon will remove loose skin and tissue.

If the patient needs a breast lift, it will require an incision to be placed around the areola border, which extends from the lower half of the areola down to the inframammary fold. Another incision will be placed under the breast crease. Excess skin and tissue will be removed to lift the breasts to a tighter, more youthful level.
Lower and mid back lift will involve incisions on both sides of the middle back, or in case of women, the incisions will be made close to the bra line.

The surgeon will remove excess skin and tissue through the incisions. Incision closure will be the final step, which can be done with tape, skin adhesive or sutures. Outstanding and percipient cosmetic surgeon Dr. Motykie receives patients from Beverly Hills, West Hollywood, Los Angeles, and nearby areas for body lift surgery.
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