Lower Body Lift

Located in Kirkland, WA to serve the Eastside Seattle area

What is a Lower Body Lift?

A lower body lift, also known as a belt lipectomy, is a procedure designed to remove excess skin and fat of the lower back, upper buttocks, hips, outer thighs, and lower abdomen. It is essentially the extension of a tummy tuck (abdominoplasty), but in the lower body lift, the incision continues around the hips and across the lower back. The goal is to remove redundant tissue in these areas – flattening the abdomen and lifting the hips, thighs, and buttocks regions.

Am I a Candidate for a Lower Body Lift?

Patients that have loose skin circumferentially around the waist may be good candidates for a lower body lift. Typically this is the result of significant weight loss, but it can also be from aging and a generalized decrease in skin elasticity. Those seeking surgery may find difficulty fitting into clothes or may be dissatisfied with their flatter-appearing frame. Particularly for those that have worked hard to lose weight, this can be discouraging. An ideal candidate is at their maintenance weight and in good physical health.

Surgical Details

This is a procedure that is completed under general anesthesia, and it may take more than four hours in total. The surgery begins with the patient in a prone (face-down) position, where the lower back and buttocks are addressed. Excess tissue is removed, and occasionally, some tissue can be repurposed to add volume to the buttocks (gluteal auto-augmentation). The incisions are closed in layers. The patient is then repositioned to be supine (back-down), where the abdominoplasty is performed, connecting this to the hip/flank incisions from before. The abdominal muscles may be brought together at the midline when separation (rectus diastasis) is present. Multiple surgical drains are used. The remaining incisions are closed, using absorbable sutures that do not need to be removed.

Consultation Process

Critical in developing a surgical plan is the physical examination – the distribution of excess tissue will guide the scar pattern that is necessary. Dr. Remington will take photographs and illustrate the recommended treatment approach. The recovery, risks, and expected benefits will be discussed in detail.

Recovery and Results

A lower body lift is a more substantial recovery than most body contouring surgeries. It is usually an outpatient procedure, meaning that you will go home on the same day. Due to the circumferential incisions, sitting will be limited for one to weeks, and you will get used to a “laying to standing” maneuver. Most swelling will resolve in a few weeks and using compression will be important. The surgical drains are removed when the outputs are below a safe threshold. While this surgery is a commitment on the part of the patient, the results can substantially improve confidence and quality of life.