Body Lift Questions

A good  candidate for body lift is one who has maintained a stable weight for a minimum of three to six months and who is healthy, exercises and is on a stable dietary program.  Patients who have had lap bands or gastric bypass surgery should wait for at least one year after weight loss surgery for health related problems associated with obesity to improve. Women who plan to have children should also delay surgery till after completion of childbearing.

Body lift surgery can range from four to eight hours depending on how many procedures are performed . The surgeries may be divided up to decrease risks associated with multiple surgeries. This will be decided with your surgeon.

A body lift is a major surgery and will require significant recovery time. You may spend one to three nights in the hospital and require home care for several days up to two weeks. You may require four to six weeks to return to normal activities and up to eight weeks before exercising.

As with all surgery there are certain risks, and possibilities for complications. The most common risks associated with a body lift are small skin separations and seromas or fluid accumulations under the skin.With every medical procedure there is a possibility of complications. The most common body lift complications include seromas (fluid accumulations under the skin) and small skin separations. You may experience reduced sensation in the treated area, which can be permanent.There are risks of infection, bleeding and blood clots but these are less common. There will also be permanent scarring but in time they should fade in color and flatten out.  The results of the body lift are apparent almost immediately but final results take time to fully develop and the results will be long-lasting if you maintain a stable weight and good overall general fitness.