Recovering from Lower Body Lift Surgery

Shedding the extra pounds can have a significant impact to a person’s health, however, one downside is the formation of excess skin especially around the midsection, upper arms, and bra line.  This problem is particularly common for those who have lost 100 lbs. of excess weight or more.

Because the redundant skin is quite common among massive weight loss patients especially in the midsection, lower body lift is one of the most recommended plastic surgeries for them.  With this procedure, surgeons can target the excess skin along the abdomen (just like in a tummy tuck), and lift the sagging thighs and buttocks.

With this procedure, it would be like receiving tummy tuck, thigh lift, and butt lift all at the same time.  But one downside is the relatively long and painful recovery which is common with any invasive plastic surgery.

Lower body lift requires the use of a circumferential incision that results to a belt-like scar that fades over time.  This will cover the hips, back, and abdomen of a patient, allowing plastic surgeons to excise the redundant skin, lift the sagging buttocks and thighs, and contour the midsection of the body.  

Because the surgery is conducted under general anesthesia which puts a person to sleep, nausea and vomiting are quite common especially during the first to second day of recovery.  Meanwhile, some doctors recommend IV medications to control such symptoms particularly vomiting as it can put stress on the surgical incisions.

While some body contouring surgeries such as liposuction and tummy tuck are usually considered an outpatient procedure, this is not the case with lower body lift due to its invasive nature.  In fact, most plastic surgeons would likely recommend several days or weeks of hospital stay so the patients can receive immediate care in case a complication occurs.

In most cases, patients are only discharged from the hospital once they are already comfortable with oral pain medications.  But still, they should avoid strenuous activities and heavy lifting for several days to prevent wound reopening and promote faster recovery.

Despite some discomfort, patients are advised to take a short, gentle walk and/or perform light activities to prevent blood clotting and encourage their body to heal faster.

To minimize swelling and promote quicker recovery, plastic surgeons require their patients to wear compression garments that provide not just support but also encourage the skin to heal closer to the body, further defining the midsection.