Body Lift
If you have lost weight over the past months to years, you may be noticing that your skin does not shrink that way that you wanted. Skin quality is often not good enough to be able to keep up with your weight loss, leaving you with overhanging and excess skin. During the aging and weight gain process, skin loses some elasticity, causing the mid-section to lose its natural shape and firmness. A body lift, also known as a belt lipectomy, is a procedure that Dr. Matthew G. Stanwix of Richmond VA specializes in to raise and reshape unsightly, sagging body skin. Dr. Stanwix uses a body lift procedure to remove loose skin and related fat deposits, thus, providing a more youthful appearance and svelte contour. A body lift can be applied to the lower torso and upper legs including the abdomen, waist, inner/outer thighs, buttocks, and/or hips. Dr. Stanwix often performs liposuction in conjunction with a body lift to give you the best result possible. Dr. Stanwix also offers his advanced variations to self-augment and lift the flat buttocks you may have with cutting edge techniques.
Reasons for Considering a Body Lift:
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Reshape your mid-section body contour
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Remove sagging skin and underlying tissue due to aging or excessive weight loss
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Remedy weight gain and stretched skin caused by multiple pregnancies.
General Procedure
The precise procedure varies with each patient, depending on the body type and desired surgical outcome. Dr. Stanwix of Richmond VA individualizes each procedure because no two individuals are alike and everyone deserves specific procedures to fit their desire and body type. Overall, the body lift procedure entails making an incision that follows the upper and/or inner thigh, to the waistline. In more extensive surgeries, the incision goes completely around the waist and lower back like a belt (belt lipectomy). Dr. Stanwix uses advanced techniques if you wish to augment your flat buttocks by using the excess skin and tissue that is usually removed to add additional volume and, thus, "lift" your butt.
Excess skin is ultimately removed, followed by the underlying fat deposits, and liposuction performed. Finally, Dr. Stanwix pulls the skin tight and meticulously closes it. It takes Dr. Stanwix 3 to 7 hours to perform this type of surgery depending on your individualized treatment plan. Dr. Stanwix always performs this procedure safely under general anesthesia.
Recovery Process
Dr. Stanwix performs body lift procedures as an outpatient procedure or as a quick overnight stay in the hospital. Because it involves removing tissue then you will see a lot of your results immediately. Depending on the amount of surgery you wish to have to meet your needs, small plastic drainage tubes are often placed to drain excess fluids. Dr. Stanwix may also place you in a tight compression garment to help shape your body into its aesthetically appealing contour. Expect some degree of minimal discomfort which is easily treated with oral medication prescribed by Dr. Stanwix of Richmond VA. Recovery time varies with the extent of the procedure, but walking is very important afterwards. Most people go back to light cardio activity two weeks or less after surgery and are unrestricted by three to four weeks. While complications are rare, patients can minimize potential problems by carefully following the detailed instructions Dr. Stanwix will provide you.