Body Lift

(Buttock Lift/Thigh Lift)
A well-proportioned and toned body with smooth contours is often a sign of fitness achieved by healthy diet and exercise. Sometimes, exercise alone cannot always achieve desired results for people who have loose, sagging skin, and uneven contours. Aging, sun damage, pregnancy, and significant fluctuations in weight as well as genetic factors may contribute to poor tissue elasticity and can result in sagging of the abdomen, buttocks, thighs, and upper arms. If fitness and weight loss efforts have not achieved your goals for a body that is firmer, more youthful-looking and more proportionate to your overall body image, a surgical body lift may be right for you.

Learn more about body lift surgery and other associated procedures that target excess skin and fat in specific areas of the body by exploring the sections below:

• What Is a Body Lift?
• Body Lift Surgery Candidates
• Body Lift Procedures
• Recovery After Body Lift Surgery
• Body Lift Surgery Cost

What Is a Body Lift?

Body lifts are not intended strictly for the removal of excess fat—these procedures are designed to address loose, stretched skin as well as fat deposits to create smoother, tighter, more proportional abdominal and lower body contours. Liposuction alone can remove excess fat deposits where skin has good elasticity and is able to naturally conform to new body contours; however, in cases where skin elasticity is poor, a combination of liposuction and body lift techniques are typically recommended.

In general, a body lift may include the abdominal area, locally or extending around the sides and into the lower back; the buttocks which may be low, flat, or shaped unevenly; a groin that is sagging into the inner thigh; or the thigh itself, including the inner, outer, or posterior thighs. Dr. Joseph DiBello will employ the most advanced techniques along with his unique experience and approach to placing incisions in strategic locations where they can be hidden by most types of clothing and swimsuits. However, incisions may be extensive. Many times body lift surgery is performed in stages depending on your conditions, goals, health, safety, and recovery. Dr. DiBello will use his surgical judgment to define an individualized surgical plan for you.

Who Is a Candidate for Body Lift Surgery?

Candidates for body lift procedures are generally concerned with the appearance of sagging, inelastic, stretched skin that will not conform to the body. Most often these kinds of issues may be caused by:

• Significant weight fluctuations, typically the loss of large quantities of body weight either due to changes in diet and exercise or as the result of weight-loss surgery.
• Aging
• Genetics
• Pregnancies
• Hormone fluctuations

A consultation with Dr. DiBello will help you decide if you are a candidate for a body lift. He will evaluate your skin quality, the location/quantity of skin and fat that needs to be removed, and assess the condition of your health to determine whether body lift surgery is the right option for you. At that time, he will also discuss what is involved in the surgery and give you an idea of the results that you can expect to achieve.

While Dr. DiBello does not post before-and-after photos of his plastic surgery patients on our website, you will have the opportunity to view patient photos in the comfort and privacy of our office during your consultation. In order to set appropriate expectations of your body lift surgery outcome, Dr. DiBello will show you photos of patients whose concerns are similar to your own.

What Does the Body Lift Procedure Involve?

The details of your body lift procedure will depend upon the specific type of surgery you undergo. Dr. DiBello performs the following body lift procedures for his patients:

Thigh Lift

The thigh lift procedure targets excess skin and fat that has collected in the thigh region. During the procedure an incision is made along the inner thigh, redundant skin is removed, and fat is sculpted with liposuction. Once the appropriate contour is achieved, Dr. DiBello closes the incision for a smoother, tighter, leaner thigh contour. The surgical process is then completed on the other thigh to achieve symmetrical results.

Buttock Lift

A buttock lift, or gluteal lift, improves the shape and tone of the underlying tissue that supports skin and fat in the buttock area. Aging, sun damage, pregnancy, significant fluctuations in weight, and genetic factors may contribute to poor tissue elasticity that can result in sagging and loss of tone of the buttocks. A buttock lift procedure can help bring about a smoother and more pleasing contour through the removal of excess sagging skin and fat in a manner similar to a tummy tuck, only reversed. Dr. DiBello performs the buttock lift so that the scar will be strategically placed within the area along the upper curves of the buttocks, which is normally covered by a thong. A traditional gluteal lift will not make a butt larger, but will improve projection and tone. This procedure usually includes Llposuction to help improve the contoured result.

Patients who are physically healthy and have good buttock skin tone (without sagging), but feel that their butt is either too small, uneven, or nor round enough, may be a candidate for gluteal fat grafting. Gluteal fat grafting, referred to as the Brazilian butt lift, combines liposuction sculpting of fat and fat transfers to create smoother, tighter, more lifted, and ideally shaped buttocks. The procedure is highly customized to suit the patient’s needs and the ultimate goal is to achieve balanced, proportionate, shapely buttocks that complement the figure.

Learn more

Posterior Lower Body Lift

The posterior lower body lift focuses on lifting and contouring the flanks (love handles), lower back, hips, and buttocks. These enhancements are achieved through an incision made horizontally along the lower back, below the beltline. Via this incision, Dr. DiBello is able to remove excess skin, sculpt fat deposits with liposuction, and then lift the skin upward on the improved frame for smoother, tighter, leaner contours along the posterior region of the lower body. Posterior body lift can be combined with fat grafting techniques to enhance buttock contours and/or a thigh lift to further perfect the final outcome.

Circumferential Lower Body Lift

The circumferential lower body lift procedure is the most comprehensive body lift procedure that Dr. DiBello performs—it can target excess skin and fat along the abdomen, back, buttocks and hips. These surgical enhancements are made through an incision that extends around the entire circumference of the body, just below the beltline. Excess skin is removed from around the entire lower midsection of the body, fat deposits are sculpted with liposuction, and the skin is pulled taut in both an upward and downward direction for smooth contours once the incision is closed. Due to the intensive nature of this procedure, it is typically performed on an in-patient basis. Dr. DiBello may opt to perform the procedure in stages for an optimal outcome and smoother healing process—each patient is unique and requires a customized surgical plan that accommodates his/her specific needs, health status and aesthetic goals.

What Is Recovery After a Body Lift Like?

Patients who undergo a body lift procedure should be prepared for a more extended healing process than is required of other plastic surgery procedures. Due to the size of the incisions and the extent of the contouring performed, it is typical for patients to require between four to six weeks of recovery before returning to their usual low-impact activities (this number varies based on the procedure). Prior to your customized body lift procedure, Dr. DiBello will be clear about what you can expect during the healing process. Since each patient is unique, he will explain specifically what your recovery will be like based on the details of your surgical plan.

How Much Does Body Lift Surgery Cost?

At DiBello Plastic Surgery, the average price range for the body lift procedures we offer are as follows:

• Thigh lift: $6,500 — $7,500
• Buttock lift: $7,000 — $11,000
• Posterior body lift: $8,000 — $9,000
• Circumferential body lift: $15,000 — $16,000

It is important to understand that pricing can vary based on the degree of enhancement required and the details of your surgical plan. Undergoing the procedure (or procedures) in phases can also impact the price. Following your consultation with Dr. DiBello, you can receive a cost quote for your customized body lift surgical plan. Your quote will include all the anticipated fees and costs associated with your procedure, including Dr. DiBello’s surgeon fee, hospital costs, anesthesia fees and medication costs. In some cases, when body lift procedures are deemed “medically necessary,” your medical insurance may partially or fully reimburse you for the cost of this surgery. We encourage you to inquire with your insurance company to learn more about this, as our office does not handle insurance inquiries.

Contact DiBello Plastic Surgery to schedule your body lift consultation with our board-certified plastic surgeon!