Lower Body Lift

When you meet with us for your lower body lift and buttock lift consultation, we will have an honest discussion about your desires, expectations, and concerns, as well as the limits and risks of the procedures. We will review your medical history and recommend options that can best help you achieve your goals. We will give you thorough written instructions to prepare for your surgery and will answer any questions you have.

At Summit Health, the patient experience is of primary importance to us. We customize every single procedure we do so that it is tailored to what is best for you and you alone.

Lower body lift and buttock lift surgery is performed using a general anesthetic, and some patients choose to stay in the hospital overnight. The procedure generally lasts 4 to 5 hours.

During a lower body lift and buttock lift, your surgeon will make the incisions as low on the body as possible so that the scars can be hidden under clothing. In some cases, however, an incision must be made around the belt line of the waist, across the lower abdomen, and down the inner thighs. The procedure is highly customized based on your anatomy and what you wish to accomplish with the surgery.

Excess fat and skin are removed, and the body is sculpted through lifting, tightening, shaping, and smoothing the skin.

Liposuction is often performed to remove the excess fat. Tumescent fluid is introduced first to numb the area and reduce the chance of bleeding, as well as to loosen and soften the fatty tissues. This expansion of the fatty tissue allows the liposuction instrument to travel smoothly as it is moved in and out from beneath the skin in order to suction out the fat. The surgeon then inserts a small tube called a cannula to mechanically break down the excess fat.

If the upper buttocks are to be augmented at the same time, we use some of the tissue on the back that would normally be removed and fold it underneath the top layer of skin to give the buttocks a slight lift.

During lower body lift recovery, you can expect bruising, swelling, and some pain following surgery, but you can take oral prescription medications to manage the discomfort. We also provide medication to avoid blood clots, which must be taken for about 2 weeks.

Several drain tubes will be placed under the skin for about 1 week to prevent fluid from collecting around the incisions. You may only need light dressings, but you must wear compression garments for 2 to 4 weeks that apply pressure to the incisions and prevent excessive swelling. These garments also help your skin adjust to its new contours. We will, of course, monitor your healing progress in follow-up visits.

Within a week, you should be able to return to most of your activities, including work, as long as your job is not strenuous. Within 2 weeks, you can resume most all of your previous activities, except for very vigorous exercise and sports, which you should avoid for 6 to 8 weeks.

Although lower body lift scars are long, they usually fade a great deal over time. We take great care to reduce scarring as much as possible. We apply scar cream and perform massage, and we also usually provide cortisone injections anywhere on the incisions where the skin might thicken. This prevents the scars from becoming raised and prominent. You may also be able to receive a laser scar revision procedure sometime after your surgery to further reduce the appearance of your scars.