A body lift, is the combination of tummy tuck, liposuction, inner thigh, and buttock lifts.

Tummy tuck, can address excess abdominal tissue, while inner thigh and buttock lifts will address the thighs and buttocks areas. Liposuction can also improve the contour of targeted areas of the body if there is excess fatty tissue and the skin is tight.

At Australia Plastic Surgery we utilise combination of procedures to improve the patient's form; each is tailored to meet the individual's need.

Aim of the procedure: giving you a firmer, more youthful look and leaving you more confident to wear tighter and slimmer dresses.

Weight Loss and Plastic Surgery

Many people who are overweight, genetically, habitually or after pregnancy, will try anything to lose weight and get back into shape. A small percentage of them are able to accomplish their goals through diet and exercise. An even larger percent of them, however, find that their weight interferes with exercise and confounds the problem. They find themselves in a catch 22 they cant exercise because of their weight and they cant lose weight because they cant exercise. One popular solution for people caught in this situation is to have bariatric surgery. This surgery modifies the stomach and intestines so that weight loss is feasible. Bariatric surgery has been very effective in producing significant weight loss for many people who feel they have no other option.

Planning your surgery

The consultation

Full medical and clinical exam ensuring that the weight has stabilized before proceeding with any plastic surgery procedure.

Patients wishes and expectation will be discussed and a comprehensive regime will be implemented to address all body areas requiring improvements. The patient will decide what area to address first guided by professional plastic surgeons opinion.

Plastic Surgery procedures following massive weight loss are usually extremely gratifying for both the patient and surgeon. The results are usually dramatic and provide a significant functional and aesthetic benefit to the patient

Whether a person loses weight through diet and exercise or through bariatric surgery, there are a few obstacles that arise because of the weight loss. One of the most noticeable would be the loose skin that remains after the weight is gone. To understand why loose skin is an after-effect of weight loss, heres an explanation: when someone is overweight, the skin stretches to accommodate the increased volume of weight. After weight loss, the skin often fails to tighten, and so it sags. In many cases, it hangs. It acts as a constant reminder of the weight you once were. Further diet and exercise will NOT tighten skin (exercise never tightens skin only muscles). The only way to tighten loose skin is through surgery.

Most people who accomplish significant weight loss often need or want to have few of the above operations. Depending on which area bothers you the most, the surgery is tailored to fit your needs, starting with the area of greatest concern. Most massive weight loss patients prefer to start with abdominoplasty, which is also known as a tummy tuck and Breast lifting and reshaping procedure.

The Surgery

The procedure is done under General anesthetic in a hospital and takes 4-6 hours depends on its complexity

As with any surgery, scars will be present. The more skin that is removed, the more extensive are the scars. For a body lift, they will extend from along the lower abdomen, around the hips, and toward the buttock crease. There is another scar in each groin crease due to the inner thigh lift. One way to look at it is that this operation exchanges one cosmetic problem (loose skin) for another (scars). In general, those with very loose saggy skin following significant weight loss are likely to find this exchange worthwhile. Those with a small amount of looseness will probably not want the scars.

After the surgery

You will have simple dressing covering the wound site

A special garment may be required

Length of stay: 1-4 nights.

Discomfort: Moderate. Anticipate 5-10 days of prescription pain medication.

Swelling: Improves over 2-6 weeks.

An appointment will be arranged for follow up in 7-10 days for removal of bandages and

wound review. Stitches: absorbable.

Getting you back to work and normal activities

It depend on the complexity of the procedure that you undertaken, generally you will be able to go back to normal duties within 2-4weeks.

Exercise: May be resumed in 4-6 weeks.

Final result: Will be seen after the scars have matured, which will be about six months.

Plastic Surgery Costs

Bodylift

(Abdominoplasty, flankoplasty, thigh lift, buttock lift and liposuction).

Total Cost: $21,000 (including Surgeon’s fee, Assistant Surgeons fee, Anaesthetist’s fee, Hospital, operating theatre and all follow up visits cost).

Medicare and/or Private health insurance will refund you some of the above total cost.

This price assumes top hospital cover with a private fund. If fund cover does not apply in your situation, plan for additional costs of $10,000.