Lower Body Lift

A lower body lift, also called a belt lipectomy or circumferential body lift, excises redundant skin and fat around the entire lower trunk, combining elements of an abdominoplasty with a buttock and outer-thigh lift through an incision that tracks around the waistline. It is designed for patients with circumferential laxity after massive weight loss, often post-bariatric or after GLP-1-assisted loss, and is frequently combined with liposuction. Recovery is longer than a tummy tuck.

What it does

A body lift addresses laxity that goes all the way around, which a single-area procedure cannot.

• Removes circumferential skin. Excises loose skin and fat around the abdomen, flanks, hips, lower back, and buttocks.
• Reshapes the lower body. Tightens and re-drapes what remains for a smoother, more toned lower-body contour.
• Lifts the buttocks and outer thighs. The wrap-around design repositions the back and sides, not just the front.

It is the right tool specifically when laxity is circumferential; when only the front abdomen is loose, a tummy tuck is the less extensive choice.

How it works

A lower body lift is a major operation under general anesthesia, taking several hours. The surgeon makes an incision that tracks around the waistline, removes the excess skin and fat, tightens and repositions the remaining tissue over the abdomen, flanks, back, and buttocks, and closes with drains in place; a compression garment supports healing. Liposuction is often added to refine contours. Recovery is phased over several weeks to a few months, longer than a tummy tuck, and some patients stay overnight.

Because this is one of the larger body-contouring operations, it is planned carefully around your health and your weight stability.

Body lift or a single-area procedure, and why it is a real choice

The right operation matches where your laxity actually is, a genuine trade of coverage against scar and recovery.

A body lift covers the most but leaves the longest scar and the longest recovery, so it is chosen when the laxity truly is circumferential. A board-certified surgeon maps where your skin is loose and recommends the least operation that addresses it.

What a body lift works with

This is what the consultation assesses, because circumference, weight, and health all matter.

The value is not the list. It is that a board-certified surgeon confirms the laxity is circumferential and that your weight and health are ready, then plans a safe operation, rather than doing more surgery than your situation needs.

Why Santa Barbara Face & Body

A lower body lift is one of the most extensive body-contouring operations, with a real complication profile, so patient selection, timing, and technique matter enormously. Dr. Polynice is a Mayo-trained, board-certified plastic surgeon focused on breast and body surgery, and he confirms your weight is stable and your health optimized before planning it, places the scar where clothing hides it, and is honest about the recovery it asks of you. A safe result, planned around you, is the standard here.

What to expect

Dr. Polynice examines where your skin is loose around the whole lower body, confirms your weight is stable, and reviews your health and nutrition, since this is a major operation. He explains the wrap-around incision, where the scar sits, the drains and compression garment, and the phased recovery, and is candid that a body lift carries more risk than smaller procedures. You leave with a plan built around a safe result, not a rushed one.

What it costs

A lower body lift is quoted by the plan, not by a shelf price, because it depends on the extent of skin removed, whether liposuction or other lifts are combined, and the complexity of your case. You will have that number in writing at your consultation, before anything is scheduled.