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Lower Body Lift

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What is a Lower Body Lift?

At MidAmerica Plastic Surgery, Dr. Ryan Diederich performs lower body lift surgery to help patients from Maryville, Edwardsville, and the St. Louis area improve the appearance and shape of their underlying tissue by removing excess skin and fat. This procedure tightens and reshapes the thighs and buttocks resulting in a smoother and more toned appearance. Pregnancy, heredity, natural aging, and changes in weight can cause your body to settle. Exercise can strengthen muscle but cannot address excess skin, fat, and loss of elasticity. If your body appears saggy or loose, and you desire a more youthful-looking body, a lower body lift in Glen Carbon, Illinois, from MidAmerica Plastic Surgery may be right for you.

Who may benefit from a Lower Body Lift?

A lower body lift is performed to:

• Remove excess loose skin and fat that hangs from thighs.
• Smooth and tighten tissue in the thighs.
• Define and shape the upper legs.

A Lower Body Lift may be right for you if:

• You have excess skin laxity of your thighs and buttocks.
• You are physically healthy and don’t have a medical condition that impairs healing.
• Your weight is stable.
• You do not smoke.

Before the Lower Body Lift Surgery

• Get lab testing or a medical evaluation, as needed.
• Take certain medications or adjust your current medications, as recommended.
• Stop smoking well in advance of your surgery.
• Avoid taking aspirin, anti-inflammatory drugs and herbal supplements as they can increase bleeding (if OK with your primary care physician. If you cannot stop, please let us know).
• Pre-Op instructions will be provided before the procedure. Please read these thoroughly for additional information.

The Day Of the Lower Body Lift Surgery

• Completed as an outpatient or with hospital stay depending on your particular needs.
• Nothing to eat or drink the day of surgery.
• You will need someone to drive you home and stay with you for the first 24 hours.

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After the Lower Body Lift Surgery

Recovery is patient dependent. Post-Op Instructions will be provided before the procedure. Please keep these close throughout recovery.

Seek medical attention immediately if you have any of the following:

• Shortness of breath
• Chest pains, or unusual heartbeats

Complications Regarding Lower Body Lift

As with any procedure there are risks. Fortunately, with a thigh lift, these risks are minimal. These include but are not limited to:

• Unfavorable scarring
• Bleeding (hematoma)
• Infection
• Fluid accumulation
• Poor wound healing
• Skin loss
• Blood clots
• Numbness or other changes in skin sensation
• Anesthesia risks
• Skin discoloration and/or prolonged swelling
• Fatty tissue found deep in the skin might die (fat necrosis)
• Major wound separation
• Asymmetry
• Recurrent looseness of skin
• Pain, which may persist
• Deep vein thrombosis, cardiac and pulmonary complications
• Persistent swelling in the legs
• Possibility of revisional surgery
• Sutures may spontaneously surface through the skin, become visible or produce irritation that require removal

Now What?

Dr. Ryan Diederich is a board-certified plastic surgeon specializing in a range of aesthetic and reconstructive plastic surgery procedures at MidAmerica Plastic Surgery in Glen Carbon, IL. If you’re looking for a plastic surgeon east of St. Louis, you can schedule a consultation online or call us at (618) 288-7855 to schedule an appointment.

For more information see the American Society of Plastic Surgery topic “Body Lift”

*This article is intended as a guideline only. This is not intended as medical advice. There are no guarantees written or implied from the information presented here. Only a consultation can provide an appropriate evaluation and discussion regarding any procedure. Refer to your physician for medical decision making and advice.