Lower body lift
After severe weight loss, there can sometimes be a lot of excess skin around the abdomen, hips and buttocks. The quality of the skin can reduce, so that the excess skin no longer retracts / disappears after losing a lot a weight. By means of a lower body lift, we try to remove this excess skin as well as possible in one procedure.
Under general anaesthetic, an incision is made around the entire circumference of the body (approximately at the bikini line, lower back and hip crest). The height of the incision varies according to the place of the skin excess.
Wound drains can be left for a few days to drain the remaining wound fluid. These will be cared for daily by the home nurse until they can be removed.
Preparation
- You must be fasting for this procedure under general anaesthetic.
- Timely smoking cessation is very important to prevent wound healing problems.
- When taking blood thinners, you should stop them in time. Be sure to discuss this with the surgeon during the consultation.
Postoperative course
- You should wear a belly band for 6 weeks to optimize the result. In this way, the skin will contract better.
- You are not allowed to make any strenuous (sporting) efforts for 6 weeks.
- It is very important to mobilize as soon as possible after the procedure (within the pain limits), in order to prevent thrombosis, among other things.
Possible complications
As with any surgery, this procedure carries a risk of bleeding, infection or impaired wound healing. After a lower body lift there is an additional risk of seroma formation, this extra subcutaneous fluid sometimes needs to be punctured and removed during the consultation.