Belt Lipectomy (360 Lipectomy, Lift)

This operation is designed to address excess skin and fat that goes around the circumference of the torso at the waist level.  The front surgery is an abdominoplasty with suctioning, muscle repair, and skin excision.  The backside, the abdominal scar incision continues across the flanks just above the buttocks.  The scar falls about where a thong would lie.  The flanks are suctioned to create a more concave contour.  Fat from the flanks and abdomen may be used to graft the buttocks to increase  projection or give a more rounded shape.

This is a long operation.  Patients stay overnight to allow adequate pain control.  You may shower the day after surgery.  Nurses will discuss and demonstrate wound and drain care.  There are usually two to three drains that stay in place for two to three weeks.  These whisk away tissue fluid that can jeopardize the surgical result.  Circumferential compression is also very helpful.

Activities post operatively is limited to minimize fluid collections in the abdomen and back.  Activity can resume once the drains are removed.

Most of the pain is in the midline of the abdomen from the muscle repair.  There is minimal pain on the backside.  Pain medications are used for about one to two weeks.

The operation is especially helpful to those who have lost weight after bariatric procedures.  There excess abdominal skin often extends past the hips and onto the flanks.  Liposuction is used to address this but is often insufficient to remove the skin folds.   The result of this surgery following bariatric procedures is dramatic.  The contour change is one of the more gratifying results we see in plastic surgery.

This is a long complicated surgery and many plastic surgeons do not do the procedure.  We have instructed other plastic surgeons in the area on this technique.  Patients who have not lost weight but do have large flank collections with a square shaped torso can also benefit from this surgery.

We invite you to view our before and after photos.  There is a good chance that you will identify with one the patients in our gallery.  Please give us the opportunity to see you in the office.  We will show you in the mirror how the options and expectations resulting from the surgery.  This can be the finishing touch to your successful weight loss journey.

View Before and Afters