When a person loses a great amount of weight, an overall improvement in health, self-esteem, and appearance is the usual result. Another usual result of weight loss is less attractive: baggy folds of leftover skin. While the loss of excess weight is always a happy thing, the flaps and folds of skin remaining from the patient's formerly-large body can be the source of a great deal of unhealthy stress, shame and even psychological discomfort. Sagging skin resulting from aging, skin conditions, and pregnancy can be similarly damaging.



A body lift ? also known as a body contouring procedure ? can eliminate this problem. A body lift is a surgical procedure that can reduce and even eliminate loose skin left over from a once-larger body, restoring the patient's appearance, hygiene and capacity for normal dress and activity.

Four body-contouring procedures have proven to be most commonly performed on patients who have recently undergone significant weight loss. These are

?Breast lift

?Arm lift (aka upper arm brachioplasty)

?Thigh lift

?Lower body lift

A total body lift is a combination of two or more of these procedures, plus additional reconstructive surgery upon the stomach area or other affected body area.

If you are a bariatric surgery patient with a proven ability to follow a daily routine of healthy diet and moderate exercise, you are likely a prime candidate for a body lift. One year or more must have passed since your last gastric surgery procedure, including laparoscopic surgery such as the Lap-Band? procedure, and you must have maintained a stable weight for the most recent three months.

Non-bariatric patients, including women under age 40 who have excess skin remaining from pregnancy, are also likely to be excellent candidates for total body lift surgery, especially if no further pregnancies are planned; women who intend to bear more children should delay body lift surgery until after having their final child.

Preparation and education are keys to a successful body lift surgery experience. If you believe yourself to be a candidate for a body lift, your first job is to educate yourself on the various techniques, possible outcomes and side effects related to each procedure you are contemplating.

Physical and psychological preparation for surgery, including an honest examination of your self-image, public image and expectations, is similarly necessary. A consultation with a board-certified plastic surgeon will enable you to examine your medical needs, assess the risks and rewards involved, and ask the questions necessary for you to make a responsible and informed decision about a body lift.