Lower Body Lift

After losing a significant amount of weight through a stringent diet and exercise or weight loss surgery, most patients are thrilled to see the extra pounds come off. This is a major accomplishment after a tough journey toward self-improvement. However, there are often some unwelcome side effects of massive weight loss, such as excess skin on the lower abdomen, buttocks or thighs.

Thousands of patients who have experienced drastic weight loss from diet, exercise, or bariatric surgery come to Dr. Slenkovich at Colorado Plastic Surgery Center concerned about the large amount of excess skin. Unfortunately, when a person experiences significant weight loss, the skin does not shrink to meet their new body. This excess skin around the abdomen, thighs, and buttocks often isn’t in accord with the person you feel like inside. Many of our patients express that their extra skin prevents them from fully enjoying the results of their weight loss. Dr. Slenkovich routinely performs body lift surgery, a plastic surgery treatment, to remove the unwanted excess skin.

What is a Lower Body Lift?

Just about every person who has undergone a drastic weight loss from diet and exercise or has experienced dramatic weight loss due to bariatric surgery comes to Dr. Slenkovich at Colorado Plastic Surgery Center concerned about the large amount of excess skin.

Unfortunately, when a person experiences significant weight loss, the skin does not shrink to meet the new body. This excess skin around the abdomen, thighs, and buttocks often doesn’t match the person you feel like inside. Dr. Slenkovich routinely performs body lift surgery, a plastic surgery treatment, to remove the unwanted excess skin.

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Lower Body Lift Thighs And Buttocks

When a person gains weight, the skin, as well as the underlying connective and fat tissue—also called the “body suit” by Dr. Slenkovich—expands. With weight loss and deflation of the fat layer, the tissues in this “body suit” can appear saggy or misshapen. The sagging skin often affects the abdomen, buttocks, and thighs.

After dramatic weight loss, there is commonly an excess of skin surrounding the trunk. Sometimes the skin on the front side can fold over and hang in the lower abdomen or pubic area.. This can be uncomfortable and impede daily activities, mobility, and exercise. It can also cause a condition called intertriginous dermatitis, where the skin is red, irritated, rash-like, and often becomes painful or infected. On the backside, excess skin due to weight loss can result in a flattened, sagging or creased buttocks and looseness to the back and outer thighs. All of these factors can affect self-esteem and prevent patients from feeling like themselves post-weight loss.

Total Contouring With a Denver Body Lift

The circumferential lower body lift serves as the foundation for a comprehensive rejuvenation of the abdomen, trunk, hip, waistline, buttock, groin and thigh area, providing circumferential lifting and tightening of a “lax” body suit. The lower body lift is one of Dr. Slenkovich’s most gratifying and highly sought after procedures following major weight loss. Dr. Slenkovich understands that procedures such as this are a substantial investment of recovery time, energy and finances. For this reason, he values the life changing transformation offered by the circumferential body lift, and often recommends it as an excellent first step in a patient’s post weightloss journey.

The body lift is a post weight loss body contouring procedure that combines a tummy tuck with a posterior buttocks and thigh lift. The procedure starts with circumferential liposuction around the trunk to thin the fat layer and provide the most contoured result. An incision is then made circumferentially around the lower torso, at the level of hip bone to hip bone, for removal of extra skin. The abdominal muscle wall is tightened using absorbable sutures, a technique known as diastasis repair. On the front side, this procedure serves to remove extra skin and powerfully flatten and tighten the abdomen.

Below the waistline, the posterior part of the incision serves to “pull up the pair of pants,” – as Dr. Slenkovich explains – by directly lifting the buttocks, outer thighs, and indirectly lifting the inner thighs as well. This aims to smooth dimpling and cellulite of the buttocks by re-supporting the tissue. As a final step, fat removed via liposuction is then grafted to the buttocks area for shaping, as flattening of the buttocks can result from weight loss and the firm pulling up of “the pants.”

The body lift is performed under general anesthesia in our private, state licensed and AAAASF accredited surgery center, which is distinguished yearly for adhering to stringent quality and safety criteria. We also offer a private overnight stay in our surgery center, which includes around the clock nursing care, assistance with dressings and using the restroom, and support with pain management to enhance safety and comfort during your acute recovery. This may be recommended for certain patients depending on their medical history or the extent of their procedures, but is an available resource to any patient by election.

Explore Our Results Naturally Stunning

Before & After Gallery Patient Journeys

* Real Patient

Patient Testimonial

Dr. Slenkovich and his team are amazing! After losing 70 pounds I had a lot of loose sagging skin. Dr. S really listened to what I was looking for and my results were exactly what I hoped for. I had a body lift, 360 lipo and a fat transfer to my butt. The aftercare I received has been wonderful. Rebecca was my nurse and she is so kind and knowledgeable. She answered all my questions and was just a text or call away once I got home. Pam did my lymphatic massages and she was great at teaching me how to care for my incisions and how to massage myself. The kindness and expertise that everyone in the office has was incredible!

Real Patient

Lower Body Lift Incisions

For a complete lower body lift (tummy, thighs, and buttocks), the scar is an extension of the tummy tuck incision (which goes from hipbone to hipbone across the lower abdomen) around to the back, keeping the scar low in the underwear area (for women, under the bikini-line or panty-line; for men, under the underwear line). These incisions, while longer, offer extensive lifting and re-contouring power while typically being hidden in most types of clothing.

Recovering from a Body Lift

Following a body lift, you will have a recovery period that will require significant downtime, including time off work. It is recommended to have two to three weeks of time off work to focus on nutrition, rest and healing. You may require a longer recovery period if your occupation is physically demanding or requires heavy lifting.

At Colorado Plastic Surgery Center, our lower body lift surgeries also include post-operative lymphatic massage therapy to optimize healing and surgical outcomes, and these are performed conveniently in the office during your follow-up appointments.

When a Tummy Tuck Is Enough

Some patients do not require a full body lift to correct sagging skin. In this case, they may be candidates for an abdominoplasty, in which Dr. Slenkovich not only removes excess skin but also tightens the muscles of the abdomen. For additional information on abdominoplasty, please visit our tummy tuck page. During the consultation process, Dr. Slenkovich and our Patient Care Coordinators can discuss your procedure options and help you to find the best fit for your goals and anatomy.

Why Choose Colorado Plastic Surgery Center?

At Colorado Plastic Surgery Center, we’re here to help you take the next step on your journey, refining your body contours so that your appearance reflects the strength and dedication of your weight loss transformation. Dr. Slenkovich, a double board plastic surgeon, leads a diversely skilled and compassionate team that can safely perform large combination procedures with one-of-a-kind results.

Known for his expertise in post-weight loss body contouring, Dr. Slenkovich creates tailored treatment plans to help patients achieve balanced, natural-looking results that effectively combine several of your goal areas. Inspired by Colorado’s spirit of adventure and resilience, our practice is dedicated to empowering patients to feel confident and capable in their bodies. With advanced techniques, personalized care, and a commitment to excellence, Colorado Plastic Surgery Center delivers exceptional, transformative outcomes for our Denver body lift patients. If you want to learn more, schedule a consultation with Dr. Slenkovich today.