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| Central Body
Lift: Is It Right For You? |
| by Dr. Diane Gibby • M.D., P.A., F.A.C.S |
Pregnancy and weight fluctuations can wreck
havoc on a woman’s tummy. While doing crunches
does help strengthen the underlying abdominal
muscles, they do nothing to get rid of the
excess skin and fat pockets that are often
present.
A tummy tuck or “abdominoplasty” can greatly
improve these problems. This procedure can
remove excess skin and fat from the middle and
lower abdomen and also tighten the muscles of
the abdominal wall. This can dramatically reduce
the appearance of a protruding abdomen that
won’t respond to diet or exercise, giving you a
flatter, firmer, tighter stomach and a thinner
waist as well.
If there is extreme sagging of the skin on the
abdomen, hips, buttocks and outer thighs, a
procedure called a Central Body Lift can be
performed in conjunction with a tummy tuck. This
procedure is designed to tighten loose, skin to
obtain more youthful contours by lifting the
buttocks and tightening the hips and abdomen.
This is accomplished through a strategically
placed incision that can easily be hidden under
a bathing suit.
Body lifts are essentially “facelifts” for the
body that can be performed with or without
liposuction, depending on the desired result.
The best candidates for this procedure are women
who are in good health but have a large amount
of loose abdominal skin, extending into the
posterior hip region.
The surgery is particularly good for women who,
after multiple pregnancies, have stretched their
abdominal muscles and skin beyond the point
where they can return to normal, as well as
women who have lost a lot of weight and have
excess sagging skin.
If only a tummy tuck is performed your abdomen
will be swollen and tender after surgery. Even
though you will experience some discomfort, you
should start walking as soon as possible to
speed the recovery process. The surface stitches
will be removed in five to seven days. If a
lower body lift is also performed, it is
recommended that gentle walking
on a treadmill begin in three to four weeks,
with sutures being removed in 10 days to two
weeks. With both procedures, some patients
return to work in two weeks following surgery,
while others take up to four weeks to recover.
Post-surgery recovery often depends on the
patient’s pre-surgery health and fitness level.
As with any cosmetic surgery, discuss your goals
and expectations with your plastic surgeon
before undergoing abdominal contouring surgery
or a central body lift. Keep in mind that the
desired result is improvement, not perfection
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Diane Gibby, M.D., P.A., F.A.C.S Licensed in Texas, Dr. Diane Gibby is board-certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS) and the founder of The Women's Center for Cosmetic and Plastic Surgery. She is a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS), American Medical Association (AMA), Texas Society of Plastic Surgeons (TSPS), Dallas County Medical Society (DCMS) and the Board Certified Plastic and Cosmetic Surgeons of Dallas. She is also a Fellow in the American College of Surgeons (F.A.C.S.). Dr. Gibby's office is located at Medical City Dallas, Building C, Suite 820, (972) 566-6323. Individuals interested in brochures or names of qualified plastic surgeons in their area may call the American Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons at 1-800-635-0635.
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