When Can I Resume Regular Activities After Lower Body Lift Surgery?

Lower body lift surgery can be transformative, both in terms of your physical appearance and your overall quality of life. For many people, lower body lift surgery serves as the final step in a total weight loss transformation, while other patients undergo lower body lift surgery to reverse the cosmetic side effects of aging, pregnancy, and other life events. Because lower body lift surgery is a relatively extensive procedure, one of the first questions many patients have is how long their recovery will take and when they’ll be able to return to work and physical activities. Here, board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Kamal Sawan and the knowledgeable team at Sawan Surgical Aesthetics in Oklahoma City, OK, answer this question — and other lower body lift FAQs — to help you better understand what to expect after your procedure.

What happens during a lower body lift?

Lower body lift surgery is performed using general anesthesia and can take up to 4 – 7 hours to complete, depending on how much excess skin and fat need to be removed, which areas are being addressed, and other factors. Most often, lower body lift surgery requires an incision around the waist, which has earned it the secondary name “beltectomy.” The primary goal of lower body lift surgery is to sculpt and reshape the lower portion of the body through excess skin removal, skin and tissue tightening, stubborn fat reduction, and other techniques. The areas targeted during lower body lift surgery include:

• Lower abdomen
• Buttocks
• Flanks
• Hips

For patients who also have concerns about excess skin or hanging skin folds on the inner and/or outer thighs, a thigh lift may be combined with lower body lift surgery.

How long is recovery after lower body lift surgery?

With the extensive nature of lower body lift surgery, including the fact that it targets a number of fairly large areas of the body, patients should understand that recovery can take several months. On average, patients will need to plan for at least two weeks off of work after lower body lift surgery. After that, light activities — like desk work and short walks — can typically be resumed, but strenuous physical activity, exercise, heavy lifting, and other routines should remain on pause.

During your postoperative follow-up appointments, Dr. Sawan will closely evaluate your progress and let you know when it is safe and appropriate for you to gradually resume your regular daily activities. In many cases, full recovery after lower body lift surgery can take up to six months or longer — but preliminary results will begin to become apparent sooner as swelling subsides and the tissues continue to heal.

While lower body lift surgery may seem long compared with other procedures, the dramatic transformations and improved quality of life are considered worth the wait.

Do a 180 for your life and your figure with lower body lift surgery in Oklahoma City, OK

If you are frustrated by hanging skin, folds, and wrinkles after weight loss or aging, and would like to restore a smoother, more natural-looking, and desirable figure, a lower body lift may be right for you. Start your journey toward an exciting physical and psychological transformation today and schedule your Oklahoma City lower body lift surgery with board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Kamal Sawan at Sawan Surgical Aesthetics.