Body lift (circumferential lower body lift)

The body lift, or circumferential lift, removes excess skin and fat all the way around the waistline: abdomen, hips, lower back and upper buttocks. It is mainly intended for people who have lost a great deal of weight, often after obesity surgery, and in whom the sagging affects more than just the abdomen. The procedure combines, in a single stage, an abdominoplasty at the front and a lift of the back and buttocks at the back. The scar runs around the waist; it is placed low, to be hidden as much as possible by underwear. Liposuction and, depending on the case, tightening of the abdominal muscles may be combined. This is major surgery that requires careful preparation: stable weight for several months, a nutritional assessment, stopping smoking. Recovery takes time and patience. In consultation, the surgeon explains what the procedure can achieve, its limits and its constraints, and the patient has time to think before committing. At Clinique Pasteur Tunis, the body lift is performed in the operating theatre by a plastic surgeon, working with the obesity surgery team when the patient comes from that pathway, with a hospital stay of a few days and regular follow-up.