Cosmetic Body Lift

Area of Science:

• Plastic Surgery
• Body Contouring Procedures
• Aesthetic Surgery

Background:

• Traditional abdominoplasty inadequately addresses flank and lateral thigh laxity.
• Adjunct liposuction improves abdominal contour but often leaves persistent flank soft tissue.
• Previous studies on extended abdominoplasty show variable outcomes for flank and thigh contouring.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the safety and effectiveness of a 270-degree extended lipoabdominoplasty (cosmetic body lift).
• To assess outcomes in non-massive weight loss patients seeking optimal contouring of the abdomen, hips, and flanks.
• To analyze the procedure's efficacy in lifting the lateral thigh and reducing thigh circumference.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective chart review of patients undergoing a cosmetic body lift between 2004 and 2014.
• Average postoperative outcome review at 1 year.
• Inclusion of 72 consecutive patients (predominantly female) with an average age of 53 years.

Main Results:

• Average liposuction volume was 3067 cc.
• Reported complications included seroma (2.8%), infection (4.2%), delayed wound healing (5.6%), necrosis/ischemia (4.2%), and deep vein thrombosis (1.4%).
• Revision surgery was required in 18.1% of patients; zero hematomas were reported.

Conclusions:

• The cosmetic body lift is the largest series to date evaluating this procedure in the non-massive weight loss population.
• The operation is safe and effective for achieving optimal waist contouring.
• Complication rates are consistent with those reported for standard lipoabdominoplasty.