What is body contouring?

Body contouring surgery removes excess skin and reshapes your body after you’ve lost a lot of weight. If you’ve dieted or had bariatric surgery, such as gastric bypass, you may be excited about your weight loss but unhappy with extra skin, which can hang loosely on your body.

Body contouring surgery treats problem areas to help you get the look you envisioned when you set your weight loss goals. Plastic surgeons at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center offer tailored solutions such as liposuction and upper and lower body lifts, as well as nonsurgical rejuvenation procedures — all conveniently located in Columbus, Ohio.

How is body sculpting done?

Body contouring removes sagging skin and fatty deposits, and reshapes your body, including areas not treated by liposuction. Each body contouring procedure targets a specific part of your upper, middle or lower body.

Your Ohio State plastic surgeons can focus on one or two problem areas, or treat many parts of the body in one procedure. Options include a combination tummy tuck, arm lift, thigh lift and buttock enhancement. Your Ohio State Wexner Medical Center plastic surgeon has advanced training and applies specialized expertise, including steps to minimize scars.

Body contouring surgery is not painful. It is usually done under general anesthetic, so you won’t feel anything during your procedure. After surgery, doctors prescribe medication to minimize discomfort.

Ohio State doctors may perform body contouring surgery at the Ohio State Wexner Medical Center in Columbus, or at one of our outpatient clinics in central Ohio or nearby locations. More extensive, combined operations, such as a lower body lift, typically require an overnight stay.

Your Ohio State doctor and care team provide specific details about your scheduled procedure. Your surgeon will discuss before and after images that are specific to your procedure. The doctor will tell you how to prepare and what to expect.

Are you a candidate for body contouring?

We want to ensure any procedure has the best chance for success and to give you an improved quality of life. Successful body contouring surgery starts with you having healthy lifestyle habits and positive goals.

Specifically, to be eligible for body contouring surgery, you should meet all the following:

Have a body mass index (BMI) less than 30 – People who have a BMI less than 30 have better results from body contouring surgeries. It’s possible you may be able to qualify with a BMI up to 35 depending on other factors including size and body type. Calculate your BMI.
Have a stable weight – If you’ve recently had bariatric surgery, it’s recommended you keep a stable weight for at least six months (about 18 months after bariatric surgery) before undergoing body contouring surgery. If you’re still losing weight or plan to lose more weight, you shouldn’t have body contouring procedures.
Are healthy enough for surgery – Our team will evaluate if you have other health conditions that may put you at higher risk, such as diabetes or certain heart conditions. You also can’t smoke or use tobacco products for at least six weeks prior to surgery.
Have excess skin – Body contouring surgeries work best in removing skin and unwanted fat from almost any area of the body including the face, neck, extremities and trunk.
Have realistic and healthy goals for the surgery – Body contouring surgery can make drastic improvements in how you look and feel, but often requires multiple surgeries and may result in scarring along your incisions. Our body contouring team will work with you to explain the body contouring process, your individualized plan and the timeline of when you will see final results.

Types of body contouring

At the Ohio State Wexner Medical Center, you can choose from a number of body contouring options, including liposuction, lifts and other procedures done by experienced, board certified plastic surgeons.

Liposuction

Liposuction surgery removes fatty deposits from parts of your body, such as your abdomen, thighs and buttocks. During liposuction, plastic surgeons loosen fat and remove it using a suction device. The procedure can trim your body and improve its contours (shape) and proportions.

Surgeons may perform liposuction alone or combined with other cosmetic surgery procedures, such as a facelift, tummy tuck or breast reduction.

Body contouring lift procedures

The Ohio State Wexner Medical Center body contouring lift procedures include:

Arm lift

Brachioplasty, also called arm lift surgery, is a body contouring surgery that reshapes your arms and eliminates sagging skin. Your surgeon will discuss whether to pair arm lift surgery with liposuction to get your desired shape.

Buttock lift

The buttock lift body contouring procedure corrects sagging skin and reshapes the buttocks. A buttock lift can give the buttocks a more athletic and look, and can help reshape your figure after weight loss.

Lower body lift

A lower body lift is sometimes called a circumferential tummy tuck. If you have this body contouring surgery, your doctor will remove extra skin and fat from your midsection. The surgeon corrects sagging skin in the buttocks and abdominal areas, including “love handles” or flanks, as well as your inner and outer thighs.

Lower body lift surgery typically takes several hours to complete under a general anesthetic. Since it’s an extensive operation, it usually requires an overnight hospital stay.

Thigh lift

After weight loss, it’s common to see extra skin and fat on your inner and outer thighs. A thigh lift corrects this by tightening and improving the tone of the underlying tissue that supports your fat and skin in these areas. Thigh lift body contouring makes your thighs look smoother and more fit.

During a pre-surgery visit, your doctor will tell you how to prepare and what to expect in regards to anesthesia, recovery and scarring.

Face and neck lifts

These body contouring lift procedures correct sagging skin on your face and neck. Surgeons may include related procedures, such as:

Tummy tuck surgery

If you have sagging and overhanging abdominal skin, a tummy tuck can help. Doctors sometimes consider an abdominal procedure called panniculectomy for certain obese patients.

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What is body contouring surgery and who is it for?

Our expert explains body contouring surgery, which removes excess skin and reshapes your body after you’ve lost a significant amount of weight.

Woman holding onto the skin around her abdomen

Body contouring: Is it safe? Who’s a good candidate?

What to know about body contouring surgery benefits and more.

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