What to expect after surgery
The lower body lift is a little or moderately painful procedure in the absence of an associated gesture on the abdominal wall muscles. Pains are soothed by analgesics.
Ecchymosis (bruises) are classical and last 2 à 3 weeks after the procedure.
An œdema (swelling) is constant and of varying lengths, diminishing within a few months.
Daily nursing care after your shower with a soft soap are necessary during 15 days.
Three preventive measures against phlebitis are established after the procedure: the affected leg elevated as well as the walk, the wearing of compression stockings and the daily injection of an anticoagulant (medicines which thin the blood) during 15 days.
The sitting position is not recommended during 10 days in order to limit the cutaneous pressure on the scar, especially at the intergluteal cleft area, a fragile region for the scarring. The sitting and lying positions have to be initially privileged.
It is recommended to wear a compression garment during 1 month to reduce the post-operative oedema.
The progressive resumption of daily activities is possible within the first post-operative days. It is a tiring procedure and rest is recommended for 3 weeks to 1 month.
The resumption of professional activities can be done within 3 weeks to 1 month after the procedure, and depends on the operative gesture performed and on the patient’s work.
The resumption of sports activities is authorized within 6 weeks after the procedure.
Procedure risks
The potential complications of a lower body lift are weak, provided that it is performed by a surgeon specialized in this type of procedure.
Mains risks are the following
In the first hours following the surgery:
- a haematoma (blood pooling), a rare complication requiring a revisionary process in order to drain it.
In the post-operative month:
- Healing problems, resulting in one or several localized disunities (opening of the scar) requiring a directed healing.
- A seroma (collection of fluid), requiring a drainage in consultation.
Transitory troubles of skin sensitivity.
- An infection, a cutaneous neurosis: rare complications.
- A phlebitis, a pulmonary embolism: exceptional complications with the preventive measures established previously.
In the long term:
- A scar expansion: the most frequent complication, which requires a revisionary procedure.
- A pathological scarring (hypertrophic scars or keloids).
Long-term outcome
The final result relating to a lower body lift is reached between 3 to 6 months after the procedure, once the post-operative edema has disappeared.
The scar initially is inflammatory (red and swollen) throughout the first months, then it will fade progressively without disappearing. The final aspect of your scar is not predictable and will be known at the end of the cicatricial maturation (between 1 and 2 years after the procedure).
This result is stable and long-lasting except in cases of fluctuations in body weight or pregnancy.
The lower body lift is a reliable and an efficient procedure which reshapes the lower body. It generates a huge aesthetic and functional benefit, which accounts for a high degree of satisfaction of the patients using this surgery.