Scheduling a private consultation with Dr. Timothy Jones is the best way to find out if body lift surgery is right for you. In St. Louis, simply call Genesis at (314) 432-1772 or contact us online for your opportunity to discuss your goals and ask your questions in a relaxed and confidential setting.

Arm, Thigh and Buttock Lifts in St. Louis, Missouri

Some patients who are interested in body contouring ask for liposuction or lipoplasty. However, because of their age, condition of their skin and hereditary, they are better candidates for a lift procedure. Just as the excessive fat and lax skin can be tightened on the abdomen, so can this be performed on the upper arms, thighs and buttocks. Body lifts in these areas are particularly common for patients with lax, droopy skin that results from aging or drastic weight loss. Like a tummy tuck, the improved body shape and contour is a trade-off for a permanent scar.

Arm Lift (Brachioplasty)

Despite weight training and dieting, flabby arms are a common complaint in women, especially during the spring and summer months. While lipoplasty can remove the fat, it is limited in its ability to tighten skin. Arm lifts are designed to remove the excess fat and the flabby skin of the upper arm.

Thigh & Buttock Lifts

Sagging thigh and buttock skin and cellulite are the primary indications for thigh lifts. Thigh lifts, in combination with lipoplasty, can remove excess fat and skin, resulting in smoother skin with better contour and often an improvement in cellulite. Some women who wish to avoid the incision required with a thigh lift may choose to start with lipoplasty and proceed with a thigh lift as a separate procedure, only if the contour from lipoplasty is not enough.

Thigh lifts are divided into two types:

Inner (Medial) Thigh Lift-Lipoplasty on the inner thighs is more difficult than some of the other areas of the body. Compared to other areas of the body, the skin in this area is more loose and does not always tighten as well. An inner thigh lift removes the excessive skin and fat from the inside of the upper thigh, leaving an incision in the groin and buttock crease. Some types of abdominoplasty, such as the one performed by Dr. Jones, can lift the inner thigh to some degree.

Outer (Lateral) Thigh and Buttock Lifts-The outer thigh lift and buttock lift are usually performed together to lift and tighten the sagging buttock and thigh skin. In certain patients, it can effectively improve the appearance of cellulite. The incision extends from the hip bone to the upper aspect of the buttock crease.

What will happen at the initial consultation?

Having a body-shaping procedure is a very personal decision, and we want to make sure all of your questions and concerns are addressed. The consultation will begin with a complete medical history and exam. You should tell Dr. Jones if you have any history of prior abdominal surgery or lipoplasty and any history of poor scarring. If you are planning to lose a significant amount of weight, you should mention this as well. You will be asked about the changes you seek, your exercise habits and your diet. This will help us understand your expectations and determine a plan that best addresses your expectations.

A Body Contouring Patient in the Spotlight

Genesis patient Kathy P. underwent body contouring surgery to remove excess skin and "sculpt" her new body after losing almost 100 pounds. Her story was recently featured on St. Louis' Fox 2 News, and you can view it here. Kathy talks about her motivation for losing weight and why the body contouring surgery was so important, and Dr. Tim Jones discusses the procedure before, during, and after the surgery.

If you have any questions about body contouring or would like more information, please email us.

What is the long-term outcome for most people?

The results of body-contouring procedures are very gratifying. You have a more fit, well-proportioned body shape. Your clothes fit better, and you feel better about the way you look.

Many people who have experienced drastic weight loss prefer a total circumferential lift. This lift procedure involves the entire trunk - thus providing a tummy tuck, a butt and thigh lift.

If, over time, you become dissatisfied with the appearance of your body shape, you may want to consider a revision. Dr. Jones recommends an annual follow-up to make sure you remain satisfied with your result.

The examination will evaluate the size and shape of your abdomen and trunk, the quality of your skin and the proportion of your trunk to your thighs. Other treatment options available will be discussed. You can see photos of recent patients before and after surgery. Patient references are available upon request. The estimated costs of the treatment will be explained. Photographs will be taken for your medical record.

Only lipoplasty or a lift procedure has the ability to permanently eliminate excess fat at specific locations that are resistant to diet and exercise. These procedures do not stop aging or correct the lifestyle habits that contributed to your preoperative body shape. We strongly recommend you have a nutrition checkup with our registered dietician to determine a nutrition plan that will lead to a long-lasting result and better health.

Risks and Limitations

Women who undergo body-contouring procedures are generally very pleased to have their new shapely figure. However, as with any surgical procedure, there are potential risks from anesthesia, bleeding or infection. Fortunately, none of these are very frequent complications. The following are other potential risks of any body lifting procedure, including tummy tuck and thigh and buttock lifts:

Seroma-As an expected part of the procedure, fluid will accumulate beneath the skin. A drain is placed at the time of surgery to remove any fluid that would collect. Occasionally, after the drain is removed, the fluid persists. The body usually absorbs the fluid, but when it is not, the fluid has to be removed with a needle in the office. On very rare occasions the fluid accumulation will need to be removed by another small procedure.

Scars-Body lifts involve incisions. Some people make inconspicuous scars while others make more prominent scars. Occasionally, especially in women of color, the scars can be raised and painful-these are known as keloids or hypertrophic scars. There is no way to know if you are one of those people unless you've had a past history of this occurring. However, there are several ways to intervene to help prevent and treat prominent scars if they occur.

Unevenness-The goal of any body-shaping procedure is to create the body shape you desire. Repeat touch-up procedures are occasionally needed and an option if necessary. You may not obtain a perfect contour after one procedure. Occasionally, a touch-up limited lipoplasty may be needed to smooth out an area of fullness.

Delayed Healing-Patients who smoke or have diabetes have a higher chance of slow wound healing. You should stop smoking four weeks before the procedure.

Extra Skin-Excess skin at the end of the incision, known as a "dog ear," occasionally needs to be tailored. If necessary, this is easily corrected as an office procedure.

Embolus-This extremely rare complication can be caused during the procedure as a fat embolus or after the procedure from a blood clot developing in a vein. Any shortness of breath or general sense of illness should be called to the attention of Dr. Jones.

Alternative Treatments

Lipoplasty-Lipoplasty, also known as liposuction, can remove stubborn, excess fat, but it does not address the issue of loose skin. When loose skin or cellulite is a significant concern, you may want to consider a lift or tuck procedure that removes the excess fat and lax, redundant skin. A lift procedure has a greater capacity to create smoother, tighter skin. Often both lipoplasty and a lift procedure are performed together, or performed in stages.

Lose Weight-Losing weight will change your body shape, but it does not allow you to contour areas where stubborn fat exists. Only lipoplasty or a lift procedure has the ability to permanently eliminate excess fat at specific locations that are resistant to diet and exercise. Our registered dietitian can work with you to assess and change your diet according to your specific needs.

Exercise-Exercise will help strengthen and tone the muscles of your abdomen, but it cannot tighten the stretched area between your stomach muscles. A mini-abdominoplasty or a conventional abdominoplasty is necessary to tighten the separation of the stomach muscles, in order to achieve a smaller waist and flatter stomach. Exercise is effective in promoting weight loss and, hence, fat loss from the abdomen, but exercise will not tighten the skin. Loose, sagging skin or skin with stretch marks has to be removed to achieve smoother skin. Exercise, including both aerobic fitness and muscle strength, is necessary to maximize your health and maintain your result. These are some of the benefits:

You will burn more calories

It will improve your muscle tone and strength

It is beneficial to your heart and other organs

It will help you reduce and tolerate stress

You will feel better

You will have more energy

It will help you maintain your new shape

How is a Body Lift procedure performed?

The goal of Dr. Jones and the Genesis staff is to make your surgical experience as easy and comfortable for you as possible. You will be asked to stop smoking and avoid certain vitamins and drugs that can cause bleeding, such as aspirin, ibuprofen and vitamin E. Additional preoperative instructions and prescriptions to be used postoperatively will be provided. For convenience, we recommend that you have your prescriptions filled several days prior to the procedure. Thigh and buttock lifts are usually performed with an overnight stay, while arm lifts can be performed as an outpatient.

Your procedure will be performed in an outpatient surgery center or hospital. If your surgery is performed on an outpatient basis, you should arrange for someone to take you home and stay with you the first night.

Dr. Jones will see you before the procedure-sometimes even the day before the procedure-and place ink marks on the skin, making sure the incisions are placed in inconspicuous areas. General anesthesia is used. Antibiotics will be administered at the time of surgery. The procedure takes two to six hours, depending on your size and other procedures being performed. Liposuction, breast augmentation and breast reduction are commonly combined with these procedures.

Following surgery, you will be taken to the recovery area where you will continue to be closely monitored. Pain medications are administered to keep you comfortable. You will be permitted to go home after a few hours unless you have planned to stay overnight. Patients undergoing a buttock or thigh lift may stay overnight and go home the next morning.

What can I expect after a Body Lift procedure?

The day after surgery you will be sore. You will have prescribed pain medication, and your need for this will become less and less over two weeks. Start your prescribed medicines and supplements the first day after surgery. The third day after surgery, you may start ibuprofen, 600mg every eight hours. You will be seen in the office within the first week to have any drain removed. Repeat visits are routinely scheduled at weeks two and six, six months and one year.

The day after surgery you may take a shower if you wish. The incisions will be covered with tape strips. These should be left in place until they are removed in the office. Plan to wear the compression garment for several weeks-three to four weeks for the arms and four to six weeks for the thighs and buttocks.

You can expect to be sore for several weeks. Heavy lifting and activities that require extensive use of the lifted area should be avoided for six weeks. You may start to walk immediately after the procedure and increase this as tolerated. After a thigh or buttock lift, rigorous aerobics or jogging may be resumed after six weeks. You may resume sexual activity in four to six weeks for a thigh and buttock lift and within a few days after an arm lift. You may return to work one week after arm lift surgery and two weeks at the earliest for the thigh and buttock lifts. Swelling and bruising will gradually resolve over several weeks. The scars may be red or pink for several months, but should gradually improve. Most swelling resolves in six weeks, but occasionally swelling can persist for up to six months, and it may take this long to see the final results.

It is not uncommon to have numbness of the overlying skin or intermittent, shooting pains. Both of these gradually resolve completely within a few months.

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