Upper Body Lift


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An upper body-lift is a complex procedure designed to address loose skin and sagging that occur following significant weight loss.

Upper Body Lift

An Upper Body-Lift combines three operations:

  • A breast Lift (mastopexy)
  • An arm lift (brachioplasty)
  • A side chest lift
BEFORE AND AFTER PHOTOS

Dramatic weight loss typically follows bariatric surgeries such as lap-banding or gastric sleeve procedures.  Further, massive weight loss can result in breast sag (ptosis) and emptiness, upper arm flabbiness (bat wings or bingo arms) and outer chest wall-axilliary skin looseness and sag.

Following massive weight loss, the usual first priority is addressing skin looseness of the lower body – a lower body-lift (circumferential lipectomy).  This entails a tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) in the front and an outer thigh lift and buttock lift at the sides and back. This is also known as a circumferential or “belt” lipectomy.

Patients may also have ongoing concerns regarding skin excess and looseness of the upper body and an upper body-lift may be the next step.

An upper body-lift typically also combines a breast lift (mastopexy) with or without breast implants (mammoplasty), along with an arm-lift (brachioplasty) and outer chest wall lift.

You are candidate for an upper body-lift if you have/are:

  • Loss a lot of weight either naturally or following bariatric surgery
  • Skin looseness of the arms and around the chest and empty sagging breast
  • In good general health.
  • Skin hangs out in folds beneath your bra at the sides

The surgery takes around 6 to 7 hours to do and involves a 1 to 2 night hospital stay.  2 to 3 weeks off work are typically required.  The recovery of an upper body-lift is far smoother than that of a lower body-lift.

What about risks?

As with any surgery, risks and complications include:

  • bleeding
  • infection
  • wound separation
  • wound healing delay
  • stretched, migrating or asymmetrical scars (keloid scarring rare)

Further, following massive weight loss, Dr Drielsma will likely discuss upper body-lift, as well as lower body-lift, with you as options.

**Results may vary for individual to individual