Lower Body

image-lower-bodyDr. Jeffrey Poulter is an accomplished and respected plastic surgeon, drawing patients from throughout the Midwest and Illinois. Weight loss patients from across the country seek him out for his dedication and skill in the area of post bariatric plastic surgery. Excess skin, lax muscles, and residual fat deposits are often unwanted side effects of massive weight loss. At his Illinois practice, Dr. Poulter has dedicated himself to innovation in the area of post weight loss procedures for improved safety, comfort, and results for his patients. Procedures for the lower body can restore firmer, smoother contours and eliminate the excess bulk which can cause embarrassment and discomfort.

For more information about Illinois body contouring after weight loss, request a consultation with Dr. Poulter today. Or you can call the office at (309) 663-1222 or Toll Free (888) 841-4108 and one of our helpful staff members will assist you.

Plastic surgery financing is available to help you cover up to 100% of the cost of your procedure. Our Center offers several convenient financing programs, which can be discussed in detail following your consultation.

Abdominoplasty

The cornerstone for correcting the skin excess in the front portion of the lower body after massive weight loss is the abdominoplasty or tummy tuck. This procedure repairs the weakened abdominal wall and removes the excess rolls of skin and fat that are often left after massive weight loss. Other areas improved include stretch marks, looseness of the mons pubis and upper thigh, redundant abdominal skin and existing scars, such as from gastric bypass or caesarian section.

Incision – Dr. Poulter places the incision for an abdominoplasty very low on the abdomen, below the hip bones; placement is individualized for each patient’s desired bikini or waistline. The incision can be extended to provide more correction of the flanks. It is closed laterally to the midline to help define the waistline better. A second, inconspicuous incision is made around the navel and will not give away the secret of your new improved contour. Additional time is spent removing fat in the area around the new belly button and special stitches are placed to invert the belly button scar to make it minimally noticeable postoperatively.

Variations – In some cases, in which the patient has a low enough BMI, Dr. Poulter will perform a lower body lift that corrects both the front and the back (see lateral thigh and buttock lift). He also sometimes stages this procedure with a torsoplasty to address redundant skin of the back and flanks. The torsoplasty can also improve the upper abdomen where many patients will have a modest recurrence of redundant skin following contouring surgery. The torsoplasty would therefore be done following the abdominoplasty.

 

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Panniculectomy

This procedure removes the pannus – the excess fat and skin that may hang down over the pubic area and upper thighs. This is often less improvement than patients get with the abdominoplasty as the abdominal wall weakness is not corrected. This procedure may be reserved for those patients that are for whatever reason not good candidates for the full abdominoplasty. By removing the pannus, symptoms of chafing, rashes, and even back problems can be relieved. A wedge excision of tissue from the abdominal wall may result in loss of the belly button.

Incision – The panniculectomy incision: spans from above the navel to the pubic bone. It runs horizontally along the lower abdomen around the sides of the patient. The muscle weakness is not repaired.

Variations – Panniculectomy may be performed by itself or as a part of a complete abdominoplasty (tummy tuck). It is also sometimes combined with other abdominal surgeries such as hernia repair.

Lateral Thigh & Buttock Lift

The back portion of the lower body is addressed through the lateral thigh & buttock lift. This combined procedure removes the redundant skin and fat of the low back, buttock and thigh. This helps tighten the buttock skin, removing much of the cellulite and providing a significantly better shape and size to the buttock. The upward and outward pull on the posterior thigh also provides a small amount of improvement to the medial (inner) thigh in the upper portion. Liposuction is done as a part of the lateral thigh and buttock lift, and this helps reduce saddle bags and fat in the lower back area. The lifting and tightening of the skin of the outer thigh also makes significant improvements to the appearance of cellulite in the thighs.

Incision – Incisions are typically made around the upper edge of the buttock within your pant line meeting the abdominoplasty incision on the sides.

Variations – Some patients obtain enough improvement to the medial (inner) thigh with a lower body lift, in which case they do not require a separate procedure. However, if there is significant redundancy remaining, liposuction and skin removal can be done either around the groin crease for limited excess, or vertically down the inner thigh to below the knee for significant excesses.

 

Disclaimer: Keep in mind that each patient is unique and results may not occur for all patients.