What is a lower body lift?
A lower body lift, also known as a 360 body lift or belt lipectomy, removes loose skin and fat in a band around the lower torso. By working all the way around the body rather than only at the front, it tightens the lower abdomen, lifts the buttocks and smooths the hips and outer thighs in a single operation.
After major weight loss, skin often loses the elasticity it needs to shrink back. The result can be folds that hang over the waistband, sagging buttocks and loose skin on the thighs, which can rub, cause rashes and make clothes hard to fit. A lower body lift is designed to treat these problems together. It is a reshaping operation, so the only weight lost is the weight of the tissue removed.
Who is it suitable for?
A lower body lift is most often chosen by people who have lost a large amount of weight through diet or bariatric surgery, although anyone with significant loose skin around the lower body may be assessed. You are likely to be a good candidate if you:
- Have loose, sagging skin around the abdomen, hips, buttocks and thighs
- Have reached a stable weight, usually for at least six months
- Have a BMI below about 30
- Are healthy enough for a long general anaesthetic
- Do not smoke, or will stop well before surgery
- Eat well enough to support healing, with good protein and vitamin levels
Techniques and combinations
The core of the operation is a circular incision around the waist. Depending on your body, the surgeon may combine it with:
- a tummy tuck, to tighten the abdominal muscles and reposition the belly button
- liposuction, to refine the flanks, back or thighs
- a thigh lift, if there is also loose skin on the inner thighs
Some surgeons use your own tissue to add volume to flattened buttocks. Your surgeon will explain which combination suits you and whether it is safer to stage some procedures separately.
How the operation is done
The operation is done under general anaesthesia. It usually takes around 3 hours, but can take up to 7 hours when other procedures are added.
Tests and marking
You arrive at the hospital the day before surgery for blood tests and an ECG. The surgeon examines and measures you, takes photographs and marks the incision lines while you stand.
The back and sides
The operation often starts with you lying face down. The surgeon removes a wedge of skin and fat across the back and sides, lifts the buttocks and outer thighs and closes the wound.
The front
You are turned onto your back. The incision is continued across the lower abdomen, the muscles are tightened if needed, the excess skin is removed and the belly button is repositioned.
Closure
The wounds are closed in layers to support the lifted tissue, and drains are placed to remove fluid.
Recovery timeline
- Days 1–3
You stay in hospital for 4 nights with pain relief, blood-thinning injections and compression stockings. You are helped to walk from the first day.
- Week 1–2
You rest in hospital, attend check-ups and usually have drains removed before flying home. Walking slightly bent forward is normal at first.
- Weeks 2–4
Many people return to desk work in this period, though tiredness is common. Avoid sitting for long periods directly on the buttock incision.
- Weeks 4–6
You keep wearing the compression garment and avoid strenuous exercise and heavy lifting until at least six weeks.
- Months 3–12
Swelling settles gradually and scars begin to flatten and fade.
Aftercare
- Take your medication exactly as prescribed
- Wear the compression garment as instructed, usually for about six weeks
- Avoid putting pressure on the lower body and avoid strenuous activity for six weeks
- Eat a balanced, protein-rich diet to help your wounds heal
- Avoid aspirin, ibuprofen and similar medicines for two weeks before and after surgery unless advised otherwise
- Do not smoke, and keep the scars out of the sun for a year
Risks and side effects
A lower body lift is a major operation. Your surgeon will explain the risks fully before you consent. They include:
- Pain, swelling and bruising
- Fluid collection under the skin (seroma), which is fairly common and may need draining
- Wound breakdown or slow healing
- Bleeding or infection
- Blood clots in the legs or lungs
- Changes in skin sensation
- Wide or raised scars
- Asymmetry or a result that is not as hoped
- Reactions to anaesthesia
Not smoking, walking early, wearing compression garments and taking blood thinners as prescribed lower these risks.
Results
You will see a firmer, more lifted lower body straight away, although swelling hides the final shape for several months. Clothes usually fit better and skin rashes from folds often improve. The scar is permanent but placed to be hidden by most underwear. Results last well as long as your weight stays stable, although natural ageing will continue.
Lower body lift in Turkey: your trip
Before you fly
Send photographs, your weight history and your medical history. Stop smoking and drinking alcohol at least two weeks before surgery, stop multivitamins a week before and stop the contraceptive pill about 30 days before, after checking with your doctor.
In Istanbul
A VIP driver meets you at the airport. A translator is with you through tests, surgery and discharge, a companion can stay at no extra cost, and your hospital stay, meals and medication are included.
Back home
Your coordinator is available 24/7 on WhatsApp, follows your healing from photos and passes any concerns to the surgical team.
What the Lower Body Lift package includes
- VIP transfers from and to Istanbul Airport (IST)
- Fully equipped room in the hospital
- Translation services at the hospital and during follow-up
- Pre-operative testing
- Consultation with your doctors
- Post-operative care and follow-ups for a year
- General anaesthesia
- Special compression garments
- One companion included in the price
- Three meals a day for you and your companion
- Full hospital stay for 4 nights, 5 days
- Aftercare package with a full set of medications to take home
Lower Body Lift FAQ
How is a lower body lift different from a tummy tuck?
A tummy tuck treats only the front of the abdomen. A lower body lift continues the incision around your sides and back, so it also lifts the buttocks, hips and outer thighs. It suits loose skin that wraps all the way around the body.
Will I lose weight with a lower body lift?
Only the weight of the skin and fat that is removed. A body lift reshapes your body after weight loss; it is not a way to lose weight, and your weight should be stable before surgery.
How long after bariatric surgery should I wait?
Most surgeons recommend waiting until your weight has been stable for at least 6 months, which is often 12 to 18 months after bariatric surgery. Your nutrition should also be good, as healing depends on adequate protein and vitamins.
Where will the scar be?
The scar runs around your lower torso, usually placed low so that most underwear and swimwear can cover it. It fades over 12 to 18 months but remains visible.
How long do I need to stay in Istanbul?
Plan for 5 days in Istanbul. Your package includes a full hospital stay of 4 nights, so you recover in a private room with nurses on hand day and night. You have check-ups and drain removal before you fly home.
When can I return to work?
Most people return to desk work after 2 to 4 weeks. Avoid strenuous activity for at least six weeks, and allow longer for physically demanding jobs.
Can it be combined with other procedures?
Yes. Liposuction is often added, and some patients have an inner thigh lift at the same time. Breast or arm surgery is usually planned as a separate stage to keep each operation safe.
