Complementary Procedures: Tummy Tucks, Arm Lifts, Buttocks Lifts, Body Lifts
Sometimes liposuction isn't the only answer to your body woes.  And sometimes you may need additional procedures because of liposuction.  It all depends upon your own needs as a patient, such as your skin elasticity.   If you have loose skin already,  liposuction alone will not tighten your skin.  Although there are some liposuction methods, such as untrasound-assisted liposuction (or UAL) which may help.  UAL is more effective in tightening skin that is going to be slightly loose due to the removal of the fat in those with less than desirable skin laxity, but can tighten already existing laxity.  For an abundance of loose skin there are procedures which will address this.  However, usually these procedures are considered safest to be performed on their own and not in addition to your liposuction.

Abdominoplasty - Tummy Tuck - Visit Tummy Tuck Info Central
A tummy tuck is a procedure to remove loose abdominal skin which cannot be tightened by exercise.  No matter how many sit-ups you do, exercise will not tighten skin and muscle which has been stretched from pregnancy or weight gain.  However, I want to point out that many surgeons do not usually combine significant fat removal via liposuction with a tummy tuck procedure.   After a tummy tuck it may be very difficult to move around and after liposuction, walking around to reduce the risk of blood clots is imperative.  Although many surgeons perform liposuction of the flanks at the same time as abdominoplasty procedures.

Depending upon the amount of skin to be removed, Tummy Tucks will require a scar that usually runs from just inside of one hip  to the other (in the average patient). Mini Tummy Tucks may only require a very small incision in the pubic area and patients with a significant amount of loose abdominal skin will require that a new belly button be made. 

Brachioplasty - Arm Lift
Brachi, or brachial means 'of the arm' (particularly the upper arm).  Plasty is derived from plastos, which means to mold or form.  In medical terminology, -plasty means to mold surgically.  A brachioplasty is a surgical procedure which addresses loose and sagging skin of the arms,.  Sometimes you may hear people talk about their "bat wings" - brachioplasty is what you would get to remedy this.  This procedure utilizes a long incision in the inner arm and removes excess skin to tighten the appearance of the upper arm.  Although plastic surgeons do their best to use an incision line as small as possible, the scars are considerable from brachioplasty and due to the area, it is difficult to hide.  So please know this before choosing to undergo this procedure.  Ask yourself if the reward is worth the scar, as with every procedure.

Also, not every plastic surgeon performs brachioplasty, or has performed many brachioplasties for that matter, so be sure to determine your surgeon's skill before scheduling your surgery.   Just because you may save money by combining procedures and going with one surgeon, doesn't mean you will be receiving the best surgical result you can get by doing so.  I know it is a trade-off, but it is up to you to determine the reward. 

Breast Lift
A breast lift, or mastopexy, is a procedure designed to reduce the amount of excess breast skin which may have been caused by breast tissue loss due to hormonal fluctuations, pregnancy, weight gain and laxity due to aging or breast implant explantation.  There are several breast lift methods depending upon the amount of skin to be removed.  A circumareolar, or periareolar (called also a Benelli) breast lift requires a doughnut shaped disc of skin to be removed from around the areola (the colored disc of skin surrounding the nipple complex).  A crescent lift uses a crescent shaped incision usually above the areola, it is designed for patients with only slight laxity.  A full mastopexy results in an anchor shaped scar that runs from the areola to inframammary fold and then along the crease of the crease below the fold. Sometimes this method is also used in conjunction with an incision around the areola complex.

Buttocks Lift  - Butt Lift
Buttocks lifts can be done without incisions, usually using fat from other areas of your body.  Of course if you are looking into a buttock reduction, fat grafting to the buttocks is not something you will be wanting.  The incisions of a buttock lift are usually made where your bikini line or underwear will cover them.  But still, when unclothed, they are visible.

Body Lift
Body Lifts normally are a combination of the above procedures and are usually carried out in stages.  Full body lifts require extensive surgery and anesthesia time, as well as recovery time.  They are common to patients seeking full body rejuvenation after extensive weightloss through natural means or with help from obesity surgeries such as gastric bypass or Lapband surgery. When one is overweight for long periods and suddenly loses weight, the effects on the skin can be severe, resulting in large amounts of loose skin which can be removed with the above procedures.

Breast Augmentation With Breast Implants
Although not a procedure in the same category as lifting procedures, breast augmentation with breast implants is very popular.  Restoring volume to the breasts can also give a lifting appearance by filling out loose tissue.  Breast Augmentation may also be performed with breast lifting procedures.  This procedure may be considered complementary to liposuction when the patient wishes to enlarge the breasts overall, or create balance in their figure.  Please see our Breast Implants Central website for more information.