Body Contouring Surgery Defined

Body contouring surgery is a form of cosmetic surgery that is performed by a professional, licensed surgeon, on a person who either desires or requires it. Generally speaking, such surgery targets a specific area or part of the body that requires modifications or cosmetic refining. Anatomical parts that can be modified range from the arms to the buttocks and abdominal area.

There are several different variants of body contouring surgery including liposuction, breast augmentation/reduction, tummy tucks, and arm/thigh lifts. Regardless of the variant, the main goal is to remedy, augment or decrease an abnormality or aesthetical deformity that causes the individual physical or psychological malaise.

Body Contouring Surgery: Its variants and specific proceedings

Liposuction: Liposuction is one of the most common and popular forms of body contouring surgery on the market. It consists of draining out globs of fatty deposits from the patient´s body using a suction device that functions similarly to the common vacuum. Occasionally, lipids (fatty substances) are converted into a liquid state using a device called a ULA, or the fat cells may be liquidized using an ultrasound assisted lipoplasty. The liquefied fat cells are then drained from the punctured orifice. The procedure, as a stand-alone, generally takes two hours to complete and is usually performed under general anesthesia.

Breast Lifts: Breast lifting is a common surgical procedure most often performed on women; however, it can be performed on men as well, more specifically those who have experienced dramatic weight loss. As women age, many notice unflattering changes to their breasts (i.e., sagging) - thanks to gravity. A body-altering procedure such as a breast lift can reverse gravity´s effects. To perform a breast lift, the surgeon extracts excess skin and fatty deposits from the patient´s breasts and then tightens the surrounding tissue. As a result, the breasts acquire a firmer, more youthful appearance. A breast lift procedure can take approximately three hours, requires general anesthesia, and can be performed on an outpatient basis.

Tummy Tucks: A tummy tuck, also known as abdominoplasty, is a popular form of body contouring surgery. The procedure is recommended for people who have accumulated excess skin around the abdominal area, often due to the rapid loss of excess weight in a short period of time through exercise, dieting, or liposuction, and in some cases, due to postpartum residue. To conduct a tummy tuck, the surgeon will remove the excess skin in the middle lower section, stretch the remaining skin, create a new naval when necessary, and then suture the area. Depending on the extent of work necessary, the surgery can take from three to five hours to complete. The results consist of a smoother, firmer, flatter abdomen, and the disappearance of unsightly stretch marks.

Arm and Thigh Lifts: Arm lifts or brachioplasty is a form of body contouring surgery whereby the shape of the upper arms is reconstructed. It is performed to eliminate excess skin and fat in the region of the upper arm and arm pit. The skin is lifted and excess skin is removed. The area, including the muscle, is then tightened to give the arm a firmer appearance. Thigh lifts or thighplasty is a similar body contouring procedure in which excess skin is removed from the area of the thighs and buttocks. As a result, the region is tightened, leaving behind a more attractive, firmer thigh area. Both arm lifts and thigh lifts vary in terms of the length of time needed for the surgery: the more work required, the longer the surgery will take.

Body Contouring Surgery: Who is Eligible?

Body contouring surgery is recommended for men and women who want to have a part of their body refined or modified via cosmetic surgery. Many of the candidates have developed sagging skin, stretch marks, wrinkles, and drooping or flabby buttocks, breasts, thighs, arms etc., due to excessive loss of body fat through dieting, rigorous exercise, and/or gastric bypass surgery.

Most patients desire to reshape their bodies in order to be more attractive, thereby feeling more youthful and happy about themselves. Ergo, the clientele can range from women who have been pregnant and now want to reshape their postpartum bodies, to men who suffer from gynecomastia (the development of large, female-like breasts).

People with psychological disorders and young persons are generally not eligible for body contouring surgery because of inherent risks (i.e, depression over one´s physique) or the malevolent ramifications of altering a still-developing and maturing body (i.e., children and those in pubertal growth).