What is a Belt Lipectomy?
Posted: Sunday, March 19, 2006
by Stephanie Sulger
Plastic Surgery Travel
Belt lipectomy - not your usual Tummy Tuck
A tummy tuck (also called Abdominoplasty)
is a very effective surgery to treat loose, hanging abdominal tissue in patients whose fat
excess is mostly in the front and a little to the sides of their abdomen.
However, many patients have significant amounts of loose tissue that extends
completely around their waist and lower body. This excess tissue cannot be
corrected by a having a tummy tuck even with liposuction of the hips and waist.
In fact a traditional abdominoplasty may actually make the excess tissue left
even more obvious. This is where having belt lipectomy becomes is a more appropriate
choice. 1. patients who have had a significant loss of weight due to gastric/intestinal bypass surgery or a dramatic change in eating and exercise habits. These are people who have lost more than one hundred pounds of weight. They have hanging skin and fat in the abdominal area, outer thigh and hip excess, back rolls, and ill-defined buttocks. In addition to belt lipectomy, many of these patients will need surgical procedures on the arms, inner thighs, breasts, and back. This first group consists of those who are still overweight and may have a moderately good result from the surgery and those who are at or near their ideal weight with minimal subcutaneous fat and lots of loose skin.
2. Another group includes patients with moderate excess of the trunk who have unsuccessfully tried to lose their 30 to 50 pounds overweight. These patients most often present for abdominoplasty, but the surgeon should recognize the problem and suggest belt lipectomy to achieve a striking improvement of the lower body contour. 3..men or women who would be considered to be near the normal weight range, have moderate excess of the abdomen, but desire a remarkable improvement in the buttocks, back, and waist.
Obese patients who haven't lost weight are encouraged to pursue other avenues prior to belt lipectomy, such as changes in lifestyle or bariatric surgery.
Belt lipectomy is a major surgical procedure, and it is recommended that you be in good health and have this surgery at a hospital rather than an alternative ambulatory surgery center. Following the doctors recommendations, not smoking, drinking or excessive dieting pre-op are the best ways to prevent complications. Infection, bleeding, and seroma formation are the most frequent complications of belt lipectomy. Wound separation is another possible risk. Careful postoperative management and patient commitment during the postoperative period are required to guarantee the full success of the operation in each individual case.
USA costs for this and other plastic surgery procedures are very high - usually $30,000 and up and insurance doesn't usually cover the procedure.
Prices in Costa Rica by safety rated USA trained, Board Certified plastic surgeons ares much lower, and are priced about the same as any country outside the USA - usually around $8-9000.
For more information visit www.medicaltoursinternational.com or conatct a nurse at info@medicaltoursinternational.com
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