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Upper Body Lift Sydney (Upper Torsoplasty)

Upper Body Lift Sydney (Upper Torsoplasty)

If you’ve experienced significant weight loss and have extra skin as a result, an upper body lift, also known as an upper torsoplasty, can address excess skin and tissue in multiple areas.

The procedure combines multiple surgeries to address different areas, such as an arm lift, upper back lift, underarm lift or breast lift. Different techniques can be used, including liposuction to remove excess fat pockets.

What is an upper body lift?

Losing a significant amount of weight can leave excess skin that doesn’t tighten back into place. This loose skin commonly appears on areas like the arms, abdomen, chest, or back.

An upper body lift (or upper torsoplasty) removes excess skin and tissue from the torso and can be tailored to address specific areas.

Essentially, the procedure can include a breast lift (mastopexy), an arm lift (brachioplasty), an upper back lift (also known as a braline lift or lipectomy), an underarm lift, and sometimes liposuction.

An upper body lift can also be combined with a lower body lift. The lower body lift focuses on areas like the abdomen (through abdominoplasty), lower back, buttocks, and thighs.

Upper Body Lift Sydney (Upper Torsoplasty)

Your upper body lift consultation at Aesthetic Edge in Sydney

Your upper torsoplasty consultation will include a thorough discussion of your medical history and an assessment of your overall health to determine if you’re a suitable candidate.

During the consultation, you’ll have a detailed conversation with your surgeon about your goals and expectations, which will help you understand if an upper body lift is the right option for you.

Preparing for an upper body lift may require adjustments to any medications or supplements you’re taking, and if you smoke, you will likely need to quit beforehand. These preparation steps will be discussed during your consultation, giving you the chance to ask any questions and understand what’s needed before surgery.

You’ll also need a referral from your GP to book the consultation. If you have any further questions about the process, feel free to reach out to the team.

Suitable candidates for an upper body lift

Patients often consider an upper torsoplasty after significant weight loss, to remove excess skin that may have remained.

As mentioned, the procedure can include a variety of procedures, such as an upper arm lift, upper back lift, an underarm lift, or a breast lift. Even if you don’t need to address all of the common target areas, an upper body lift can still be performed to meet your specific needs, targeting only the areas that you wish to target.

Some key health considerations and other factors must be discussed with your surgeon during a consultation to be suitable for an upper body lift.

You may be a candidate for an upper body lift if you’ve experienced massive weight loss, typically more than 50% of your excess body weight, and are left with loose skin or fat deposits in the upper body. Other factors include having excess skin in the underarm area, laxity in the arms, fat deposits on the upper back, or skin laxity on the chest or breasts.

Suitable candidates should have completed their weight loss journey and be at a stable weight. They should generally be in good health and be willing to stop smoking at least four weeks before the procedure. Candidates should also not be pregnant or breastfeeding.

Upper Body Lift Sydney (Upper Torsoplasty) - 1
Aesthetic Edge - Nose Surgery

The upper body lift procedure

To remove excess fat and skin, an upper body lift, or upper torsoplasty, combines multiple procedures, typically including an upper back lift (lipectomy), underarm surgery, breast lift (mastopexy), arm lift (brachioplasty), and liposuction.

Considered as a major procedure due to the extensive removal of tissue, the surgery is performed under general anaesthesia and can take between three to six hours to perform.

The details of your procedure will then depend on the specific areas that will be addressed.

Below are some examples of how each procedure can be performed:

Upper Back Lift (Lipectomy)

If an upper back lift will be included, your surgeon will make a long horizontal incision across the upper back, starting under one shoulder blade and extending to the other. The skin is separated from the deeper tissue, so that the extra skin can be removed. The two edges of the wound are then pulled together, and the wound is sutured closed. Typically, the placement of the incision means that the scar is beneath where a bra would sit.

Upper Arm Lift (Brachioplasty)

For an arm lift, or brachioplasty, the surgeon targets loose skin on the upper arms. It typically involves making a long incision along the inner surface of the arm, through which the excess skin and fat can be removed. Your surgeon can then bring the edges of the incision together and close the wound with sutures, tightening the area.

Underarm Lift

To include underarm tightening, the incision used for the upper back lift can sometimes be extended to address excess fat and skin in the underarm (axilla) area, however an additional incision in the armpit may sometimes be required. During the procedure, the skin will be pulled upward so that excess skin can be removed, before the two edges of the wound are pulled together and sutured closed.

Breast Lift (Mastopexy)

For a breast lift, an incision is made on the breast, often around the areola, down the front of the breast, and possibly along the breast crease. The skin is then separated from the underlying tissue, and the breast is reshaped by removing excess skin. The remaining skin is tightened to lift the breast into a higher position, before the incisions are sutured closed. Sometimes, the areola is also resized or repositioned. The exact placement of the incision and resulting scar will depend on the amount of skin being removed and the specific technique used.

During your consultation, your surgeon can identify which procedures will be performed, and explain the details of your overall surgery. Procedure time, steps and factors like incision placement will vary from patient to patient, so it’s always best to refer to your personalised procedure plan.

Recovery after an upper body lift

After undergoing an upper torsoplasty, you may need to stay in the hospital for two to three days so that your recovery can be carefully monitored. Surgical drains may be placed in the wounds to prevent the buildup of internal fluids, which can be removed early on in recovery.

As a quite extensive procedure, recovery can involve taking care of multiple incision sites, such as on the arms, back, underarms and/or breasts. Your surgeon will provide you with instructions on how to care for these wounds.

In the first week after surgery, you’ll likely experience the peak of pain, swelling, and bruising. These symptoms should gradually lessen over the next few weeks as your body heals. During the first two to three weeks, you’ll need to stay home and rest – while you’ll need to avoid strenuous activity, light walking is generally encouraged to prevent complications such as blood clots.

Generally, you’ll need to avoid tasks that involve excessive movement of the arms or upper body. It’s also advised not to drive for at least the first two weeks, as this can cause discomfort in the arms, back, and chest.

You will normally have follow-up appointments with your surgeon during recovery, to monitor your healing progress and assess if any possible complications have occurred. Your surgeon may make some adjustments to your recovery instructions during these appointments, or identify a possible complication that would need to be promptly treated, although most complications are quite rare.

A full recovery after an upper body lift can take up to six to 10 weeks, depending on the extensiveness of your procedure and how fast your body heals. It can take some time for the results to be fully visible, as swelling will take time to subside, and incision sites will need to fully heal.

Aesthetic Edge Sydney, recovery information and instructions with Dr Hunt, fleur de lis abdominoplasty consult,

Costs of an upper body lift at Aesthetic Edge in Sydney

An upper torsoplasty is a highly versatile and customisable procedure, as it combines a variety of procedures. This means that costs will vary depending on the specific combination of surgeries involved.

Factors such as the number of areas being treated, as well as anaesthetist and hospital fees, which can depend on the length of time spent in the operating room, will also influence the total costs.

When an upper torsoplasty is a medically necessary procedure, such as to reduce discomfort, improve mobility or reduce skin irritation caused by excess skin, patients may be eligible for Medicare cover. Patients will need to meet certain strict criteria set out by Medicare and be able to prove the medical necessity of the procedure.

If patients are eligible for Medicare cover, they may also be able to receive cover from their private health insurance provider. We advise patients to check with their provider directly.

For an estimated price of an upper body lift, you can contact our team directly, but your consultation with your surgeon will ultimately provide you with a more accurate estimate based on your individual needs.

A referral from your GP will be required to schedule your consultation, and will also be an important part of of your Medicare cover application process, if you are eligible to apply.

Possible risks and complications

As with any surgery, an upper body lift carries some potential risks and complications. Choosing a qualified plastic surgeon and following your recovery instructions can help minimise the chance of complications.

Possible complications may include seroma, where fluid accumulates in the wounds, or haematoma, which is a buildup of blood at the surgical site. Some patients may experience numbness or loss of sensation around the incision areas, which can be temporary or permanent. Any surgery that requires incisions also carries the risk of wound infection, poor wound healing or noticeable scarring. In rare cases, there is a risk of inner organ trauma from liposuction.

A complete list of the possible risks and complications can be discussed during your consultation, and your surgeon will take some steps to prevent these complications, starting from the consultation process. Ensuring that you are in good general health and are a suitable candidate for the procedure will be the first step in minimising risks.

Providing you with preparation and recovery instructions will be the next step, outlining any steps you need to take to minimise complications (such as stopping certain medications or quitting smoking).

During your recovery, you should monitor your body for any signs that a complication has occurred and contact our team or seek medical advice if you have any concerns. Your surgeon can explain these signs of possible complications during your consultation so that you’ll know how to spot them. Some complications may need additional treatments to address and should be acted on promptly.

Your follow-up appointments will also allow your surgeon to monitor your healing and spot any possible complications in a timely manner, so it is important to always attend these appointments during your recovery.