Belt Lipectomy

What you should know

• A belt lipectomy is surgery to remove extra skin and tissue from your abdomen (stomach), back, and buttocks. This surgery is also called a circumferential lipectomy. You may have loose skin and fat if you have lost a lot of weight. You may want a belt lipectomy to help make parts of your body look flatter or smoother. During a belt lipectomy, your caregiver will make incisions (cuts) around your abdomen and lower back. You may have liposuction to suction out extra fat. Extra fat on your thighs or pubic area may also be removed. Your pubic area is between your abdomen and the top of your legs.
  
  
• It may take a year or more for you to notice all of the results of your belt lipectomy. Having this surgery may help improve the shape of your abdomen, waist, thighs and buttocks. Your abdomen may become slimmer and you may no longer have rolls of fat on your back. You may have a lower risk of getting a skin infection. You may be able to fit into your clothes better. You may also feel better about the way you look.

Care Agreement

You have the right to help plan your care. Learn about your health condition and how it may be treated. Discuss treatment options with your caregivers to decide what care you want to receive. You always have the right to refuse treatment.

Risks

• You may not be happy with the results of your surgery. You may have an infection, bruises, or pain near your surgery site. You may have extra pieces of tissue (called dog ears) on your back. You may not be able to feel the skin where you had your surgery. Some of the skin near your surgery site may die. Your wounds may not heal properly and may split open. A pocket of fluid (a seroma) may form near your wound. You may bleed too much and need a blood transfusion.
  
  
• You may get a blood clot in your leg or arm. This can cause pain and swelling, and it can stop blood from flowing where it needs to go in your body. The blood clot can break loose and travel to your lungs or brain. A blood clot in your lungs can cause chest pain and trouble breathing. A blood clot in your brain can cause a stroke. These problems can be life-threatening. You may also have trouble breathing if air enters the space between your lungs and chest wall. You may need surgery again to fix some of these problems. If you smoke, you have a higher risk of having problems after your surgery.
  
  
• Without surgery, your extra skin and fat may cause you pain. You may have trouble keeping your body clean and you may get infections. Ask your caregiver if you have questions about your surgery, medicines, or care.

Getting Ready

Before your surgery:

• Ask your caregiver if you need to stop using aspirin or any other prescribed or over-the-counter medicine before your procedure or surgery.
  
  
• Bring your medicine bottles or a list of your medicines when you see your caregiver. Tell your caregiver if you are allergic to any medicine. Tell your caregiver if you use any herbs, food supplements, or over-the-counter medicine.
  
  
• Your caregiver will ask what you want to change about your body. Your caregiver will ask you about your health history. He will ask you if you have had surgeries in the past. If you are female, he will ask you if you have ever given birth. He may also ask you about your future plans for being pregnant. Tell your caregiver if you have diabetes (high blood sugar) or other problems with your blood, lungs, or heart. Also tell your caregiver if you have ever had any problems with your abdomen. Your caregiver may also ask you if you have any mental health problems.
  
  
• You may need blood taken for tests. The blood can be taken from a vein in your hand, arm, or the bend in your elbow. Your blood is tested to see how your body is doing. Your caregiver may test your blood or urine to see if you are pregnant. Ask your caregiver for more information about any tests that you may need. Write down the date, time, and location of each test.
  
  
• Your caregiver may want you to lose weight before your surgery. Your caregiver may also want you to stay at the same weight for a few months or more. Ask your caregiver if a weight loss plan is right for you.
  
  
• If you smoke, you will need to stop before your surgery. Smoking makes you at an increased risk for problems after your surgery. You may heal slower after surgery if you smoke. Smoking harms the heart, lungs, and the blood. You are more likely to have a heart attack, lung disease, and cancer if you smoke. You will help yourself and those around you by not smoking. Ask your caregiver for more information about how to stop smoking if you are having trouble quitting.

The day before your surgery:

• Your caregiver will use a marker to make lines on areas of your abdomen, back, and thighs. These markings will help guide your caregiver during your surgery. Your caregiver may take photographs to compare to the results of your surgery.
  
  
• Ask caregivers about directions for eating and drinking.

The day of your surgery:

• Write down the correct date, time, and location of your surgery.
  
  
• You or a close family member will be asked to sign a legal document called a consent form. It gives caregivers permission to do the procedure or surgery. It also explains the problems that may happen, and your choices. Make sure all your questions are answered before you sign this form.
  
  
• Caregivers may insert an intravenous tube (IV) into your vein. A vein in the arm is usually chosen. Through the IV tube, you may be given liquids and medicine.
  
  
• You may need a blood transfusion if you lose a large amount of blood during surgery. Some people are worried about getting AIDS, hepatitis, or the West Nile virus from a blood transfusion. The risk of this happening is very low. Blood banks test all donated blood for AIDS, hepatitis, and the West Nile virus. You may be able to donate your own blood before surgery. This is called autologous blood donation. This must be done no later than three days before surgery. You may also ask a family member or friend with the same blood type to donate blood for you. This is called directed blood donation.
  
  
• An anesthesiologist may talk to you before your surgery. This caregiver may give you medicine to make you sleepy before your procedure or surgery. Tell your caregiver if you or anyone in your family has had a problem using anesthesia in the past.

Treatment

What will happen:

• You will be taken to the room where you will have your surgery. Your caregiver will give you anesthesia medicine to keep you asleep during your surgery. Your surgery site will be cleaned and sheets will be put over you to keep the surgery area clean. Your caregiver will make an incision (cut) around your bellybutton and make a cut on your lower abdomen. Your caregiver will remove your extra tissue and skin and may use liposuction to remove extra fat. Some of the tissue covering your abdomen muscles are stitched together to tighten your abdomen. Your caregiver may also remove extra tissue or fat from your thighs and pubic area. Your caregiver will then use stitches to make a new hole for your bellybutton and close your cuts.
  
  
• You will then be placed on each side with your waist and knees bent. For each side, your caregiver will cut and remove the loose skin and extra fat from your back. The skin over your buttocks will be pulled up and stitched to the edges of the skin on your back. Your caregiver will then close your cuts with stitches. During your surgery, drains may be put in your surgery site. These drains help remove extra fluid.

After your surgery:

• You will be taken to a room where you can rest. Your bed will be positioned so that your body is bent at the waist. This helps keeps pressure off of your abdomen. Do not try to get out of bed until your caregiver says it is OK.
  
  
• You may be asked to start walking on the night of your surgery. This helps prevent blood clots from forming. You may need to walk with your back bent slightly forward. Do not try to walk for the first time without your caregiver's help.

Waiting area:

This is an area where your family and friends can wait until you are able to have visitors. Ask your visitors to provide a way to reach them if they leave the waiting area.

Contact a caregiver if

• You cannot make it to your surgery on time.
  
  
• You have a fever.
  
  
• You get sick (a cold or the flu).
  
  
• You have an infection or wound under the loose and sagging skin in your abdomen.

Copyright © 2012. Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved. Information is for End User's use only and may not be sold, redistributed or otherwise used for commercial purposes.

The above information is an educational aid only. It is not intended as medical advice for individual conditions or treatments. Talk to your doctor, nurse or pharmacist before following any medical regimen to see if it is safe and effective for you.