Surgical body contouring – the ‘bra-line back lift’ to remove excess skin

Posted: 21/05/2014

The common cosmetic surgery procedures such as rhinoplasty, breast augmentation and abdominoplasty are much talked and written about but less well known procedures are also gradually growing in popularity as part of the boom in the elective cosmetic surgery industry. The Penningtons Manches Cooper's specialist cosmetic surgery group explains the surgical body contouring procedure, which is also known as a ‘bra line back lift’.

The bra-line back lift

The bra-line back lift is a new procedure developed, not surprisingly, in the USA to remove excess back skin and bulges while hiding the scar underneath the bra line. Performed under a general anaesthetic, the surgery involves making an incision across the upper back, in the bra-strap line for women, extending from one armpit to the other. The whole of the back skin below this is then surgically separated from the underlying muscle down to the lower lumbar area.

After significant bleeding has been stopped, the skin is pulled firmly upwards and all the excess is removed. The new cut edge is then repaired in line with the original incision, generally with dissolvable stitches. It is usual for a patient to spend two to three nights in hospital before resting at home and strenuous activity should be avoided for at least four weeks. Clear fluid will sometimes continue to accumulate under the skin for several weeks after surgery and will require tapping off from time to time on an outpatient basis.

In the USA, the surgery is quoted to cost between $7,500 - $10,000 but there are no direct cost comparisons in the UK yet.

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