Treatments / Body / Lower body lift
Body contouring after weight loss
Lower Body Lift (Belt Lipectomy) in Kent, Surrey, Sussex and London
Lifting the tummy, hips and buttocks together
A lower body lift, also called a belt lipectomy or 360 body lift, removes loose skin all the way around the waist after major weight loss. Mr Siva Kumar plans it with you as part of your wider recovery from weight loss.
At a glance
What is a lower body lift?
Loose skin all the way around
After a large amount of weight loss, loose skin rarely stops at the front of the tummy. It often wraps around the hips and the lower back, and the outer thighs and buttocks can sag too. A tummy tuck on its own treats only the front, so it can leave folds at the sides and back.
A lower body lift removes a belt of loose skin and fat all the way around the body, just above the hips and buttocks. The front part is usually a full tummy tuck, with the tummy muscles tightened where needed and the belly button repositioned. As the scar is closed, the hips, outer thighs and buttocks are lifted.
The scar runs all the way around the lower trunk. Mr Kumar marks it with you standing, so that it sits low enough to be hidden by most underwear and swimwear. Because the operation is done from the front and back, you are turned during surgery, usually from your back to your front or sides.
It is a big operation, and it is usually one part of a plan that may also include the arms, thighs, breasts or upper back. You can see every option on the surgery after weight loss page, and our article on loose skin after weight-loss injections explains how timing and preparation fit together.
A lower body lift can help with
- Loose skin hanging over the front of the tummy
- Folds of skin around the hips and lower back
- Flat, sagging buttocks after weight loss
- Loose outer thighs
- Rubbing, rashes and soreness in skin folds
- Clothes that don’t fit around the waist
What it won’t do
- Replace weight loss: your weight needs to be stable and close to your goal first
- Treat loose skin on the inner thighs, arms or upper back, which need separate operations
- Leave you without a scar: the scar goes all the way around, although it is usually hidden by underwear
- Stop future changes if your weight goes up again
Improve skin quality too
Scars and skin quality
Once you have healed, IPL, CO₂ laser or radiofrequency microneedling can soften red or raised scars and improve crepey skin, as part of one joined-up plan.
How surgery and skin treatments fit together · Radiofrequency microneedling
Your options
Which operation suits your shape?
The right operation depends on how far the loose skin wraps around your body. Mr Kumar examines you standing, lying and sitting, and explains which option suits you, and why.
Lower body lift (belt lipectomy)
Removes a belt of loose skin around the whole waist, combining a tummy tuck at the front with a lift of the hips, outer thighs and buttocks at the back.
- Best for: loose skin around the waist, hips and buttocks
Extended tummy tuck
The tummy tuck scar continues around onto the hips but stops short of the back. It treats loose skin at the front and sides, with a shorter operation.
- Best for: loose skin at the front and hips, with a firm back
- Tummy tuck
Lower body lift with a fleur-de-lis
A vertical scar is added at the front to tighten the waist from side to side as well, for very loose skin across the whole tummy.
- Best for: large amounts of loose skin above and below the belly button
- Fleur-de-lis tummy tuck
Staged operations
Other areas, such as the upper back, arms, inner thighs and breasts, are usually treated in separate operations a few months apart, so each stage is safe.
- Best for: loose skin in several areas
- Upper body lift · Thigh lift
Mr Kumar’s view
Lower body lift or tummy tuck: which do I need?
The difference is how far around your body the loose skin goes. This table shows the main differences.
If the loose skin goes all the way round, a tummy tuck on its own usually leaves you with folds at the sides and back. I would much rather plan the right operation once than leave you needing a second one to finish the job.
A body lift is a big operation, and healing is the hard part. Most of the hard work happens before surgery: a stable weight, good nutrition and not smoking make the biggest difference to how well you heal.
| Tummy tuck | Lower body lift | |
|---|---|---|
| Area treated | The front of the tummy | The tummy, hips, lower back, outer thighs and buttocks |
| Scar | Low, from hip to hip | All the way around the lower trunk |
| Surgery time | About 3 hours | About 4 to 6 hours |
| Hospital stay | Usually 1 night | Usually 2 to 3 nights |
| Best for | Loose skin and separated muscles at the front | Loose skin that wraps around the body after major weight loss |
| Guide price | From £9,500 | From £15,000 |
Watch & read
Everything you need to know, in one place
Patient guide
Lower body lift: your patient guide
A detailed booklet written by Mr Kumar. It explains the procedure in depth, how to prepare, every risk and complication, and how to look after yourself afterwards.
Opens as a booklet you can flick through. Your copy is also given to you at consultation.
Your journey
Your step-by-step journey
Your journey starts the moment you get in touch. From your first enquiry to your final check-up, you deal with the same small team, and you will always feel listened to, informed and never rushed.
Get in touch
Call, email or send an enquiry. Our team replies promptly and personally, and finds a time and clinic that suit you.
There is no pressure and no sales script. Tell us a little about what prompted you to get in touch, and we will make sure your consultation is with the right person for you.
Consultation
An unhurried, face-to-face appointment with Mr Kumar himself, who will be your surgeon from start to finish.
He listens to what you would like to change, examines you, explains every option, including non-surgical ones and doing nothing, and gives you an honest view of the likely result.
Time to decide
You receive a written plan, a clear quote and your patient guide, then take as long as you need.
A second consultation is included before surgery, and there is a cooling-off period of at least two weeks. Bring someone with you, ask anything, and change your mind at any point.
Day of treatment
A lower body lift is done under general anaesthetic and usually takes four to six hours. You are turned during the operation so that the back and front can both be treated. Small drains are often used for a few days, you wear a compression garment, and you usually stay in hospital for two or three nights. Measures to prevent blood clots, including stockings, calf pumps and usually blood-thinning injections, start on the day of surgery.
He will see you beforehand to go through the plan and answer last-minute questions, and you will have clear instructions and a number to call once you go home.
Aftercare and follow-up
Reviews at each stage of your recovery, with support 24 hours a day whenever you need it.
Follow-up appointments are included in your package price, and continue until you have healed and are happy with how things have settled. You are seen regularly in the first few weeks for wound checks, with nurse support between appointments.
Recovery
Healing, step by step
Everyone heals at their own pace. This is a typical recovery, and Mr Kumar will give you a personal plan.
In hospital. You get up and walk with help on the first day, which lowers the risk of clots. Drains may stay in for a few days.
Rest at home with help. Walk little and often, sleep slightly bent at the waist, and wear your compression garment day and night.
Wound checks. Most people return to desk work and driving from about four to six weeks. No heavy lifting.
A gradual return to exercise from about eight weeks. Swelling settles over a few months and scars fade over 12 to 18 months.
Patient results
Before & after
Photographs are shared only with each patient’s written consent. Everyone is different, so individual results vary.
More patient results coming soon
In the meantime, Mr Kumar can show you results for patients with similar concerns during your consultation.
Safety
Risks and staying safe
All surgery carries some risk. Mr Kumar will go through these with you in detail, and the patient guide covers them in full, so you can make an informed decision.
Possible risks
- Slow wound healing or small areas of wound breakdown, most often at the back or where scars meet
- Fluid collecting under the skin (seroma), which may need draining
- Bleeding or a collection of blood (haematoma)
- Infection
- Blood clots in the legs or lungs
- Wide, raised or uneven scars
- Numbness of the skin of the tummy and thighs
- Some loose skin remaining, or asymmetry needing a small revision
Lowering your risk
- Your weight should be stable for at least 6 to 12 months, and usually 12 to 18 months after weight-loss surgery
- A BMI as close as possible to your goal, ideally under 30 to 32
- Blood tests check iron, vitamin B12, vitamin D and protein before surgery
- Stop smoking and vaping at least 6 weeks before and after surgery
- Tell Mr Kumar and your anaesthetist if you take weight-loss injections, and do not stop or change them without speaking to your prescriber
- Tell us about all medicines and supplements, especially blood thinners
Fees
Guide price from£15,000
Self-pay consultations £250.
One package price. No hidden surprises.
If you go ahead, you receive a single package price covering your whole journey, so you know exactly what you are paying before you commit. It usually includes:
- Your surgeon’s fee
- Anaesthetist’s fee
- Hospital and theatre fees
- Follow-up consultations
- Aftercare, with 24/7 support
- A clear written quote
FAQs
Your questions, answered
Is a lower body lift the same as a tummy tuck?
No. A tummy tuck treats the front of the tummy only, with a scar from hip to hip. A lower body lift includes a tummy tuck at the front but continues all the way around the back, lifting the hips, outer thighs and buttocks too. It suits people whose loose skin wraps around the body after major weight loss.
Does a 360 body lift lift your bottom?
Yes, to a degree. Removing the belt of loose skin above the buttocks lifts them and smooths the upper buttock and outer thigh. It does not add volume. Where the buttocks are very flat, your own tissue can sometimes be used to add some shape, and Mr Kumar will tell you whether this would suit you.
Is a lower body lift worth it?
For people troubled by loose skin all the way around the waist, many find that it makes clothes fit better, eases rubbing and rashes, and makes exercise more comfortable. It is a big operation with a long scar, a recovery of several weeks and a real risk of wound-healing problems, so it is worth taking time to decide. Mr Kumar will give you an honest view at consultation.
How long is the recovery from a lower body lift?
Usually two or three nights in hospital, then about two weeks resting at home with help. Most people return to desk work and driving after four to six weeks and to exercise from about eight weeks. Swelling takes several months to settle.
Where is the scar?
All the way around the lower trunk, low on the tummy at the front and across the top of the buttocks at the back. Mr Kumar marks it with you standing so that it sits within most underwear and swimwear. It fades and flattens over 12 to 18 months.
Can I have a lower body lift on the NHS?
Very rarely. The NHS funds skin removal after weight loss only in exceptional cases under strict local criteria, and a lower body lift is seldom included. Most people choose to have it privately. Your GP can tell you the local policy.
Can the arms, thighs or breasts be done at the same time?
Usually not. A lower body lift is already a long operation, and adding more areas raises the risk of complications. Other areas are usually treated in separate operations a few months apart. Mr Kumar will plan the order with you.
How much does a lower body lift cost in the UK?
The guide price starts from £15,000. Your final fee depends on your treatment plan and choice of hospital, and is confirmed in a written quote after consultation. Self-pay consultations cost £250.
Is it covered by insurance?
Cosmetic treatment is not usually covered by health insurance. Where there is a medical reason, it may be. Insurers will need Mr Kumar’s full name, Siva Kumar Veeramani, and GMC number 6114710.
Locations
Where to have your lower body lift in Kent, Surrey and Sussex
Your consultation and follow-up appointments with Mr Siva Kumar are at The Ü Clinic in Sevenoaks, Kent, or The Ü Clinic in Oxted, Surrey. Your surgery takes place at one of his partner hospitals: The McIndoe Centre in East Grinstead, West Sussex, KIMS Hospital in Maidstone, or North Downs Hospital in Caterham. See all of Mr Siva Kumar's clinic and hospital locations.
Both clinics are within easy reach of Tunbridge Wells, Tonbridge, West Malling, Westerham, Swanley, Dartford, Gravesend, Orpington, Bromley, Redhill, Reigate, Caterham, Coulsdon, Purley and Croydon. KIMS Hospital in Maidstone is close to Rochester, Chatham, Gillingham, Aylesford and Ashford, and The McIndoe Centre in East Grinstead is close to Crawley, Horley, Haywards Heath and Edenbridge. Patients also travel from across Sussex, including Brighton, Worthing, Horsham, Eastbourne, Hastings and Crowborough.
Lower body lift cost: guide prices start from £15,000. Your fee is confirmed in a written quote after your consultation. See all prices.
Thinking about lower body lift?
Start with an unhurried consultation with Mr Siva Kumar at The Ü Clinic in Sevenoaks or Oxted. Self-pay consultations cost £250.