At the University of Iowa, we have one of the largest series of Belt Lipectomy in the world.
We found that there are 3 groups of patients that can be helped by this operation, which removes tissue all the way around front to back. It improves the following areas: it flattens out the tummy, lifts the outer thighs, lifts the buttocks, gives you a deeper curve in the area of the hips and reduces back rolls.
The largest group of patients that benefit from this surgery are those who have lost a significant amount of weight on the order of 100 to 200 pounds. Although these patients have either lost that weight secondary to stomach stapling surgery or an aggressive exercise and nutrition program, they still have a lot of excess skin and fat. The Belt Lipectomy procedure removes all of this excess resulting in a more normal body appearance. The second group of patients that can benefit from this surgery are those who are about 30 to 40 pounds overweight. These patients will also receive the benefits we talked about. The third group that can benefit from this surgery are people who are not overweight at all, but desire a very significant improvement in their body contour.