Service
Excess skin removal — dermolipectomy and body lift
After major weight loss, the skin of the abdomen, flanks and buttocks stays stretched. Dermolipectomy removes excess skin and fatty tissue under the skin from the front of the abdomen; a body lift goes around the whole waist and lifts the buttocks and the outer thighs as well.
What concerns does it address?
Dermolipectomy or body lift?
Dermolipectomy is for excess that is mainly at the front. A body lift is for excess that goes all the way around the body — front, flanks and back — and is the largest of all the procedures after weight loss. A flank lift covers only the side part. Which is right for you depends on where the excess is and how much of it there is — this is seen at the examination.
When is it done?
The procedure is often planned in several stages, together with an arm lift, thigh lift or breast lift. → Arm lift · Thigh lift · Breast lift
How do we plan procedures after major weight loss?
Removing excess skin is the final phase of treating obesity — and it is not done all at once.
Procedures are put in order according to what bothers you most in daily function: most often the abdomen and hips first, then the thighs and upper arms, then the breasts, and finally the face and neck. What can be combined into one procedure and what has to wait depends on the extent, on your health and on the assessment of the surgeon and the anaesthetist — larger procedures are divided into stages, and between them we wait for the body to heal.
Liposuction is almost always part of the procedure: it shapes the edge zones, so the tightened skin does not end at a sharp border with the part that was not operated on. If there is also an abdominal hernia, it is treated in the same operation.
When is the procedure not suitable?
The procedure is not planned while weight is still falling or fluctuating — we wait for at least six months of stable weight. After stomach surgery, nutritional status (protein, iron, vitamins) is also checked, because the healing of long incisions depends on it. A body lift, as the largest operation, is not done in people with significant heart or lung disease or a tendency to thrombosis; smaller, separate procedures are then done instead.
General reasons for postponing a procedure (pregnancy, breastfeeding, inflammation, a clotting disorder, smoking): When is a procedure postponed?
Anaesthesia
Before a procedure under general or regional anaesthesia, you are seen by the anaesthetist, who works full time at the clinic; the same doctor is also present during the procedure. The anaesthetic assessment and the anaesthesia for larger operations are included in the price of the procedure. What happens before, during and after anaesthesia is described on the Anaesthesia page.
Risks
Occasional — a collection of fluid (seroma) or blood (haematoma) that is drained with a needle, slower healing of part of the wound, asymmetry that needs correction, part of the wound edge opening, which is treated with dressings, "dog ears" at the ends of the incision that are later flattened, a wider scar.
Rare — death of part of the skin along the incision, most often in smokers; a clot in the leg veins, which is why you get up and walk early.
Expected, and rare but serious → Risks and complications: what is the course of healing, and what is a complication?
Price
| Service | Price |
|---|---|
| Dermolipectomy | €3,500–4,500 |
| Body lift | €9,000–11,000 |
| Flank lift | €3,500–4,500 |
Specialist and team
Specialty: plastic, reconstructive and aesthetic surgery.
When the procedure is done under sedation or general anaesthesia, the anaesthesia is led by a specialist in anaesthesiology, resuscitation and intensive care who works full time at the clinic.
In the operating theatre, the surgeon is assisted by head nurse Martina Šereg, with the help of nurses Kristina Jurešić and Mateja Tomorad, and in recovery the care assistant Mirjana Kovačić is with you. Martina also looks after preparation, scheduling and contact after the procedure.
Who will operate is decided at the examination, based on the findings and the type of procedure. You know the name of the surgeon before the procedure and meet them at the examination.
What happens at the examination?
The first examination lasts 30 to 45 minutes on average. The surgeon examines the area you are concerned about, asks about illnesses, medicines, allergies and previous operations, and talks with you about what you expect. If the procedure is appropriate and likely to help, you receive a plan: which procedure is proposed, under which anaesthesia, what recovery looks like and what is included in the price. If the procedure is not needed or would not give you what you expect, you will hear that at the examination too.
What if the result is not as agreed?
The result of a procedure is assessed at a follow-up visit, once the swelling has gone down and the scar has matured, not in the first weeks. If it differs from what was agreed at the examination, the same surgeon carries out the correction.
→ Poliklinika Barbel's correction policy
In the same visit
- Hernia surgery — if there is also an abdominal hernia, it is treated in the same operation.
- Liposuction — excess skin together with fatty tissue is dealt with by a lift, sometimes in the same procedure as liposuction.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a tummy tuck and dermolipectomy? In addition to removing skin, a tummy tuck tightens the abdominal muscles and moves the navel; dermolipectomy removes excess skin and fat without work on the muscles. Which is right for you depends on the state of the muscles — this is seen at the examination.
Why does excess skin not go away with exercise? Exercise changes muscle and fatty tissue, but not skin. Skin that has been stretched for years has lost its elasticity and does not return by itself — the only way for it to go is to remove it.
Where are the scars? With dermolipectomy, horizontal and low on the abdomen; with a body lift, around the whole waist; with a flank lift, at the side. The position is planned so that underwear covers it.
How long does recovery take after a body lift? It is the largest body-contouring operation: drains in the first days, compression garment for six weeks.
What if I put the weight back on? The skin that has been removed does not come back, but the fatty tissue that remains grows as normal and the shape changes. That is why stable weight is a condition, not a recommendation.
How much does the result depend on care after the procedure? The larger the procedure, the more it depends on it, but it always does. Healing takes weeks and months and happens almost entirely at home, so the instructions you receive when you go home, about the wound, physical activity and the scar, are part of the procedure, not a recommendation.
Who is with me if I stay overnight in the clinic after the procedure? You stay overnight when the doctor judges it necessary and this is agreed with you. You then spend the night in a room in the recovery unit, which has a bed, a television and a bathroom. A nurse is with you all night and a doctor is on call. The overnight stay and night care are included in the price of the procedure.
→ How long do you stay in the clinic after surgery?
Medical review: doctors of Poliklinika Barbel · October 2026.