Lower Body Lift in Tijuana, Mexico
When loose skin goes all the way around, a tummy tuck alone stops short.
No image on this page depicts an actual patient or a surgical result. Editorial photography is used for illustration only.
Lower body lift — also called a belt lipectomy, a 360 lower body lift, or circumferential tummy tuck — with Dr. Alfredo Chama, plastic surgeon board-certified by the Mexican Council of Plastic Surgery (CMCPER No. 2607), about 20 minutes from the San Ysidro border crossing.
What it’s for
What a lower body lift is for, and what it isn’t
After major weight loss, the loose skin often does not stop at the abdomen. It continues around to the flanks, the lower back and the buttocks, which lose volume and sag. A standard tummy tuck treats the front; everything else stays as it was.
A lower body lift addresses that full circumference in one procedure. It uses an incision that goes around the body, placed in a pattern similar to a bikini line, to remove the sagging skin and fat and tighten the abdomen, groin, waist, thighs and buttocks at the same time. It is one of the largest operations in body contouring, which is why it is decided calmly and with complete information.
It is not an operation for removing fat: when the skin still has elasticity, liposuction alone may be enough. A lower body lift is for when the skin no longer follows.
If your insurer only covers a panniculectomy. A panniculectomy removes the hanging apron of skin on the lower abdomen and nothing more; it is what US insurers sometimes cover after documented rashes. A lower body lift is a different, more complete operation, and it is self-pay here. This page makes no promise of coverage or reimbursement.
Benefits
What it changes
- Abdomen, flanks and lower back in one plan: the contour is treated as a whole, not in pieces.
- Buttocks and outer thighs repositioned: the skin that sags is lifted along with the rest.
- Less chafing: the folds that get irritated when walking or exercising are gone.
- Clothes that finally fit: a defined waist and hip, with no skin settling over the waistband.
Candidacy
Who is typically a candidate, and who should wait
- ✓ Loose skin that goes around the body: abdomen, flanks, lower back and buttocks, not only the front.
- ✓ Stable weight. How long it should be stable is set by Dr. Chama at your consultation.
- ✓ Good general health, with no conditions that impair wound recovery.
- ✓ Non-smoker, or willing to stop before and after surgery.
- ✓ Realistic expectations: the scar goes around the body; it is planned to sit under underwear, and it does not go away.
- ✓ Able to stay in Tijuana for the first nights and return for follow-up, in person or virtually.
Tummy tuck, lower body lift or fleur-de-lis:
| Tummy tuck | Lower body lift | Fleur-de-lis | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where the skin excess is | Abdomen, top to bottom | Abdomen + flanks + lower back + buttocks | Abdomen, top to bottom and also across |
| Incision | Low horizontal | Around the body | Low horizontal + vertical midline |
| What else it treats | Muscle separation if needed | Buttocks and outer thighs | Upper abdomen and muscle separation if needed |
Consultation
Virtual or in-person assessment of your case
Preparation
Personalized plan, labs, and pre-op instructions
Procedure
Hospital setting, board-certified team
Recovery
Follow-up in person or remotely from the U.S.
How the process works, step by step
- Virtual consultation. Send photos from the front, sides and back plus a short weight history through WhatsApp; Dr. Chama tells you whether your case calls for a standard tummy tuck, a lower body lift or another combination.
- Plan. The extent of the incision is set by how much skin there is and where; whether liposuction is added to improve the contour; surgery date and travel dates fixed together.
- Surgery in Tijuana. In a certified hospital setting, usually under general anesthesia. Deep sutures support the new contour. Drains depend on the case.
- First follow-up. Check-up before you travel home; drains, if used, removed on schedule; compression garment fitted; written care instructions.
- Cross-border follow-up. Virtual check-ins from California or wherever you live while the scar matures, with in-person visits when needed.
Your stay and follow-up (for patients crossing or flying in)
- Nights in Tijuana before driving or flying home: at least one night in Tijuana; Dr. Chama confirms the number for your case in your written plan
- Follow-up: WhatsApp or video check-ins; in-person visits are about 20 minutes from the border.
- Records: you can request a clinical summary of your case before you leave, so any physician back home can continue your care if needed.
- Optional package for out-of-town patients: recovery-house stay, ground transport airport → clinic → recovery house → airport, and a medical-lane pass for the border crossing. You can book the surgery alone or a package built around your case — ask on WhatsApp.
Dr. Chama discusses every risk, complication rate, and realistic expectation at your consultation — before you decide. A medical site that only shows results and omits risk is not giving you complete information.
Does the loose skin go all the way around? Schedule your virtual consultation. Message us on WhatsApp in English or Spanish; Dr. Chama reviews your case and tells you which operation applies.
Frequently asked questions
What patients ask us most
How is it different from a regular tummy tuck?
The extent. A standard tummy tuck uses a low horizontal incision and treats the front: excess skin and, if needed, the separated muscles. A lower body lift continues that incision around the body to treat the flanks, lower back and buttocks in the same operation. It is longer and larger, and it is indicated when the loose skin genuinely goes all the way around.
Where is the scar?
It goes around the body in a low line similar to the edge of a bikini or underwear. The exact length and pattern depend on how much skin there is and where, and on surgical judgment. It is planned so clothing covers it; it matures and fades over time, but it does not go away.
Is liposuction part of it?
It can be added when needed to improve the contour, especially at the flanks or thighs. It is not the rule: it is decided at consultation based on your anatomy. A lower body lift does not replace liposuction or the other way round; they solve different problems.
Are drains used?
It depends on the case. If they are placed, they are thin temporary tubes that remove fluid from under the skin in the first days; Dr. Chama tells you when they come out and how to care for them. It is written into your surgical plan.
What are the risks?
This is major surgery. Risks include those of anesthesia, bleeding, blood clots, fluid collecting under the skin, infection, changes in skin sensation, poor wound recovery, widened or unfavorable scars, residual loose skin or contour irregularities. Dr. Chama goes through them with you before you decide, along with what is done to reduce them.
What is recovery like?
Real and progressive. The first days call for active rest, a compression garment and walking early to lower the risk of clots. For days to weeks you avoid bending, straining and lifting; you may be asked to sleep with your knees raised so the sutures are not stressed. Dr. Chama sets your exact timeline based on how you recover.
My insurance only covers a panniculectomy — is this different?
Yes. A panniculectomy removes only the hanging apron of lower-abdominal skin; it does not tighten the waist, lift the buttocks or treat the flanks and back. A lower body lift does all of that in one operation. Treatment in Tijuana is self-pay, and this page makes no promise of coverage or reimbursement — check with your insurer before assuming anything about claims.
How many nights in Tijuana, and what does the package include?
At least one night. Dr. Chama confirms the number based on the procedure and how you are recovering, and you have it in writing before you book travel. If you want the logistics handled, there is an optional package: recovery-house stay, ground transport airport → clinic → recovery house → airport, and a medical-lane pass for the border crossing. You can book the surgery alone or a package built around your case.
Panniculectomy out of pocket cost — what should I expect?
A panniculectomy — sometimes called an apron belly removal or pannus removal surgery — is quoted separately from a lower body lift, because the two are different operations with different scope, described above. There is no fixed nationwide price for panniculectomy out of pocket cost: it depends on how much tissue needs to come out and whether it is combined with anything else. Dr. Chama gives you a personalized, written quote for both options after reviewing your photos on WhatsApp, so you can compare what each one actually includes, not just a number.
About the surgeon
Dr. Alfredo Chama Naranjo
Dr. Alfredo Chama Naranjo — plastic, aesthetic and reconstructive surgeon in Tijuana, Mexico.
- Specialty professional license (Mexican Ministry of Education, SEP): 14854088 — plastic and reconstructive surgery, National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), verifiable on the SEP public registry.
- Board certification by the Mexican Council of Plastic, Aesthetic and Reconstructive Surgery: CMCPER No. 2607, verifiable on the council’s website. The CMCPER is Mexico’s national board for plastic surgery — the counterpart of board certification in the United States.
- Operates in a certified hospital setting in Tijuana.
Last updated: 2026-09-21
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Last updated: September 23, 2026