Excessive skin rolls and wrinkles in the mid to upper back area can be corrected by a procedure called an upper body lift. This procedure uses a scar that can be easily concealed in the posterior bra strap line to eliminate those problematic back rolls that show through fitted clothing.
Skin rolls and deep creases in the back skin develop for a number of reasons. Although most patients attribute this problem simply to weight gain, the problem has additional origins. As everyone ages, their skin looses elasticity. This loss of elasticity leads to increased skin laxity on the back. As on other areas of the body, there are points at which the skin is very densely attached to the underlying tissue. As skin looses its elasticity with age, it tends to roll over these fixed points of dense attachment creating back rolls. Patients who have undergone significant weight loss also have more significant problems with back roll issues.
Mild to moderate degrees of back rolls can often be improved with a combination of liposuction of the areas and release of the skin attachments through small surgical incisions (see blog-The Neglected Back). Larger more dramatic back rolls require the upper body lift procedure for adequate correction. Upper body lift scars usually can be easily concealed in even revealing clothing and blend into the scars required for breast lift and reduction procedures. The procedure can be performed either as an outpatient or inpatient basis depending on the scope of the procedure. Patients can usually return to most work duties within a 10-14 day period.
