Back Scoop Surgery

Made moderately famous last year by association with Heidi Montag, the cosmetic surgical procedure called a Back Scoop is being hailed as something of a new plastic surgery trend. This back surgery has, in fact, been around for quite a while under the guise of a ‘back tuck’, ‘back lift’, or ‘back sculpting’ operation. Patients with back pain, acute or chronic, are unlikely to get any benefit from this purely cosmetic procedure to remove fat from the back and create a sleeker silhouette to the customers’ satisfaction. There is no medical reason to have this back surgery and it is, therefore, unlikely to be covered by most medical insurance policies.

Back Scoop Procedure

Back scoop surgery is a micro-liposuction procedure where layers of fat across the back can be removed to trim the waist and reduce bulging from bra straps of under the arms. It may be a common cosmetic procedure to reduce waist size, along with liposuction of the abdomen to reduce belly fat. The contouring takes in the area from the hip to the shoulder and is conducted using a vibrating power suction machine that macerates the fat under the skin prior to extraction. In some cases a large amount of fat may be removed along with a section of skin in order for the remaining skin to be drawn over the slimmer back and stitched together in such a way as to hide the scar (under the bra-line usually) and keep the back taught. Scarring does occur, and some patients will require additional back surgery to address the scarring.

The cosmetic back scoop surgery usually takes around thirty to forty minutes and is popular to remove the ‘love handles’ or ‘muffin top’ that can make both men and women self-conscious about their appearance. If liposuction of the thighs is being carried out then the back scoop surgery can ensure that a ‘boxy’ look does not happen, with the hourglass figure maintained in light of sleeker thighs. Even quite thin people, such as Heidi Montag, have opted for back scoop surgery as it can effectively reduce waist size. The most common customer for this procedure appears to be middle-aged ladies with rolls of fat on their backs that are accentuated by bra-straps.

Back Scoop Cost

The procedure costs around $3000-10,000 and, in most cases, healing and recovery takes one to five days depending on the extent of tissue removal. The operation can be carried out under either a general or local anaesthetic which affects cost, recovery time, and complications. All of the usual surgical risks apply, such as infection, bleeding, pain, bruising, and dissatisfaction with the results.

Continue Reading –> Risks and Benefits of Back Scoop Surgery