Thigh lift surgery reshapes the thighs by reducing excess skin, and in some cases fat, resulting in smoother skin and better-proportioned contours of the thighs and lower body.
If fitness and weight loss efforts have not achieved your goals for a body that is firmer, more youthful-looking and more proportionate to your overall body image, a thigh lift may be right for you.
Thigh lifts are not intended strictly for the removal of excess fat. Liposuction alone can remove excess fat deposits where skin has good elasticity and is able to naturally conform to new body contours.
In cases where skin elasticity is poor, a combination of liposuction and thigh lift techniques may be recommended.
Procedural Steps
First, Anesthesia is induced
Medications are administered for your comfort during the surgical procedure. This procedure is usually done under general anesthesia.
The incisions
Incision patterns vary based on the area or areas to be treated, degree of correction and patient and surgeon preference.
One common technique used for a thigh lift places incisions in the groin and then extends downward along the inner aspect of the thigh.
The underlying tissue matrix will be reshaped and tightened, and skin will be reduced and re-draped resulting in more proportionate and smoother body contours.
You may qualify for a minimal incision medial thigh lift that involves an incision only in the groin area. We will determine this at your preoperative consultation.
Improving the contours of the outer thigh may require an incision extending from the groin around the hip.
Advanced techniques usually allow incisions to be placed in strategic locations where they can be hidden by most types of clothing and swimsuits. However, incisions may be extensive.
Closing the incisions
Deep support sutures within underlying tissues help to form the newly shaped contours. Sutures close the skin incisions.
The results
The smoother tighter contouring that result from a thigh lift are apparent almost immediately, although initially obscured by swelling and bruising.
Thigh lift recovery
During your recovery from thigh lift surgery, dressing or bandages may be applied to your incisions, and you may be wrapped in an elastic bandage or a compression garment to minimize swelling and to support your new contours as you heal.
Small, thin tubes may be temporarily placed under the skin to drain excess fluid or blood that may collect.
You will be given specific instructions that may include how to care for the surgical site and drains, medications to apply or take orally to aid healing and reduce the potential for infection, specific concerns to look for at the surgical site or in your general health, and when to follow up in the office.
If you experience any shortness of breath, chest pains, or unusual heart beats, seek medical attention immediately. Should any of these complications occur, you may require hospitalization and additional treatment.
It is important that the surgical incisions are not subjected to excessive force, swelling, abrasion, or motion during the time of healing.
Thigh lift surgery risks and safety information
The decision to have plastic surgery is extremely personal, and you’ll have to decide if the benefits will achieve your goals and if the risks and potential complications of thigh lift surgery are acceptable.
You will be asked to sign consent forms to ensure that you fully understand the procedure and any risks and potential complications.
Thigh lift surgery risks include:
- Anesthesia risks
- Poor wound healing
- Bleeding Infection
- Fluid accumulation
- Major wound separation
- Asymmetry
- Deep vein thrombosis, cardiac and pulmonary complications
- Fatty tissue found deep in the skin might die (fat necrosis)
- Persistent pain
- Skin discoloration and/or swelling
- Skin loss
- Sutures may spontaneously surface through the skin, become visible or produce irritation that require removal
- Unfavorable scarring
- Numbness or other changes in skin sensation
- Recurrent looseness of skin
- Possibility of revisional surgery
These risks and others will be fully discussed prior to your consent. It’s important that you address all your questions prior to surgery.