Thigh Reduction / Lift

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 surgical thigh life may be right for you.  This 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.

Is it right for me?

Candidates for thigh lift are:

• People whose weight is relatively stable
• Individuals with excess soft tissue along the inner or medial thigh region and/or the outer thigh
• Healthy individuals who do not have medical conditions that can impair healing of increase risk of surgery
• Non-smokers
• Individuals with a positive outlook and realistic goals for what thigh lift surgery can accomplish
• Individuals committed to leading a healthy lifestyle including proper nutrition and fitness. 

Procedural steps: what happens during thigh lift surgery?

Step1 – anesthesia
Medications are administred for your comfort during the surgical procedures.  The choices include intravenous sedation and general anesthesia.  Your doctor will recomment the best choice for you. 

Step 2 – the incision
Incision patters 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 incision in the groin, extending downward wrapping around the back of the thigh.  The underlying tissue matrix will be reshaped and tightened, and skin will be reduced and reshaped resulting in more proportionate and smoother body contours.  You may qualify for a minimal incision medial thigh lift which involves an incision only in the groin area.  Your surgeon will determine what’s appropriate. 

Improving the contours of the outer thigh may require an incision extending from the groin around the hip.  Through these incisions your plastic surgeon will tighten tissues for a smoother, better-toned lower body contour.  Advanced techniques usually allow incision to be laced in strategic locations where they can be hidden by most types of clothing and swimsuits.  However, incisions may be extensive. 

Step 3 – closing the incisions
Deep support sutures within underlying tissues help to form the newly shaped contours.  Sutures close the skin incisions

Step 4 – see the results
The smoother tighter contouring that result from a thigh lift are apparent almost immediately, although initially obscured by some swelling and bruising.  You may be required to wear a compression garment for several weeks following your procedure to minimize swelling and support the tissues as they heal.  Following a thigh lift, skin quality is dramatically improved both in appearance and feel. 

Important facts about the safety and risks of thigh lift surgery

The decision to have thigh lift surgery is extremely personal and you’ll have to decide if the benefits will achieve your goals and if the risks and potential complications are acceptable.  Your plastic surgeon and or staff will explain in detail the risks associated with surgery.  You will be asked to sign consent forms to ensure that you fully understand the procedure you will undergo and any risks and potential complications.

Possible risks of thigh lift surgery include:

• Unfavorable scarring
• Bleeding (hernatoma)
• Infection
• Fluid accumulation
• Poor wound healing
• Skin loss
• Blood clots
• Numbness or other changes in skin sensation
• Anesthesia risks
• Skin discoloration and or swelling
• Fatty tissue found deep in the skin might die (fat necrosis)
• Major would separation
• Asymmetry
• Pain, which may persist
• Unsatisfactory results such as highly visible surgical scar location, unacceptable visible deformities, bunching and rippling in the
• skin near the suture lines or at the ends of the incisions.
• Deep vein thrombosis, cardiac and pulmonary complications
• Recurrent looseness of skin
• Sutures may spontaneously surface through the skin, become visible or produce irritation that require removal
• Possibility of revisional surgery

More facts about the safety and risks

When you go home
If you experience 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.

The practice of medicine and surgery is not an exact science.  Although good results are expected, there is no guarantee.  In some situations, it may not be possible to achieve optimal results with a single surgical procedure and another surgery may be necessary.

Be careful
Following your physician’s instructions is key to the success of your surgery.  It is important that the surgical incisions are not subjected to excessive force, swelling, abrasion or motion during the time of healing.  Your doctor will give you specific instructions on how to car for yourself.

Be sure to ask questions: It’s very important to ask your plastic surgeon questions about your thigh lift procedure.  It’s natural to feel some anxiety, whether it’s excitement for your anticipated new look or a bit of preoperative stress.  Don’t be shy about discussing these feeling with your plastic surgeon. 

My recovery
When your procedure is completed, dressing or bandages may be applied to your incision, 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.  One or more 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(s) following surgery, medications to apply or take orally to aid healing and reduce the risk of infection, specific concerns to look for at the surgical site or in your general health, and when to follow-up with your plastic surgeon.

The results will be long-lasting
The results of a thigh lift are visible almost immediately.  However, it may take several months for the final results to fully develop.

Some visible scars will remain, but the overall results are long lasting, provided that you maintain a stable weight and general fitness.  As your body ages, it is natural to lose some firmness, however, most of your initial improvement should be relatively permanent. 

Your satisfaction involves more than a fee
When choosing a plastic surgeon for a thigh lift, remember that the surgeon’s experience and your comfort with him or her are just as important as the final cost of the surgery.