Summary

A Thigh Lift, or Thighplasty, reshapes the inner or outer thighs contour by removing excess fat and skin to form a well-proportioned, natural appearance. Depending on each circumstance, an inner, vertical, or outward thigh lift approach will dictate the number and place of incisions required. Thigh lifts are not meant to remove extra fat. Liposuction alone can take away excess fat deposits where the skin has good elasticity and can conform to new body contours naturally. In examples where skin elasticity is reduced, a thigh lift along with liposuction may be commended.

A Thigh Lift, or Thighplasty, reshapes the inner or outer thighs contour by removing excess fat and skin to form a well-proportioned, natural appearance. Depending on each circumstance, an inner, vertical, or outward thigh lift approach will dictate the number and place of incisions required.

What Can’t Thigh Lift Surgery Make Out?

Thigh lifts are not meant to remove extra fat. Liposuction alone can remove excess fat deposits where the skin has good elasticity and can naturally conform to new body contours. In examples where skin elasticity is reduced, a thigh lift along with Liposuction may be commended.

Who is the Right Candidate for Thigh Lift Surgery?

In general, candidates for a thigh lift are:

• People whose weight is stable
• People with the extra soft tissue on the inside (medial) thigh area and/or the outer (lateral) thigh
• Healthy individuals who do not have medical conditions that impair healing or increase the danger of the surgical operation
• Nonsmokers
• People with a positive outlook and realistic goals for what thigh lift surgical procedure can achieve
• People devoted to directing a healthy lifestyle, including proper nutrition and fitness

What Should I Expect During a Consultation for Thigh Lift Surgery?

• During your thigh lift surgery consultation, be ready to talk about:
• Your surgical goals
• Medical conditions, drug allergies, and medical discourses
• Current medications, vitamins, herbal supplements, alcohol, tobacco, and drug usage
• Previous surgeries

Your Cosmetic Surgeon will Discuss This With You:

• Evaluate your general health status and any pre-existing health conditions or risk factors
• Analyze and measure your physical structure, including detailed measurements
• Need photographs for your medical records
• Discuss options with your doctor
• Discuss your options and recommend a course of treatment
• Discuss likely outcomes of thigh lift surgery and any risks or potential complications

The success and safety of your procedure depend on your complete candidness during your consultation. It’s vital to understand all aspects of your thigh lift procedure. It’s natural to sense some anxiety, whether excitement for your anticipated new look or a bit of preoperative stress. Don’t be timid about talking about these feelings with your plastic surgeon.

Intended Outcomes of a Thigh Lift Surgery

• Although it involves several months for your body to recover fully, the results of your thigh lift operation will be at once apparent.
• Quiet, well-contoured thighs will replace the excess skin and fatty.
• There will be some visible scars.

How Should I Prepare for Thigh Lift Surgery?

In preparing for thigh lift surgery, I may need you to:

• Get lab testing or a medical evaluation
• Take certain medications or adjust your current medicines
• Stop smoking
• Avoid taking aspirin, anti-inflammatory drugs, and herbal supplements, or other drugs that may increase bleeding.

Thigh lift surgery may be performed in  MSI surgical facility, licensed ambulatory surgical center, or hospital. If your thigh lift is performed on an outpatient basis, be sure to arrange for someone to drive you to and from surgery and to stay with you for at least the first night following surgery.

What are the Steps of a Thigh Lift Surgery?

A thigh lift procedure includes the following steps: Anesthesia Medications are administered for your comfort during the surgical procedures. The options include intravenous sedation and general anesthesia. Your doctor will recommend the best option for you.

The incision patterns vary based on the treatment area, degree of correction, and patient and surgeon preference.  Inner thigh lift incision: One technique used for a thigh lift places incision in the groin, extending down and wrapping around the back of the thigh. Another method removes excess skin from the crotch down to the knee using an incision along the incision. You may also qualify for a minimal incision inner thigh lift that involves an incision only in the groin area. Your plastic surgeon will find what’s right. Outer thigh lift incision: Improving the contours of the outer thigh may require an incision extending from the groin around the hip and across the back. Advanced techniques usually allow incisions to be placed in strategic locations where most clothing and swimsuits can hide them. However, incisions may be extensive.

Closing the incisions: Deep sutures within underlying tissues help to form and support the newly shaped contours. I may use sutures, skin adhesive tapes, or clips to close the skin incisions.

What Should I Expect During Thigh Lift Surgery Recovery?

The smoother, tighter contouring from a thigh lift is apparent almost immediately, although initially obscured by swelling and bruising. During your recovery from thigh lift surgery, dressings/bandages may be applied to your incisions after the procedure. 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)
• Medications to apply or take orally to aid healing
• Specific concerns to look for at the surgical site or in your general health

When to Follow Up with Your Cosmetic Surgeon?

• Be sure to ask your thigh lift surgeon specific questions about what you can expect during your recovery period:
• Where will I be taken after my surgery is complete?
• What medication will I be given or prescribed after surgery?
• Will I have dressings/bandages after surgery? When will they be removed?
• Are stitches removed? When?
• When can I resume regular activity and exercise?
• When do I return for follow-up care?

Thigh lift Surgery Recovery at Home

If you experience any shortness of breath, chest pains, or unusual heartbeats, seek medical attention at once. Should any of these complications occur, you may need hospitalization and added treatment.

• You must follow your cosmetic surgeon’s instructions carefully.
• Your incisions will be bandaged, and any drains will be placed temporarily.
• After the first swelling and bruising subside, the results will be ready for the vise.
• It can take up to 8 months for 100% of the edema to completely subside.
• Surgical incision scars tend to improve for a little over a year.

What Results Should I Expect After Thigh Lift Surgery?

• The results of a thigh lift are visible at once. However, it may take several months for the last results to develop fully.
• Following a thigh lift, skin quality is improved both in appearance and feel.
• Some visible scars will remain, but the overall results are long-lasting if you keep up a stable weight and general fitness.
• As your body ages, it is natural to lose some firmness. However, most of your first improvement should stay.
• Although good results are expected from your procedure, there is no guarantee. It may not be possible to do the best results with a single surgical procedure, and another surgery may be necessary for some situations.

What are the Risks of Thigh Lift Surgery?

The decision to have plastic surgery is highly personal. You’ll have to decide if the benefits will make your goals and if thigh lift surgery’s 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 make sure 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 (seroma)
• Major wound separation
• Asymmetry
• Deep vein thrombosis, cardiac and pulmonary complications
• Fatty tissue under 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 needs removal.
• Unfavorable scarring
• Numbness or other changes in skin sensation
• Recurrent looseness of skin
• Possibility of revisionary surgery

I will thoroughly discuss these risks and others before your consent. It would be best if you addressed all your questions directly with your plastic surgeon.

Notes

I can determine the specific risks and the suitability of this procedure for a given individual only at the time of consultation. All surgical procedures have some degree of risk. Minor complications that do not affect the outcome occur occasionally. Significant complications are rare. All the same, one should realize that a thigh lift can be an extensive operating room and may take an extended time to recuperate.