What a Thigh Lift Is:
Thigh lift surgery raises, firms, and tightens the skin of the thighs. Excess skin is removed and the surrounding tissue is repositioned to create a more youthful and pleasing body contour.
Who Can Benefit From a Thigh Lift :
Thigh lifts are usually performed on those with large amounts of loose, hanging skin on the thighs. The goal is to return the body to a more normal appearance after loss of skin elasticity due to extreme weight loss or age-related changes.
Although small amounts of fat may be removed with this procedure, along with excess skin, it is not meant to remove significant fat deposits. You should be stable at or near your ideal weight before considering a thigh lift. If there are small local fat deposits with poor skin elasticity, your surgeon may recommend a combination of liposuction and thigh lift surgery.
Who Is a Good Candidate for Thigh Lift:
The best candidates for a thigh lift are non-smokers who are in generally good health and maintain a stable weight through a commitment to a healthy diet and lifestyle. It is also important for the patient to have a positive outlook and realistic expectations about outcome.
Pre-Operative Considerations:
Your surgeon will usually order pre-op lab tests to confirm your health status. He or she may also require that you adjust, cease, or begin taking certain medications in the week or two before your surgery, including avoiding aspirin, many anti-inflammatory drugs, and herbal supplements for two weeks prior to surgery. If you smoke, you will almost certainly be required by your surgeon to stop well in advance of surgery.
Recovery & Downtime:
Most patients can return to non-strenuous work after 2 to 3 weeks. Strenuous work, sexual activity, and exercise should not be resumed until at least 4 to 6 weeks have passed. It is important that your incisions are not subjected to excessive force, abrasion, or motion during this time. As with all surgery, it is important to understand that these guidelines can vary widely based on the patient’s personal health, the techniques used, and other variable factors surrounding the surgery. Any severe pain should be reported to your doctor.
Risks & Complications:
Risks and possible complications include:
- unfavorable scarring and/or skin discoloration
- excessive bleeding or hematoma
- skin or fat necrosis (tissue death)
- poor wound healing or wound separation
- blood clots
- anesthesia risks
- deep vein thrombosis
- cardiac and pulmonary complications
- persistent edema (swelling) or fluid accumulation
- persistent pain
- temporary or permanent change/loss of skin sensation
- unsatisfactory aesthetic results requiring revisional surgery
- recurrent looseness or sagging of skin
Call your surgeon immediately if you have chest pain, shortness of breath, unusual heartbeats, excessive bleeding.
Cost of a Thigh Lift:
The average total cost of a thigh lift varies from $4,000 to $12,000, depending on the location and extent of the lift. The discrepancies in cost have to do with the complexity of the procedure, your surgeon’s skills, qualifications and reputation, and on the geographical area. (For example, in the United States, costs tend to be higher in the northeast and the west.) Total costs include your surgeon’s fee, anesthesia fees, facility fees, lab fees, and medications.
Complementary Procedures:
Thigh lift surgery is often done in conjunction with other surgeries to enhance the patient’s results. Often, other body lifting procedures may be desirable, such as a breast lift, arm lift, or tummy tuck. If you have loose hanging skin all around the waist, abdomen, buttocks, and thighs, you may want to consider a procedure called a belt lipectomy, or body lift. Extreme weight loss can also effect the elasticity of the facial skin, so a face lift, neck lift, or brow lift may be desired.
Seeing Your Results:
Most swelling should subside within the first 4 to 6 weeks, although your final result may not be fully realized until up to a year following your procedure. Your body contours should be permanently improved provided you do not lose or gain a significant amount of weight. However, age and gravity will eventually cause some loss of firmness.
Your surgeon will strive to place your scar as inconspicuously as possible. Although your scars are permanent and may be extensive, they will improve over time, continuing to flatten and fade for up to two years.
How It's Done:
- Anesthesia Is Administered
Medications are given for your comfort during the surgical procedure. Often, general anesthesia is administered, so that you will be asleep throughout the procedure. However, a thigh lift may also be performed using a combination of local anesthesia and intravenous sedation. Your surgeon will recommend the best choice for you.
- Incisions Are Made
Thigh lift incision patterns vary depending on the amount and location of excess skin and fat. You and your surgeon will determine beforehand which incision technique will work best for your needs.
For an inner thigh lift, your incision will be placed in the groin area, sometimes extending into the buttocks crease. An outer thigh lift scar will extend around the front and side of your hip or outer thigh. For a circumferential thigh lift, both of these incisions may be used, or for copious amounts of loose skin extending to the knees, your surgeon may recommend a vertical incision extending from the groin to the knee along the inner part of the thigh.
- Excess Skin Is Removed and Repositioned
After your surgeon makes the incisions, the excess skin is surgically removed. The remaining skin is then pulled to its new position.
- Incisions Are Closed
Incisions are closed with sutures and are usually given additional support with surgical tape and skin adhesive (tissue glue). Dressings or bandages are applied to the incisions, and you may be expected to wear a compression garment for the first few weeks to control swelling. In some cases, there may also be small tubes temporarily placed under the skin to help drain any excess blood or fluid.
- Post-Op Care and Instructions
After surgery, you will be taken to a recovery area where you will be monitored by surgical staff. A thigh lift is often an outpatient surgery, although in some cases your surgeon may determine that it is best for you to stay overnight in the hospital. If you do go home after your procedure, it is always recommended to have someone stay with you for the first 24 hours.
See plastic surgery before and after photos.
Sources:
Cosmetic Surgery National Data Bank, American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery; 2008 Annual Report
Interview with Ricardo Rodriguez, MD; Baltimore, MD; conducted on March 24, 2009
Thigh lift Surgery, American Society of Plastic Surgeons; http://www.plasticsurgery.org/Patients_and_Consumers/Procedures/Cosmetic_Procedures/Thigh_Lift.html
