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Definition

Thigh lift is a plastic surgery that removes excess skin from the inner thigh.

Alternative name

Thighplasty

Description

A thigh lift is a cosmetic surgery - often associated with other body contouring procedures like a tummy tuck, breast augmentation, breast lift, arm lift, breast reduction, breast reconstruction, body lift and dermal fillers - that can add volume or lift excess fat.

During a thigh lift surgery, a patient's plastic surgeon will make an incision from their groin, stretching around to their back to their knee or possibly to their hip and back.

The patient's thigh lift surgery will remove the excess fat, tighten the muscles, reposition tissues and trim any excess skin.

Sagging skin can also be reduced with a thigh lift surgery. This would include inner thigh, outer thigh and medial thigh lift.

Why the procedure is performed

A thigh lift surgery is performed if there is a need to remove excess skin from the inner thigh area. The most common type of thigh lift surgery patients are usually those who have had a massive weight loss. A thigh lift procedure can be deemed medically necessary at times.

Risk

Some risks include:

• Bleeding
• Deep vein thrombosis
• Fatty tissue under the skin might die
• Fluid accumulation
• Infection
• Major wound separation
• Unfavorable scarring

Before the procedure

There has to be a medical evaluation before getting a thigh lift surgery.

A patient will also be asked to take certain or adjusted medications, stop smoking and avoiding taking any anti-inflammatory drugs and/or herbal supplements before the plastic surgery procedure.

After the procedure

After a thigh lift procedure, dressings/bandages may be applied to a patient's incisions.

A patient's plastic surgeon will insert small, thin tubes to temporarily be placed under the skin to drain excess fluid or blood that may have collected. The patients must follow up with their plastic surgeon's instructions for a faster recovery process.

Outlook (prognosis)

Thigh lift results are almost immediately visible after the reconstructive surgery is completed.

However, it usually takes up to several months for the final results to fully mature. Skin texture will be improved both in appearance and feel. A few visible scars can remain, but overall results are long lasting, as long as you maintain a stable weight and stay active.

Good results are expected but not always guaranteed. Sometimes, there may be a need for more than one surgical procedure.

References

Capella JF, The Vertical Medial Thigh Lift, Clinics in Plastic Surgery, Volume 41, Issue 4, 2014, Pages 727-743, ISSN 0094-1298, ISBN 9780323326285,

Hamra ST, Small KH. Cosmetic Body Lift. Plast Reconstr Surg. 2016 Feb;137(2):453-461. doi: 10.1097/01.prs.0000475757.56086.ab. PMID: 26818279

Shermak MA. Body contouring. Plast Reconstr Surg. 2012 Jun;129(6):963e-978e. doi: 10.1097/PRS.0b013e31824ecd24. PMID: 22634694