What is a Thigh Lift?

Following substantial weight loss, patients can experience excess skin and fat on their inner and outer thighs. This excess skin can make it difficult to fit into clothing and cause self-consciousness.  A thigh lift can re-contour the thighs for a slimmer body silhouette.

Who is a Candidate?

Individuals who want their thighs to be more proportionate to the rest of their body, or who have trouble fitting into clothes because of their heavy thighs can often benefit from this procedure. Individuals should be at a stable weight, and be a healthy, nonsmoker to benefit from a thigh lift. A consultation with Dr. Sweat can help to determine if this procedure can benefit you.

The Procedure

The thigh lift procedure is done on an outpatient basis, and takes about 2-4 hours to complete. During an inner thigh lift, an incision is created in the groin area, and excess skin and fat are removed along the inner thigh. Liposuction might be done with the procedure as well. During an outer thigh lift, the buttocks are re-contoured along with the outer thighs. Overall, the size of the incisions created and location of the incisions will be tailored to each individual patient to ensure proper postoperative contour and results.

Results

Following thigh lift surgery, patients will be required to wear a compression garment on their thighs, which will help to decrease swelling and bruising. This garment will need to be worn for 3-6 weeks and drains may be required for 1-2 weeks, sometimes slightly longer.  Postoperative pain will be controlled with oral pain medication.

Patients should begin to walk around as soon as possible to help prevent blood clots from forming. However, strenuous exercise should be avoided for 4-6 weeks. Overall, recovery time will differ from patient to patient depending on the extent of their thigh lift surgery.

If you are interested in learning more about the thigh lift procedure, contact our office today to schedule your initial consultation with Dr. Sweat.