If you're considering thigh lift...

This operation is done to tighten the loose skin of the thigh and buttock. It does not change the texture of the skin but by stretching it the crepiness is made less noticeable. Some patients are not candidates for a thigh lift.

Method: The method of surgery is to undermine the skin and remove the excess. The incision is placed around the upper thigh and buttock, usually in a transverse direction. Many doctors recommend that some fat is suctioned at the same time. The operation is done under a general anesthetic (you are asleep). Most of the time this is an outpatient operation and a stay in the hospital is not needed.

Problems: All operations have some risk. The risks of surgery can be divided into two groups. First those that are seen in all operations and second those that are unique or special for this operation. In the first group, the main risks are swelling, bruising, bleeding, infection, a scar and numbness or change in feeling. The main problems depend on which parts of the thigh are lifted but some of the most common for this operation are the long and sometimes heavy scar and contour abnormalities, usually depression.

Postoperative care: The recovery takes one to two weeks. Most people are back to work within two to four weeks.

Who is a Candidate for a Thigh Lift?
The best candidates for a thigh lift are those with loose skin in the inner and outer thigh, especially after major weight loss. Not everyone is a good candidate for thigh lifting. Overweight patients who have large amounts of firm fat on the thighs and buttocks are not good candidates because the amount of fat which can be removed by resection is small and the results less
satisfactory.

Deformities of the thigh due to excess fat are of many types. Some are helped by liposuction alone, others from surgical resection and some a combination of both.

When the problem involves localized fat of the outer thigh in the saddle bag area or an indentation above this area, called gluteal recess, liposuction alone is helpful. Liposuction is not usually
appropriate for overall obesity of these area but ultrasonic liposuction may help.

Where the problem involves several areas or is associated with aging or major asymmetry, a combination of surgery and liposuction is usually needed.