Thigh Lift
Patients seeking
a more youthful appearance of the legs and inner thighs, or
patients who have lost weight and are left with hanging skin,
may choose to have a thigh lift. The purpose is to remove
wrinkles, folds, cellulite and extra fat.
Insurance does not pay for thigh lifts.
Patients who undergo the procedure are placed under general
anesthesia, and the total operative time is approximately
two hours. The surgeon makes a small incision in the groin
beneath the bikini line. The incision may appear somewhat
wide and dark when it heals, but over time it fades to an
extent – although patients will always have a scar.
The surgeon typically uses liposuction to remove extra fat
in the thigh area and then removes a piece of skin in the
upper part of the groin. The surgeon loosens the tissues beneath
this, pulls them up and sews the edges together. Deep stitches
are secured to the key ligaments and bone so there is less
tendency for the skin to fall back down. Many times, the surgeon
removes five to 10 inches of the skin (in length), although
it depends on the amount of excess skin present. A drain is
placed in the incision for about two days and then removed.
Dressings and light-compression garments are used for several
days.
Some patients go home after surgery, but some stay overnight.
Patients can shower after day two or three, when the drains
are removed. Most of the pain is controlled easily by pain
medication and is usually almost gone by the second or third
day after surgery. Swelling occurs for the first week or so
and then is almost entirely gone over the next three weeks.
There usually is very little bruising, and most patients can
resume moderate activity within the first week and return
to normal at about three weeks. The stitches generally are
removed at about 10 days postoperatively, and most patients
return to work after a week.
Risks associated with the surgery include bleeding, infection
and side effects from anesthesia.
Making an Appointment
For a consultation with a Washington University cosmetic surgeon, please
call (314) 362-4452.
Other leg
treatments.
Disclaimer:
The photos on this website are of models, not actual patients.
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