Thighs Lift

This is a permanent operation. After the procedure, excess skin and fat beneath the skin are gone. However, if you gain weight after surgery, you can re-stretch the skin and scar and require further surgery. The surgery requires general anesthesia and one or more nights in the hospital. Thus, it is generally done in a hospital operating room. If you have had phlebitis (blood clots from vein inflammation) in one or both legs in the past, you risk developing phlebitis again. This condition makes your legs hurt and swell. If you have phlebitis now, surgery must be postponed. Your risk of renewed phlebitis can be reduced by leg exercises before and after surgery and surgical support stockings.

This kind of operation requires general anesthesia, because the local anesthetic needed to numb the area would exceed a safe dose. The surgery will usually take about two to three hours.

The incisions are likely to hurt for several days, especially when you move or sit, which pulls on the stitches. When you are not moving, the incision area will ache and throb. For the first few days you will need narcotic painkillers by mouth, or by injection, given to you by the nurses while you are in the hospital. By the end of a week, you will be stiff and ache at the end of the day, but should not need painkillers other than acetaminophen.

You will need to see your surgeon a few days after leaving the hospital and again about a week later. Your legs will tend to swell after the surgery and you will need to wear knee-high support stockings for several weeks. You will have gauze bandages over your incisions, held on with tape, an elastic bandage, or a surgical support garment for ten to fourteen days. You will be able to remove your bandages and to shower after a few days. After showering, pat the incision dry or blow it dry with a cool hair dryer. Then cover the incision line with fresh gauze. No need to remove stitches.

The resulting scars are the biggest drawback of this operation. The scar from a buttock lift lies in or above the buttock crease. The scar from the thigh lift lies in the crease of the leg, going from the groin in front around the inner thigh to the buttock in the back. These scars are moderately well hidden, although if they widen after surgery (and they often do) they may be visible in sports clothes.

Elastic support hose after surgery will support your legs during the healing. Wear support hose for six weeks. Your skin will be dry after the surgery, so rub body lotion into the skin well away from the stitch line. When you bathe, use little soap, it will dry your skin even more. Skirts, not slacks, will be most comfortable for the first two weeks and they won't chafe the surgical incisions.

Realistically, you should allow yourself two weeks of recovery time and more if you can get it. There is the surgery and soreness to recover from, plus the fatigue of the general anesthesia. You will be too tired to work before two weeks are up. You can go for a long walk or swim a few laps in a pool after two weeks, although you may not have the energy for sports if you go back to work at this time. After three weeks, you can begin more vigorous workouts and sports such as tennis or jogging.

The incisions from these operations are slow to heal and lie close to the groin. You should avoid sex for about three weeks to allow the incisions to get strong, so that they won't inadvertently be pulled or injured during sex.

Scars are the major side effect that you must consider. Although the surgeon can place the scars in the best possible area, the scars may become noticeable if they widen or shift, as they may after a buttock or hip lift. Most patients are happy with this surgery, but if you tend to form poor scars, think carefully before you go ahead. Your skin will be numb after surgery, because many nerves to the skin are cut and because pulling on the skin makes the nerves malfunction temporarily. You may have permanent patches of numbness, but more commonly the numbness gradually fades after several months. A blood clot (hematoma) or fluid collection (seroma) may develop under your incision after the surgery. This will delay your healing and may require drainage with a needle or through re-opening a small part of the incision. This can cause a temporary wound-healing delay but you heal rapidly once the problem is treated.

Infection occurs rarely. If you develop an infection, you may need further surgery to drain the infection, antibiotics, and a longer stay in the hospital.

These operations are wonderful for people who have really loose skin from age, weight loss, or poor skin elasticity. However, the scars are long, wide and may be sunken. These operations are not ideal for perfectionists who don't want any scars showing in a skimpy swimsuit.

Before	After

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