Thigh Lift
What is it?For who?
The surgery
The risks
The costs
Thigh lift is an operation 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. A thigh lift can be combined with other plastic surgical procedures.
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The typical patient for a thigh lift are people who desire for a more youthful appearance of the legs and especially the inner thighs where there is excess and hanging and folded skin. This may be associated with some excess fat. This is often associated with losing weight.
The procedure focuses on wrinkles, folds, cellulite and excess fat, especially in the inner thighs, but anterior and outer thighs and knees may also be affected.
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.
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Thigh lifts are usually performed under general anesthesia and will take about two hours. During the procedure an incision is made in the groin beneath the bikini line. This incision is very inconspicious and has a tendency to heal slightly wide and dark, but this gets better over time.
The procedure involves liposuction of any excess fat in the thighs and legs, then removing a crescent of skin high up in the groin, loosening the tissues below this and pulling them up and sewing the edges together. Deep stitches are secured to the ligaments and bone so there is less of a tendency for the skin to fall down. The length of the incision depends on the amount of excess skin. It is not unusual to remove five to ten inches in length.
Drains are used for two days. These are soft and comfortable and removed without pain. Dressings and a light compression garment are used for several days.
The patient can go back home after several hours, but usually it is more comfortable to stay overnight. On the second or third day after the procedure the drains will be taken out. At that time the patient is also able to take a shower.
After surgery the patient will experience a minimal pain that is mostly gone by the second or third day and can easily be controlled by medications. Swelling is mild to moderate and peaks at two to three days. The swelling disappears rapidly over the next three weeks. There is usually no or minimal bruising. After ten days the stitches will be removed. The patient may feel groggy for about a week. After that he or she can resume many activities. The patient should expect to be off of work for a full week, but he or she will be able to be up and around.
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All operations carry certain risks. 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 msot common for this operation are the long and sometimes heavy scar and contour abnormalities, usually depression.
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A thigh lift will cost around $4500, but keep in mind that fees vary widely from one geographic location to another.
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Alabama (AL) 