Thigh Lift Surgery or Thighplasty

What is a Thigh Lift?

A thigh lift is a surgical procedure used to remove, reshape and tighten folds of excess skin and soft tissue around the thighs.
 

What are the different techniques for Thigh Lift Surgery?

There is a range of thigh lift procedures available depending on the amount and location of excess skin, including a medial thigh lift, a vertical medial thigh lift, and a circumferential thigh lift.
 

Which technique is suitable for patients with a mild to moderate amount of excess skin?

Liposuction can be performed before a thigh lift on these patients to remove areas of stubborn fat. After liposuction, the surgeon makes a diamond-shaped excision from the groin area to the buttock crease to perform the surgery.
 

Which technique can treat patients who require more dramatic reshaping to correct excess skin?

Patients with a large amount of fat and loose skin are ideal candidates for a vertical medial thigh lift. This method requires a longer incision line which may extend from the groin to the inner knee.
 

What does a Circumferential Thigh Lift involve?

A circumferential thigh lift is used to target all areas of the thighs. During surgery, the surgeon uses a specially designed liposuction cannula to break down and remove unwanted, stubborn fat deposits around the outer thigh area. The surgeon then removes excess skin and fat from the hip region and lower back. The first stage of surgery is completed by placing deep sutures within the underlying tissue layered to close the posterior and lateral incisions. In the second part of the procedure, the surgeon extends the incision lines toward the front part of the body, from just below the anterior superior iliac spine and the groin as far as the back crease of the buttock. The connective tissue is detached from the underlying muscle; the upper part of the inner thigh is pulled up, and excess tissue is excised. Layered sutures are used to close the incisions.
 

What about the scars following Thigh Lift Surgery?

Generally, the scars extend from the inner thigh to the intergluteal cleft. In some cases, the incision lines for surgery may be more extensive, leaving a circumferential scar with a vertical scar along the inner thigh, which varies in length according to the amount of excess skin to be removed.
 

Complications

Complications following thigh lift surgery are quite uncommon, provided that patients are in good general health, and surgery is performed in an accredited facility by qualified medical staff. However, all surgery carries an element of risk and complications such as skin necrosis, fat necrosis, nerve damage, asymmetry, skin rippling and lymphoedema may occur in rare cases.