Tyler Plastic Surgery

A thigh lift is a body contouring procedure designed to reshape the inner thighs, outer thighs or both in patients who have loose, excess skin in the upper leg and hip area. Thigh lift surgery is usually included in treatment plans for patients who seek body contouring after major weight loss.

About Thigh Lift Surgery

• The Best Thigh Lift Candidates
• Thigh Lift Surgery
• Thigh Lift vs. Thigh Liposuction
• Thigh Lift Recovery

The Best Thigh Lift Candidates

The best thigh lift candidates include men and women who are 18-65 years old, in good physical and mental health and are motivated to improve the shape and appearance of their thighs. Patients should be non-smokers or quit smoking at least six weeks prior to undergoing thigh lift surgery.

For patients who seek a thigh lift after achieving massive weight loss, it is important to be at a stable body weight that is not considered significantly overweight or obese, as this can increase surgical risk.

Thigh lift is also sometimes performed in conjunction with thigh liposuction for patients who have poor skin elasticity that will likely result in loose skin remaining after fat reduction with liposuction.

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Thigh Lift Surgery

A thigh lift involves surgical excision of sagging skin in the inner and/or outer thigh region. General anesthesia or local anesthesia with IV sedation may be used during surgery, depending on your unique needs and the number and type of procedures you may choose to combine with thigh lift surgery.

Excess, loose skin is surgical removed and redraped via minimally visible incisions in the inner leg creases (where the thighs meet the pelvis), and liposuction may be performed to further improve thigh contours as needed.

The entire procedure takes 2-3 hours and is performed on an outpatient basis, so patients may usually return home following surgery without staying overnight in the surgical facility.

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Thigh Lift vs. Thigh Liposuction

Many patients confuse thigh liposuction and thigh lift procedures, as the two are often performed simultaneously. Thigh liposuction and thigh lift are very different surgical procedures and compare much the same way abdominal liposuction and abdominoplasty (tummy tuck) do.

Thigh liposuction entails surgical removal of fatty tissue from the thigh area, whereas thigh lift entails surgical removal of skin tissue from the thigh area.

When patients who undergo thigh liposuction are left with sagging skin in the thigh area, a thigh lift may be performed at the same time to tighten the skin. Conversely, patients who undergo a thigh lift may have liposuction performed at the same time to reduce fat in the thigh region and further smooth contours in this area.

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Thigh Lift Recovery

During thigh lift recovery, drains may be used to aid in fluid reduction for a few days, and compression garments and surgical tape may be used for a few weeks to reduce swelling and promote healing.

Within the first day or so following thigh lift surgery, you may be encouraged to begin moving around, however normal daily activities may not be resumed for at least week. After about two weeks, light exercise may be resumed.

Complete recovery after a thigh lift generally takes about 4-6 weeks, and you will need at least 1-3 weeks of downtime away from work or your normal routine.

it is important to follow all pre- and post-operative care instructions and keep all follow-up appointments with Dr. Motlagh, so he can monitor your recovery.

Tyler Plastic Surgery serves Tyler thigh lift patients, as well as thigh lift patients from Dallas, Plano, Fort Worth, Texas and Shreveport, Louisiana.

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