Questions? Thigh reduction consultation
During your consultation your surgeon will ask about your general medical history and discuss your goals for the procedure, including how much change you are seeking and how much scarring you consider acceptable.
- As with any other surgery, the extent of the problem and amount of correction you would like will determine how much skin is removed and how extensive you can expect the scarring to be.
- Postoperative scars on the body are always more visible than those on the face. However scars in the groin area can be reasonably well hidden under an average bathing suit and removing excess skin does improve the appearance of the thigh.
What to expect from thigh reduction
Thigh reduction is usually done under general anaesthesia. It may be performed as a day case or you may spend a night in hospital after your procedure. As part of your operation, the surgeon may perform liposuction on the inner part of the thigh to reduce volume and mobilize the skin.
An incision is made in the groin crease or the groin crease and inner thigh, the upper part of the skin is undermined and the excess skin is trimmed. Suspension sutures are then used to attach the skin to the groin area and the wounds are closed either with or without drains. The incisions are covered with dressings and a compression garment may be used.
Recovering after thigh reduction
Thigh reduction surgery is not usually associated with a significant amount of pain. However, painkillers should be used regularly during the first week to make wound care more comfortable and help you begin gentle activity.
During your recovery there are several things you should know:
- After this kind of surgery it is especially important to take proper care of your wound to reduce the possibility of infection. Although oral antibiotics will be prescribed, you will need to use an antiseptic wash on the wound area whenever you use the toilet. Once the area has been washed, a light dressing should be reapplied to the area and held in place by a compression garment or support hose.
- You will need to avoid exercise for the first month after surgery to avoid irritating the wounds in your groin crease. You should be able to resume normal activities, including exercise, gradually after the first month.
- If you work in an office you should be able to return to your job in about a week to 10 days.
- You will have four or five office visits after surgery to monitor your progress. In most instances, the scars settled as relatively fine lines, but on occasion they may require treatment if there is a tendency for the scars to build up thickness.
Risks related to thigh reduction surgery
Like any other type of surgery, thigh lift carries some risks. Fortunately, they are relatively rare, however they require cooperation from the patient in monitoring the wounds and local hygiene.
The general anaesthetic carries risks onto its own, which are relatively low in view of the surgical time, which tends to be between one and 1 1/2 hours.
Bleeding, which is most often manifested as bruising, will only delay rather than alter at the end result.
Infection is a risk in approximately 2% to 3% of cases, and can lead to part of the wounds breaking open. In most of these instances, conservative treatment with dressings allows the wound to settle down. Sometimes there may be a need for a scar revision four to six months later.
Deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism are also risks with this type of surgery. In addition to the measures taken during your operation it is very important to be up and about and mobilising gently very soon after your operation. Fortunately, the surgery is not disabling and will allow most patients to mobilise within hours of the operation.
Thigh lift is sometimes performed as part of more extensive body contouring programmes like body lift or abdominoplasty in patients who have experienced significant weight loss.
