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Thigh Lift

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What is a Thigh Lift?

A thigh lift improves the appearance of the thighs by removing excess skin and fat. People visit Dr. Ryan Diederich for thigh lift surgery in Glen Carbon from Maryville, Edwardsville, and the St. Louis area to tighten and reshape their thighs and restore a smoother and more toned appearance. Weight changes, heredity, and natural aging can cause the skin on your thighs to droop and sag. Exercise can strengthen muscle but will not address excess skin, fat, and loss of elasticity. If your thighs appear saggy or loose, a thigh lift from MidAmerica Plastic Surgery may be right for you.

Who may benefit?

A thigh lift is performed to:

• Remove excess sagging skin and fat that hangs from thighs
• Smooth and tighten tissue in the thighs
• Define and shape the upper legs

A thigh lift may be right for you if:

• You have excess skin laxity of your thighs
• You are physically healthy and don’t have a medical condition that impairs healing
• Your weight is stable
• You do not smoke

Before the Thigh Lift Surgery

• Get lab testing or a medical evaluation, as needed.
• Take certain medications or adjust your current medications, as recommended.
• Stop smoking well in advance of your surgery.
• Avoid taking aspirin, anti-inflammatory drugs, and herbal supplements as they can increase bleeding (if OK with your primary care physician. If you cannot stop, please let us know).
• Pre-Op instructions will be provided before the procedure. Please read these thoroughly for additional information.

The Day Of the Thigh Lift Surgery

• Can be completed as an outpatient or with hospital stay depending on your particular needs.
• Nothing to eat or drink the day of surgery.
• You will need someone to drive you home and stay with you for the first 24 hours.

After the Thigh Lift Surgery

Recovery is patient dependent. Post-Op Instructions will be provided before the procedure. Please keep these close throughout recovery.

Seek medical attention immediately if you have any of the following:

• Shortness of breath
• Chest pains, or unusual heart beats

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Complications from the Thigh Lift Surgery

As with any procedure there are risks. Fortunately, with a thigh lift, these risks are minimal. These include but are not limited to:

• Unfavorable scarring
• Bleeding (hematoma)
• Infection
• Fluid accumulation
• Poor wound healing
• Skin loss
• Blood clots
• Numbness or other changes in skin sensation
• Anesthesia risks
• Skin discoloration and/or swelling
• Fatty tissue found deep in the skin might die (fat necrosis)
• Major wound separation
• Asymmetry
• Pain, which may persist
• Unsatisfactory results such as highly visible surgical scar location, unacceptable visible deformities, bunching and rippling in the skin near the suture lines or at the ends of the incisions
• Deep vein thrombosis, cardiac and pulmonary complications
• Recurrent looseness of skin
• Sutures may spontaneously surface through the skin, become visible or produce irritation that require removal
• Possibility of revision surgery

Now What?

Dr. Ryan Diederich is a board-certified plastic surgeon specializing in a range of aesthetic and reconstructive plastic surgery procedures at MidAmerica Plastic Surgery in Glen Carbon, IL. If you’re looking for a plastic surgeon east of St. Louis, you can schedule a consultation online, or call us at (618) 288-7855 to schedule an appointment.

For more information see the American Society of Plastic Surgery topic “Thigh Lift”

*This article is intended as a guideline only. This is not intended as medical advice. There are no guarantees written or implied from the information presented here. Only a consultation can provide an appropriate evaluation and discussion regarding any procedure. Refer to your physician for medical decision making and advice.