We usually perform liposuction of the inner thigh area first to loosen the overlying skin. Then we make an incision along the groin crease where the front of your thigh meets your lower abdomen. The incision continues around your upper, inner thigh and ends in the crease below your buttock. The skin and tissue underneath are then pulled upward until the skin is taut, and the excess tissue is trimmed off. A deep layer of stitches is placed in the strong connective tissue of your thigh and then dissolving stitches are used to close the skin.

In addition to the unlikely possibility of infection and bleeding, the scars associated with thigh lift procedures may widen if they have not been securely attached to the underlying tissue since there is a lot of tension on these suture lines. Slight indentations, bulges or skin irregularities are always possible and can usually be addressed with minor revisional surgery.

When large volume liposuction is performed, it is best to treat specific areas of the body at the same time to maximize the result. For instance, it is best to combine liposuction of your back, love handle area and abdomen during one session, and your hips, inner and outer thighs and knees during another session.

Liposuction can be performed alone or in combination with skin tightening procedures such as tummy tucks, thigh lifts and body lifts. Traditional abdominoplasties and mini-tummy tucks are often performed with liposuction of the hips and thighs for complete rejuvenation of that area, both front and back. Thigh lifts are nicely complimented by liposuction of the hips and abdomen.

It is relatively common for women to want breast and body contouring procedures after their childbearing years to address the changes in both their breasts and abdomen. We frequently perform breast lifts with or without implants at the same time as a tummy tuck. As previously mentioned, we recommended having tummy tucks and breast lifts performed after you have your last child, as future pregnancies and breast feeding may “reverse” some of the tightening and lifting effect of the surgery. It is also a good idea to have returned to your baseline weight and breast size before having any type of cosmetic surgery that involves making changes to your breasts or tummy.

Contact the experienced thigh lift surgeons with The Plastic Surgery Group, serving Montclair, Livingston, and Manhattan, New York plastic surgery patients.

For additional information on Thigh Lift Surgery, visit: www.plasticsurgery.org