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Dr. Megan Dreveskracht
Jul 1
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THIGH LIFT
SEATTLE
You've done the work — through weight loss, aging, or genetics — and your inner thighs are still holding onto skin that diet and exercise can't reach. That's not a personal failing; it's simply what skin does once it's been stretched, and surgery is often the only thing that changes it.
WHAT IS A THIGH LIFT?
As we age, or after weight loss, the inner thighs can develop loose, flabby skin that diet and exercise alone can't tighten. A Thigh Lift is a plastic surgery procedure to directly remove excess skin from the inner thigh, creating a smoother, sleeker contour. It's often combined with liposuction to address any remaining fullness, and can safely be paired with other body contouring procedures like a Tummy Tuck or Body Lift.
A CLOSER LOOK
A careful evaluation of your inner thigh is needed to determine the right approach for your anatomy. During your Seattle plastic surgery consultation, I'll assess the degree and location of your excess skin, whether liposuction should be added to refine your contour, and how a Thigh Lift might fit alongside other procedures you're considering, like a Tummy Tuck or Body Lift. The plan we build together is tailored to your specific anatomy, not a standard template.
THE PROCEDURE
A Thigh Lift is performed in our AAAASF-accredited Ambulatory Surgery Center in the Nordstrom Medical Tower in downtown Seattle, as an outpatient procedure under general anesthesia. It takes 1 to 2 hours and is often combined with other skin-tightening procedures.
You'll be marked in the preoperative area for the amount of skin to be removed — it's important not to remove too much, since this can actually create a "shark bite" appearance. Once you're asleep, liposuction is often performed first, to remove extra fat and assist with the surgical dissection. The marked skin is then removed, and dissolvable sutures are placed in layers underneath the skin. Drains are sometimes used. A compression garment or ACE bandage is applied afterward to manage swelling, and you're discharged home to recover.
TYPES OF THIGH LIFTS
VERTICAL THIGH LIFT
A vertical thigh lift is the most common type of thigh lift performed. It involves creating an incision along the inner aspect of the thigh, and can run from the groin down to the knee.
The main benefit of a thigh lift is tightening of inner thigh. This procedure can be performed in conjunction with liposuction of the thigh to help smooth out contours and improve aesthetic results.
The biggest drawback of a thigh lift is the long scar, which has a tendency to widen over time and will be visible in clothing above-the-knee.
During your consultation with female plastic surgeon Dr. Megan, she will assess which type of thigh lift best suits your individual anatomy and aesthetic goals.
SPIRAL THIGH LIFT
A small number of patients will have isolated skin and tissue excess of the upper inner thigh. In these cases, a spiral thigh lift will be sufficient to reshape and tighten the inner thighs.
This type of thigh lift involves placing a horizontal incision within the groin crease, eliminating the visible scar of a vertical thigh lift. Because the scar is limited to the groin crease, the plastic surgery procedure has limited ability to tighten the thigh skin. Liposuction can be performed simultaneously with any type of thigh lift.
During your consultation with female plastic surgeon Dr. Megan, she will assess which type of thigh lift best suits your individual anatomy and aesthetic goals.
AM I A GOOD CANDIDATE?
The ideal candidate for a Thigh Lift is in good overall health and at a stable, healthy weight. If this procedure is part of body contouring after massive weight loss, I want you at or close to your goal weight for 6 to 12 months, with optimal nutrition going into surgery to support proper healing.
Beyond the basics, your candidacy comes down to a few specifics I evaluate in person during your consultation:
Where your excess skin is located, and how much needs to be removed — this determines incision placement and length, and helps us avoid removing too much skin, which can distort the contour.
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Whether liposuction should be added to refine fullness in the thigh at the same time.
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Whether you're combining this with other body contouring procedures, like a Tummy Tuck or Body Lift, and how we'd stage that.
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Your comfort with the scar itself. With any body contouring procedure, the incisions are long, and you need to be genuinely at peace with that trade-off before moving forward — improved contour in exchange for a visible scar.
Patients with a history of blood clots, or multiple risk factors for them, may need to take a blood thinner after surgery. We'll review your history carefully beforehand.
THIGH LIFT RECOVERY
Recovery after a Thigh Lift involves a combination of leg elevation and compression to combat the natural swelling that comes with this procedure. Avoiding tension along your incisions by limiting activity helps prevent your scars from widening. Most patients take 1 to 2 weeks off work, depending on the nature of their job.
(Flag: the paragraph below is reconstructed from a garbled dictation — I'm fairly confident "violet" was meant to be "vulva" and "brain region" was meant to be "groin region," but please read this closely before it goes anywhere near live, since it touches sensitive anatomy.)
Because the incision often sits close to the groin, there are a few things worth knowing directly. The area near the vulva can make simple things, like using the bathroom, more difficult right after surgery — your compression garment is designed to leave room for that. The incision itself typically doesn't extend into the actual groin crease: placing it directly in the crease, while it can reduce visibility, risks complications like hypertrophic scarring, skin whitening, and distortion of the labia majora. Avoiding pressure and minimizing shearing — from tight clothing or excessive angulation, for example — is essential for healing in the early period, and drains typically aren't used.
When liposuction is combined with a Thigh Lift, the goal is to keep the incision on the medial (inner) aspect of the thigh, so it isn't visible while standing. I also keep the incision contained up near the groin rather than extending it past the knee, since a longer incision toward the knee tends to be more visible.
With any body contouring procedure, the incisions are long, and it's important to be at peace with that before moving forward. Surgery is always a trade-off — here, it's improved contour in exchange for a scar.
SEATTLE THIGH LIFT
FAQ
01
Will A Thigh Lift Improve My Cellulite?
To some degree a thigh lift will help improve cellulite of the medial thigh. However, a thigh lift will not improve the appearance of cellulite in more distant areas such as the outer thighs.
03
When Can I Start Working Out After My Thigh Lift?
In general, exercise should not be attempted until cleared by Dr. Megan around 4 weeks after your plastic surgery procedure. This is to avoid wound healing complications, especially in the groin area of the incision.
02
What Is The Biggest Complication Of A Thigh Lift?
The most common complication of a thigh lift is widening of the scar. Diligent scar care is recommended to help reduce the visibility of the thigh lift scar over time.
04
What If I Have Healing Issues After My Thigh Lift?
Most healing issues after a thigh lift can be managed with local wound care and frequent follow up with Dr. Megan & her team. If healing issues compromise the final outcome of the scar, a scar revision may be performed.
MORE THIGH LIFT FAQS
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