Q & A with Dr. Polo Q. I hate my thighs and considering a thigh lift, but I was wondering where are the incisions are made and where the scars go after the surgery?
A. A thigh lift is a surgical procedure performed to reshape the thighs by reducing excess skin and fat to result in smoother, better-proportioned contours of the lower body.
Incision length and pattern for a thigh lift depend on the amount and location of excess skin to be removed, as well as on the personal preference and professional judgment of your plastic surgeon.
Some thigh lift procedures are designed to primarily lift and tighten sagging excess skin at the inner (medial) thigh. With these medial thigh lifts, when the sagging skin is located only at the top half of the inner thigh, the incisions and resultant scars are placed within the groin crease anteriorly and may extend around posteriorly to the crease between the buttocks and the back of the upper thigh.
With careful surgical technique, these scars will remain very well hidden within the skin folds. When the sagging skin involves more of the entire length of the thighs, or when there is circumferential skin laxity and excess, the incisions are better positioned vertically along the inner thigh with possible extension to the groin crease. These vertical scars may be more visible than the groin crease scars, however they generally remain well hidden in the inner thigh and allow for the more dramatic improvement in the contour of the thighs that is needed.
Other procedures are designed to primarily lift and tighten sagging tissues of the outer thighs and of the buttocks. With these lower body lifts, the incisions and resultant scars are usually positioned to extend from the top of the groin around the hip and across the upper buttocks to the midline, in the pattern of a bikini. They are carefully designed before surgery to hide within the lines of a patient’s preferred bathing suit or undergarment. Through these incisions, the tissues of the outer thighs and buttocks will be reshaped and tightened, resulting in more proportionate and smoother body contours.
There is no other method of body contouring that can restore shape, skin appearance and tone to the thighs and buttocks as effectively as a thigh lift. By utilizing advanced techniques, our surgeons at Miami Plastic Surgery will individualize your thigh lift procedure to your specific condition, allowing incisions to be placed in strategic locations where they can be hidden by most types of clothing and swimsuits.
For more information or to schedule a consultation with Dr. Polo, please call us at 305-595-2969 or visit our website at www.miamiplasticsurgery.com
