At Tarola Plastic Surgery in Murfreesboro, TN and Hendersonville, TN, we love helping our clients achieve their ideal appearance. Sometimes, we have clients come in with facial aging concerns that need to be treated with BOTOX or another anti-aging injectable. Other times, clients want to sculpt their ideal contours after significant weight loss. Today, we are taking a closer look at a thigh lift, one of our most popular body contouring procedures, including how it works.
How Does a Thigh Lift Work?
A thigh lift works in just a few simple steps. First, we will administer anesthesia to ensure that you are comfortable during the operation. Then, we will make incisions in the thigh area. Where exactly these incisions will be made depends on your personal preferences, the scope of your procedure, and other factors.
Through these incisions we can access the underlying tissues. If you have excess thigh skin due to significant weight loss, we will remove your excess skin tissue. Additionally, we may excise a bit of subcutaneous fat. These steps will help to achieve a smooth, toned contour. We will also reposition your muscle and remaining skin tissues to help you achieve your desired appearance. Finally, we will suture the incisions closed and apply a protective surgical dressing.
How Should I Prepare for My Procedure?
During your initial consultation, we will advise you on all of the preparation steps you must follow prior to surgery. One of the most important preparation steps to follow is to not consume any product containing nicotine for several weeks before your procedure. It is also very important that you do not consume alcohol for several weeks before your procedure. Additionally, you should not take any blood-thinning drugs or supplements.
What Should I Expect After My Procedure?
Once your procedure is complete, you should expect to feel very groggy as the anesthesia wears off. Once you are alert, we will review your recovery guidelines with you and address any concerns you have. After that, you are free to go home. You will not be able to drive after your procedure and will need someone to take you home. Additionally, you will not be able to drive within 24 hours of taking an analgesic that may affect alertness.
Generally, you can expect to need two to four weeks off from work to focus on your recovery. However, this depends significantly on the scope of your job. If your job provides you with a standing desk, you may be able to return to work just two weeks after your procedure. On the other hand, you may need to take a lot longer off from work if your job is physically demanding or requires you to sit for hours at a time.
Am I a Good Candidate for a Thigh Lift?
A thigh lift may be a good fit for you if you are concerned about excess skin or loose skin in your upper legs. However, you need to discuss your health, concerns, and goals with Dr. Nicholas A. Tarola, MD to verify that this procedure is right for you. Broadly, he needs to ensure that this procedure will be both safe and effective for you.
Dr. Tarola will determine if this procedure will be effective via a discussion of your expectations and an evaluation of your current contours, including the laxity of your skin and the amount of subcutaneous fat present. If you have a lot of excess thigh fat, you may be a better fit for liposuction, or you may need to combine liposuction with your upper thigh lift to achieve your desired contours.
Am I a Good Candidate for Liposuction?
Most relatively healthy adults who are within 30 pounds of their ideal weight qualify for liposuction. However, an evaluation of all of the areas of concern is necessary before determining whether one or more areas qualify for treatment. Besides your weight and health, your body fat distribution is a significant factor affecting whether this fat removal procedure can help you achieve your desired appearance.
For example, you will not qualify for thigh lipo if you have too much excess subcutaneous fat. Liposuction can only remove a percentage of localized fat cells, and you may not achieve satisfactory results if you have too much localized fat. Additionally, liposuction will not be effective for you if you do not have enough extra subcutaneous fat in an area of concern.
Where Can Liposuction Remove Fat From?
Liposuction can be used to remove excess subcutaneous fat from virtually anywhere, but only 10 to 11 pounds can be removed safely.
Schedule Your Initial Consultation Today
A thigh lift improves the appearance of your upper leg by eliminating excess skin tissue and restructuring the remaining muscle and skin tissue. A small amount of excess fat can be excised during this procedure, but you will need liposuction in addition to your upper leg lift if you have a significant amount of excess thigh fat. If you think an upper leg lift could improve your self-confidence, contact us now at Tarola Plastic Surgery in Murfreesboro, TN to schedule an evaluation.
