Tight thigh – attention guaranteed
Whether in a bikini, a breezy summer dress or a smart business outfit – smooth, slender legs are always eye-catching. Unfortunately, the gradually ageing skin often quickly lacks elasticity and evenness in this area. Fat deposits accumulate in unwanted areas. In our practice in Munich, we advise you on how to tighten the contours of your body again.
If liposuction, often the first choice of treatment, does not produce an optimal result, plastic surgery offers thigh lift methods. As specialists in plastic and aesthetic surgery, the trust of our patients is very important to us. Therefore, we also rely on individual consultation for skin tightening. The following explanations are therefore only intended for initial orientation and information.
Please feel free to make an appointment by phone (+49-89-348123) or directly in our online calendar.
Short info Thigh Lift
OP duration
approx. 1 to 3 hours
Anaesthesia
Local anaesthetic
or general anaesthetic
Clinic stay
Outpatient or 1 to 2 day(s)
Fit for society
approx. 3-5 days
Sport
approx. 6 weeks
Costs
Depending on the findings, from € 3,500*
*Invoicing according to the GOÄ fee schedule
Typical reasons for a Thigh Lift
Due to ageing processes, the skin and the subcutaneous layers become increasingly slack, to varying degrees in different individuals. In particular, the skin often reacts to radical diets with a strong and too rapid weight loss with a loss of elasticity.
Lack of exercise, insufficiently developed body musculature and the decreasing muscle mass with increasing age and insufficient fitness intensify this effect. The excess of skin and subcutaneous tissue after weight loss is especially present on the inner thighs and in the area of the buttocks.
Even slim people can develop overhanging skin on the inner thighs as a result of age-related tissue weakness. Or you may suffer from cellulite, the so-called “orange peel skin”, which usually presents itself on the outer thighs as wavy skin with unsightly dents.
Liposuction alone is not possible in such cases because the skin can no longer shrink sufficiently due to the lack of elasticity. Here plastic surgery helps with a thigh lift.
Optimal lifting through an operative procedure
If the sagging of the skin and the subcutaneous layers is very pronounced, the excess tissue can only be tightened again by surgical skin tightening.
With a thigh lift, excess layers of skin and fatty tissue can be removed and the remaining skin and subcutaneous tissue tightened. Most often, a lift is performed on the inner thigh. Excess skin and fatty tissue are removed in a crescent shape.
The later scar lies in the natural fold of the crotch region. Depending on the presence of disturbing fat deposits, the lifting can be performed in combination with liposuction.
Which risks does a Thigh Lift have?
The thigh lift is a surgical procedure. Normal side effects such as bleeding, bruising and pain are to be expected, but these can be prevented by administering painkillers. It is rare for clots to form in the blood vessels after an operation; this is prevented with compression stockings and medication.
Basically, we avoid stressing your body by thoroughly measuring and drawing in the excess and sagging skin and fat tissue in advance. During the surgical removal we take care to make incisions that are as small as possible and inconspicuous.
Rare risks with a thigh lift are wound healing disorders. Due to the temporarily restricted mobility, there is also a medium risk of thrombosis and pulmonary embolism, which can be prevented by taking appropriate measures. Occasionally, fluid accumulations form in the wound area after removal of the wound drains, which are removed by needle puncture.
In the area of the groin and buttocks, a small amount of excess skin in the scar area cannot always be avoided. If necessary, this can be corrected in another small operation. Due to the pulling of the skin, the scars can sometimes spread a little, but these are further well concealed by clothing. It is very important to avoid gaining weight after the operation.
Which narcosis is used?
Normally, mainly the inner part of the thigh is changed. Depending on the degree of sagging of the skin and the amount of excess thigh tissue, this procedure can be performed under local anaesthesia and on an outpatient basis.
How does the thigh lift procedure with Dr von Isenburg &
Dr Neuhann-Lorenz work?
1 The personal information
Our team of specialists meets a very high standard of advice and information. We explain the options and achievable results in a prior consultation. In doing so, we pay particular attention to your concerns and ideas – you should ideally have noted these down beforehand in order to facilitate a comprehensive consultation.
Dr von Isenburg and Dr Neuhann-Lorenz will also be happy to answer any questions you may have after the consultation, either by telephone or in a further personal meeting.
As a result of these information sessions, you sign a consent form in which you allow the agreed treatment and confirm that you have been informed about the treatment and the associated risks.
2 Preparation for treatment
Rest before the procedure is very important for the success of the thigh lift. You should be in as good a health condition as possible. You should pay particular attention to limiting your own nicotine and alcohol consumption to a minimum. This will considerably increase the chances of healing and success.
The intake of hormone-containing medication (contraceptive pill, hormone replacement preparations) must be temporarily discontinued if necessary. Under no circumstances should you take aspirin or medicines containing acetylsalicylic acid for at least 14 days before the procedure.
3 Procedure of the operation
Before the operation, the incision is precisely marked on the standing patient. The standard incision is crescent-shaped and runs from the groin to the buttock crease, resulting in a line-shaped scar in the crotch region. Only in particularly extensive cases is an additional vertical downward incision required in the centre, resulting in a T-shaped scar.
After skin incision in the area of the marked incision, the subcutaneous tissue of the entire inner thigh is bluntly detached from the muscle layer to increase the tightening result. In case of disturbing fat pads, liposuction is additionally performed in these areas to improve the shape of the thighs.
Subsequently, drainages (so-called Redon drainages) are inserted, which drain off the wound secretion and fluid accumulations in the wound area in vacuum bottles. A previously fitted girdle is applied for compression.
What should be considered after the procedure?
Immediately after the surgery
For thrombosis prophylaxis, you will have to wear anti-thrombosis stockings and receive heparin injections to thin the blood. Early mobilisation further reduces the risk of thrombosis. Once the wound drains are removed after one to two days, they can be further treated on an outpatient basis.
Restrictions & recommendations
You should wear the compression girdle for eight to ten weeks. The skin stitches are removed after 14 days. During the following six to eight weeks you should avoid sporting activities that put stress on the scarred area, especially cycling, gymnastics, jogging, etc.
Where does the treatment take place?
This form of skin tightening is usually performed under general anaesthesia in inpatient conditions. Smaller corrections can also be performed on an outpatient basis, under local anaesthesia. If the procedure is performed under anaesthesia, an inpatient stay of one to two days is required.
Is the result permanent?
After the thigh lift operation, the skin on the thigh is once again well taut and smooth, although only part of the thigh was actually changed. The thighs also look slimmer and more youthful overall. The resulting scar is located at the transition from the inner thigh to the pelvic floor. It is very inconspicuous overall and is usually covered by panties or a bikini.
What does it cost?
The effective costs of a skin tightening depend on the type and extent of the respective procedure and can only be determined during a consultation and medical examination. In most cases, the costs of the procedure must be borne by the patient.
In some cases, such as after extreme weight loss, skin damage in the groin due to sweating in the skin folds or mechanical irritation of the skin on clothing, the cost of skin tightening is covered by both statutory and private health insurance.
Please feel free to make an appointment by phone (+49-89-348123) or directly in our online calendar.