Medial Thigh Lift (Thighplasty)

A medial thigh lift is an operation designed to improve the loose and wrinkly skin over the medial aspect of one’s thigh, which tends to occur after massive weight loss and as people age.

The medial thigh skin is very thin and without a lot of elasticity. If the skin is of good quality and there is only a bulging of this area, liposuction would be the best option. However if the skin quality is poor the only other option is that of a medial thigh lift.

There are two types of medial thigh left. The one which I call a groin crease medial thigh lift leaves a scar in the groin. This type of lift improves to a third of the medical thigh only. The other type is called a vertical scar medial thigh lift. In this lift you have to accept a vertical scar from the groin to the knee. This type of radical thigh lift improves the skin and fat over the entire medial thigh.

One type of medial thigh lift can be performed with a scar in the groin crease and the scar is well hidden underneath undergarments or a bikini. This medial thigh lift can improve loose skin up to a third of the way down the thigh.

Medial thigh lifts are relatively common procedures in my practice and in general, there are two ways to perform this type of surgery – the groin crease or the vertical medial thigh lift.

The groin crease medial thigh lift

With this technique the scar is well hidden in the groin crease however, this procedure is technically difficult, in that the fat and skin must be supported well, so that it does not pull on the labia in women as well as to stop the scar migrating down the medial thigh.

In men, a similar problem occurs because without support to the skin and fat, the scar will migrate down into thigh. The groin crease medial thigh lift only improves the upper third of the thigh.

The vertical medial thigh lift

If the loose skin extends halfway or all the way down the thigh then a vertical scar medial thigh lift would be preferential. The patient would have to accept a vertical scar down the inside of the thigh, but the scar usually settles well into a fine white line that is well hidden.

Both operations are good procedures with few complications.

This longer vertical scar is indicated where the entire thigh needs to be improved and tightened and is often combined with some liposuction to the medial thigh and the medial knee area.

The scarring of the vertical medial thigh lift is very well tolerated and gives excellent results. These are often performed in patients who have undergone massive weight loss and this is just one of the areas that needs improving, together with lower body lift and brachioplasty (arm lift) in patients who have lost massive amounts of weight.

The procedure for medial thigh lifts

Medial thigh lifts, regardless of the technique used are performed under general anaesthetic and can be combined with other procedures. The exception is with abdominoplasty or lower body lifts. I prefer to stagger these procedures due to the fact that lifting upper abdominal skin affects the thigh area, making it difficult to achieve a perfect result if performed together.

When performing medial thigh lifts, liposuction is usually performed to get rid of excess fat before taking away the loose skin during the same procedure. The procedures are usually not very painful and recovery takes a couple of weeks. In both of these procedures I prefer patients to wear garments for approximately four weeks.

A few final words

This is a major procedure that has, in the past, had a few negative connotations in the media, due to some negative results and complications. However, in my practice, with my techniques, the outcomes for medical thigh lifts have always been excellent and my patients generally have are very happy with their results.

So in conclusion, in cases where a medial thigh lift is indicated, the groin crease method is preferred over the vertical thigh lift, unless the patient has lost a massive amount of weight and requires the entire medial thigh to be improved.