At Karidis Clinic, all thigh lift surgery procedures are carried out by one of the best-known thigh lift surgeons in London, Mr Alex Karidis. For UK-leading consultancy, aftercare and results, get in touch today.
What is thigh lift surgery?
A thigh lift is a surgical operation that lifts and tightens the loose skin folds of the thighs and reduces the excess skin, leaving a firmer, smoother contour. It is often performed on patients who have experienced drastic and/or sudden weight loss, where the skin has been stretched and hangs from the inner thighs.
This surgery is usually concentrated on the excess skin of the inner thigh region and does not lift the front or back of the thigh. You may also want to read about liposuction as this is often performed alongside thigh lift surgeries at our London clinic.
Quick Reference
Quick Links
Our Thigh Lift Recovery Guide
Click here to go to the Karidis Clinic guide to your thigh lift recovery including the expected timeline, the questions we always get asked, and tips from Stevie, our highly experienced surgical nurse.
FAQs for Thigh Lift Surgery
Yes. Both the Medial and Extended Thigh Lift can often be combined with limited liposuction in order to better contour the legs and also to reduce the size of the ‘saddlebags’ or love handles or other areas.
The basic aim of a Thigh lift involves removing excess skin along with associated fat from the inner thighs and then suturing the ends together. In principle, it is a very straightforward surgical procedure. However due to the large area and length of wound that requires suturing it is somewhat time-consuming and can take up to 2 hours to complete the procedure.
The incision line is sutured with dissolving stitches and surgical tapes are then applied to the surface of the skin. A bandage is then applied around the thighs in order to apply some compression and reduce any swelling and bleeding.
Pain and discomfort are always subjective. You may find that any pain you feel is probably more noticeable when standing or and walking in the first few days following surgery and usually involves a pulling or tightening sensation in the inner aspect of the thighs. It is advisable therefore that for the first week or so you should take regular painkillers in order to minimise this.
It is always impossible to predict a scar’s eventual appearance. In fact, very rarely can thigh lift scars be described as hairline. Initially, these always appear red, raised and lumpy in the first few months after surgery but do tend to settle with time in most people.
A silicone gel sheet will be provided for you once everything has healed and which will help the appearance of the scars. However, it will take up to 18 or 24 months to do so. Stretching and prominence of all or parts of the scar may also occur and may be permanent. If necessary, and when deemed appropriate, a scar revision could improve the appearance accordingly.
Most patients usually need 2 weeks off work or any strenuous duties. Depending on the type of Thigh lift that was performed and provided healing proceeds uneventfully, many patients feel that they can gradually start to resume their normal activities after this with the view to be able to exercise fully from 6 weeks after thigh lift surgery. It is important to remember that some minor swelling will still be present at this stage and will take some months to fully reside.
Find out more about the thigh lift recovery timeline.
Thigh Lift surgery requires a surgeon fee, an anaesthetist fee and a hospital fee. The price also includes all of your pre-operative and post-operative care. The cost may vary slightly depending on your unique requirements, but we will give you a detailed quotation following your consultation.
For more information on what our surgical fees cover, please click here.
Tips from the Top
Senior Nurse Suzi says:
A balanced healthy diet, rich in protein will help you heal from surgery – try drinking a fresh green juice every morning.
Write down any questions and take them into your consultation with Mr Karidis – that way you won’t forget anything.
Prepare your body for surgery by keeping it soft and supple by moisturising skin twice daily (avoid vitamin E containing products).
Always wear sun block (SPF 50+) over surgery scars to stop pigmentation.
Stock up on comfy lounge wear for after your surgery – front opening tops are ideal.
