Thigh Lift - What Kind?

[Spiceyfrog 269]

For those of you that have had a thigh lift, how did you decide if you were going to have the groin incision or the half leg incision?

Obviously no one wants a scar from their groin to their knee if they can avoid it, but I just don't want to be disappointed in the decision I make, after spending all that money. My legs no longer rub together, so that makes me lean toward the groin incision, but I just want to know how much they will still move around after that procedure. I am constantly pulling up my leg skin up, to try and determine exactly how tight they can get it with just the groin incision.

[AvaFern 3,516]

I had the groin incision lift and I honestly don't know if I made the right choice or not and it's been almost a year and a half. I did not want the scar to my knee, and I know that for whatever reason that incision often has issues with healing. I had a whopping infection in the posterior body lift incision and while the scar is on my butt, so I don't care, if I had that kind of scar on my leg, I would be upset. I actually had the thigh lift done twice, because I didn't like the results of the first version. My doctor is awesome, so he did a second thigh lift at the time we did the posterior body lift. I still hate my legs.

If you look at me in a bathing suit, the top half of my is fabulous. I had a brachioplasty, breast lift and augment, Tummy Tuck, and posterior body lift. There is not a piece of loose skin anywhere- I am tight and I love it. Then though we look at the bottom of me. In clothing I look fine, but without clothing my butt and thighs are covered in cellulite and not attractive. To be fair, I look like a fairly average, out of shape person, however I think if I had the full thigh lift, my thighs would be far tighter and better looking. That being said though, if I'm going to wear a shorter skirt, I wear tights or stockings and my legs look great, which also, had I had the full incision, the same would be true since no one could see the scar anyway.

With the benefit of hindsight, I probably would have gotten the full to the knee version, if purely because I can't wear anything now that I wouldn't be able to wear if I had the extra scars. My other scars heeled very well, so in a few years they would be close to invisible, and until then I would not have fat legs in all of the pants and longer dresses I wear.

In the end, it's up to your preferences. A groin incision lift fixes the major problems, but it is not going to give you the tight, thighs that you would get with the other version.

[JamieLogical 8,708]

I am planning a spiral thigh lift. It will create new scars from my glutial crease, along my pelvic crease and then going up to where my Tummy Tuck scar is, but I won't end up with any scars down the inside of my leg, which means I can pretty much cover all of the scars with a pair of underwear, like I already do with my TT scars.

This PDF has some diagrams and photos that make it clear where the new incisions will be:

https://www.elpasoplasticsurgery.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/spiral-lift-3.pdf

[Christinamo7 4,042]

I am planning a spiral thigh lift. It will create new scars from my glutial crease, along my pelvic crease and then going up to where my Tummy Tuck scar is, but I won't end up with any scars down the inside of my leg, which means I can pretty much cover all of the scars with a pair of underwear, like I already do with my TT scars.

This PDF has some diagrams and photos that make it clear where the new incisions will be:

https://www.elpasoplasticsurgery.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/spiral-lift-3.pdf

@@JamieLogical I had a c section and then an open hysterectomy - is that the area where the TT scar is? just curious in case I get a wild hair down the road and decide to have a TT

[Anna Nim 196]

IMHO, scars are the least concern. They fade and I would take scars with tighter skin over loose skin any day of the week!

[JamieLogical 8,708]

I am planning a spiral thigh lift. It will create new scars from my glutial crease, along my pelvic crease and then going up to where my Tummy Tuck scar is, but I won't end up with any scars down the inside of my leg, which means I can pretty much cover all of the scars with a pair of underwear, like I already do with my TT scars.

This PDF has some diagrams and photos that make it clear where the new incisions will be:

https://www.elpasoplasticsurgery.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/spiral-lift-3.pdf

@@JamieLogical I had a c section and then an open hysterectomy - is that the area where the TT scar is? just curious in case I get a wild hair down the road and decide to have a TT

Here are some pics of my TT scars:

[Christinamo7 4,042]

@@JamieLogical I had a c section and then an open hysterectomy - is that the area where the TT scar is? just curious in case I get a wild hair down the road and decide to have a TT

I am planning a spiral thigh lift. It will create new scars from my glutial crease, along my pelvic crease and then going up to where my Tummy Tuck scar is, but I won't end up with any scars down the inside of my leg, which means I can pretty much cover all of the scars with a pair of underwear, like I already do with my TT scars.

This PDF has some diagrams and photos that make it clear where the new incisions will be:

https://www.elpasoplasticsurgery.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/spiral-lift-3.pdf

Here are some pics of my TT scars:

oh thanks! so that is right about exactly where my scar already is, although it's not that long and doesn't go around all the way. but it still isn't like I'd really have a whole extra new scar afterwards. that is very helpful and you look GREAT!

[Daisee68 2,493]

@@Spiceyfrog - I had my first consultation last Friday. Dr said so much that I didn't take it all in but I remember that he said that spiral thigh lift would not work for me as I had too much loose skin hanging to my knee (I think that was why). I also have bad saddlebags where the skin actually folds down some. I believe he said that if I just had the inner thigh loose skin, that spiral lift might work but that given my situation, I would not be happy with just spiral. Have you received any surgeon's opinions yet? Dr I have chosen is Dr. Peter Fisher in San Antonio who specializes in Excess skin removal. His results are great. He does consults over the phone I think. You could send him pics and see what he says. Website is peterfishermd.com

[MichiganChic 3,262]

The answer depends on your situation. If you just have loose skin at the top, an incision in the crease of your let might do it. If you have laxity all the way down, you probably need the vertical lift. Doing just the upper incision is only going to lift about the top 1/3 of your leg.

I had vertical lift18 month ago (after a lower body lift, brachiolasty, breast lift/augmentation) and my scars are barely visible. However, even with that, my legs still are not great. I still have cellulite and some loose skin. They were better at first, but things fell and loosened up a bit. Even with that, they are WAY better than before, so it was worth it to me.

Your surgeon should be able to tell you what would give you the best results.

[Scamp 207]

I had an inner thigh lift and it did not really do it for me to be honest - I ended up having a version of this - Modified circumferential torsoplasty.... But as I had already had the upper bit (Tummy tuck etc) - I just had the leg bit - As in a line down the outside of the thigh which really helped and stopped me from being sat in a puddle of skin..... My surgeon had never done this before and after I asked him about a line down outside of thighs - He said he found this info in a book......

I only have the information printed out from all those years ago but I found the pictures here... https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=modified+circumferential+torsoplasty&espv=2&biw=1360&bih=643&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwif38bD94bNAhUqLcAKHTicACoQ_AUIBygB In my image page it is the first three images. (I don't know if this would work for you though - I click on the image and it takes me to another page without the image on it unfortunately - But if you find the small pictures I downloaded you should be in the right place)

This really did help for the thighs - Below the knees I still look like a tree but - This did really help. And most people do not have the abnormal lower leg oroblem that I do (This is a bit of Lipedema I think)

The pages printed out for me said this at the top ''Modified circumferential torsoplasty for the massive-weight-loss patient'' This came from the book called 'Annals of plastic surgery. Volume 59, Number 4, October 2007' (page 453 is the first page that was printed out for me.

I hope that helps someone somewhere out there...

And I will repeat again as I always do - KEEP that paper tape on for 10-12 weeks and your scars will heal much finer and flatter - I did not know this for my first two operations and the scars from the last three are so much better because I stayed in compression for 12 weeks and I kept the 3M Micropore tape on (obviously not same bit lolol) I kept that on also for 12 weeks and I am very happy with the scars - Before I did that - Those scars are wider and not as nice, as they stretched a little bit - I believe the paper tape etc supports the scars whilst they are i the first stages of healing and they do not stretch as much as they are not pulled as much etc... And even more stupidly I tested on myself two different tapes - One cheaper version and the 3M paper tape worked ten times better than the other one I bought and the scars are vastly different where I used the cheaper tape on one leg and the real tape the hospital gave me on the other leg (Yes - I am stupid lol)

Hope that helps in some way :-) I am 5-6yrs out of the surgeries now and am still very happy with the results.

Micropore tape = http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Genuine-3M-Micropore-TAN-Surgical-Tape-2-5cm-x-9-1m-1-ROLL-/390903825352

Edited June 1, 2016 by Scamp

[amazon 579]

I'm in the process of planing an extended mini-thigh lift with a back (belt) lift at the same time. I've had the tummy done, so the belt will complete the 360 and lift my sagging butt too.

I have too much sagging, loose skin for just a lift. I don't need to go all the way to the knee, but longer than a mini-thigh lift which goes about half way. As @Anna Nim said, scars are the least of my worry. The hanging bags of skin are. I certainly don't like them, but scars will fade in time :-)