Thigh dent 6 months after lipo. Any advice? (Photo)

Question

I am a 37 year old female. I had lipo on the upper part of my inner thighs 6 months ago. 2 months after the procedure, I noticed a horizontal dent on one thigh. When I bend my knees, 2 lumps form around the dent (1 lump above and another lump below the dent). My dr recommended Morpheus. Any advice? Thank you

J. Timothy Katzen, MD, FACS · Answer

Dear Evdokia85 in Lebanon, LB,

I'm sorry to hear about your concerns following your liposuction procedure. Since you didn't include photos, it's difficult to give you a specific answer. Post-liposuction irregularities, including dents or contour deformities, can sometimes occur due to uneven removal of fat, scar tissue formation, or the healing process's natural variations. Here are some thoughts and potential solutions:

Morpheus8: Your doctor recommended Morpheus8, which is a fractional skin treatment that stimulates collagen production using microneedling with radiofrequency. Morpheus8 can tighten the skin and improve its texture, potentially reducing the appearance of the dent and surrounding lumps. It's a relatively non-invasive procedure that can offer some benefits in terms of skin quality and contour improvement.

Fat Grafting: Another option for correcting dents or depressions is fat grafting, where fat is harvested from one area of your body, processed, and then injected into the depressed area. This technique can help fill the dent and create a smoother contour. However, the survival of the grafted fat can be variable, and more than one session might be needed.

Massage and Manual Manipulation: Gentle massage might help in breaking down any scar tissue and smoothing out lumps. Some patients find benefit in lymphatic drainage massage or other specialized techniques. However, it's essential to consult with your surgeon before starting any massage to ensure it's safe and potentially beneficial.

Revision Liposuction: In some cases, if there's residual fat causing the lumps above and below the dent, a revision liposuction procedure might be considered. This would involve careful and strategic removal of fat to even out the contour.

Wait and Observe: Since you're only six months post-procedure, there's still time for the body to heal and the skin to retract. Sometimes, irregularities can improve somewhat with time as inflammation subsides and tissues settle.

Having an open line of communication with your plastic surgeon is essential. Discuss your concerns, seek a second opinion, and explore the best options tailored to your situation.

Thank you for sharing your concerns, and I wish you the best on your journey to optimal results.

Sincerely,
Dr. Katzen

Camille Cash, MD · Answer

Contour irregularities can occur with liposuction at times.  Depending on the severity of the depressed area you can consider fat grafting to fill it in.  Morpheus8 may give improvement if the depression is minor.  Without the benefit of an in person exam or photos the advice of your surgeon is probably best as she/he is most knowledgeable about your concerns and how you've progressed through recovery.

Connie Hiers, MD, FACS · Answer

You did not post a photo, so I would refer to your surgeon. You can have liposuction above and below the dent to remove excess fat, fill in the dent with fat or filler, or tighten the loose skin if causing the dent with Morpheus.

Vickram Tandon, MD · Answer

It is important for you and your plastic surgeon to discuss the risks related to aggressive liposuction, as contour irregularities in the thighs are common. To correct this, you would likely need an additional procedure, possibly fat transfer or additional round of liposuction to smooth things out. Morpheus 8 aims to tighten the skin, to a depth of 7-8 mm, so you should discuss how improvement in the skin will address your concerns.

Mats Hagstrom, MD (license on probation) · Answer

To make an assessment on the outcome of a plastic surgery procedure we generally always need to see proper before and after pictures. If you don’t have your before and after pictures and ask your surgeon to forward the pictures they took. The outcome of your procedure is the director of flexion of your candidacy for the procedure in the first place combine with how the procedure was performed.
Delivering consistent quality, liposuction results is more difficult than most people realize. Mastering this procedure is something only done by a handful of plastic surgeons do and in reality most plastic surgeons are not all that good at Liposuction and generally think they’re better than they actually are.
Improving Liposuction results or doing revision work as many times more difficult, and Primary Liposuction. Providers who are unable to deliver consistent quality results from primary liposuction generally do not have the skill and experience to handle how to manage revision work. I don’t think using Morpheus he’s going to improve the outcome of inappropriate.
If you want a quality assessment, then consider posting including proper before and after pictures.Recognize that improving poorly done Liposuction is difficult, and should only be attempted by those who have a proven track record on suction and potentially fat transfer if that is indicated in the revision plan.
Simplistic treatment options are most likely going to lead to disappointment, and I wouldn’t spend any money on treatments that aren’t going to address the primary problem. Best,
Mats Hagstrom, MD

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