When having a lower body lift, how much of your thighs are actually lifted?

Question

I understand a lower body lift usually addresses the lateral (outside) portion of your thighs, but what about the front of your thighs and behind the knee area - is there a lifting and smoothing of these areas, as well? Thank you so much!

Jeffrey M. Darrow, MD · Answer

A lower body lift smooths and tightens the skin of the abdomen, thighs and buttocks.  Most benefit is in the abdomen, lateral thighs and buttocks.  There is benefit in the upper medial thighs and you can get an idea of the likely improvement by pulling up on your lower abdominal crease.  You will note the upper inner thigh skin contour improves.  For skin laxity further down the thigh a separate thigh lift must be done to get the best contour.  Best wishes.

J. Timothy Katzen, MD, FACS · Answer

Hello, ducomplainey in Boston. Thank you for your question regarding how much of your thighs are actually lifted during a lower body lift.  The true answer is that "it depends on the individual patient outer thigh anatomy and the skill set of your chosen plastic surgeon."  As a patient, if you have a little excess skin and fat on the outer thighs, then the body lift should correct and remove the excess.  If you have a lot of excess skin and fat in the outer thighs, the lower body lift may not completely take care of the excess outer thigh skin and fat.  Patients with excessive skin and fat on the outer thighs may require serial liposuction surgeries to debulk the outer thighs.  If the patient has extreme saddlebags, they may require a wedge resection where a football-shaped area of excess skin and fat is removed.  Alternatively, some patients have significant excess skin and fat on the outer thighs extending to the knees. This deformity is called a pantaloon deformity. These patients may need a lateral thigh lift and a lower body lift. The lateral thigh scar extends from the pelvis to the lateral knee. In addition to the patient anatomy factor, there is the plastic surgeon factor.  If your plastic surgeon is inexperienced in performing the body lift, you may receive suboptimal results in the lateral thighs.  Alternatively, if you have surgery with an experienced lower body lift plastic surgeon, you have much higher chances of maximizing the lift of your outer thighs.  In most lower body lift cases, approximately 10 inches of excess skin and fat is removed from the lateral thigh. Good luck.  I hope I have answered your question regarding how much of your thighs are actually lifted during a lower body lift.
If you have any more questions regarding the lower body lift, 360 circumferential lower body lift, belt lipectomy, belt abdominoplasty, or belt dermolipectomy, please contact an experienced plastic surgeon. Since the body lift is a big procedure, please seek an experienced, board-certified plastic surgeon with significant experience performing the lower body lift. Do your research.  Ensure they have performed at least 100 circumferential lower body lift surgeries and have the before and after pictures to prove it.  Carefully examine their before and after pictures and check their reviews on RealSelf.   If you cannot find an experienced lower body lift surgeon in your neighborhood, consider traveling out of state. Sincerely, Dr. Katzen, MD, MBA, FACS, FICS, FASMBS (President of the American Society of Bariatric Plastic Surgeons, certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, Fellow of the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, American College of Surgery, and International College of Surgery and member of the American Society of Plastic Surgery, American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery RealSelf Hall of Fame, and RealSelf Doctor Advisory Board for Medical Review and Consumer Panel.)

John Renucci, MD, FACS · Answer

The lower body lift is a very powerful contouring procedure. It combines an abdominoplasty procedure along with bilateral hiplasty and buttock lift.  When combined, there is significant improvement in the upper anterior thigh, upper lateral thigh, and upper posterior thigh.  For maximum buttock/posterior thigh impact, performing an auto augmentation of the buttock is important. I would not expect to see much improvement in the medial thigh or around your knees as a medial thighplasty will have maximum impact in these areas.  Good luck

Ricardo L. Rodriguez, MD · Answer

You are correct in understanding that the body lift typically addresses the outer thighs, along with the abdomen, hips, and buttocks. Broken into its components, a body lift includes a tummy tuck (abdominoplasty), a thigh lift, and a buttock lift - a surgical procedure that can be done in a single operative session or multiple sessions, depending on the specifics of the case.
During a body lift, an incision is placed around the entire lower body. Skin and fat are removed, stomach muscles are tightened, and the incision is closed to tightly contour the body. 
When we talk about the thigh lift, we are typically talking about the outer thigh. However, there is also an inner thigh lift (sometimes called a medial thigh lift) that is sometimes performed as a separate procedure.
Please consult with a board certified plastic surgeon to discuss your specific concerns and determine what procedure might be right for you to achieve your goals. Before and after photos of patients who have similar before bodies will help you see how the thighs look before and after surgery.
Best wishes!

Owen Reid, MD · Answer

A lower body lift can be thought of as two separate procedures: (1) an abdominoplasty and (2) a buttock / thigh lift. These two procedures can be performed separately, or together as a lower body lift. As you have mentioned already, the thigh lift refers to the lateral or outer thighs. The inner aspect and front of the thighs are typically not improved following an abdominoplasty or lower body lift. To completely address all that you have identified in the thigh and knee area you may also need to consider a medial thigh lift with or without liposuction.

When having a lower body lift, how much of your thighs are actually lifted?

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When having a lower body lift, how much of your thighs are actually lifted?

Answers (6)

Answer: Body Lifts and Thigh Lifts

Answer: Body Lifts and Thigh Lifts

Answer: Lower Body Lift . . . will it help my thighs?

Answer: Lower Body Lift . . . will it help my thighs?

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Everything you need to know about Body Lift

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.