I'm 9 weeks post op body lift, and my legs look like they did before surgery. What can be done?

Question

I had a body lift 9 weeks ago and after the third week my legs started to go back to the way they looked before surgery. Why did they relax so much? Was there anything that could have been done to prevent them from relaxing back to the way they were? My doctor tells me they could be swallon and to wait it out. I know i did picked one of the best doctors for the surgery and that is what makes it even more upsetting. Thank you in advance for your advise.

J. Timothy Katzen, MD, FACS · Answer

Hello, and thank you for your question regarding your concerns after a body lift. I appreciate you sharing your history. Based on your description, it sounds like your legs have excess skin and are not as tight or contoured as you had hoped.

A 360 circumferential lower body lift primarily focuses on removing excess skin and fat from the abdomen, hips, and buttocks, but it does not directly treat the inner thighs. If you had significant skin laxity in your thighs before surgery, it is possible that this area was not fully addressed during your body lift, which is why your legs may appear similar to how they looked before surgery.

Additionally, swelling can persist for several months following surgery, particularly in the lower extremities. Swelling can make the legs appear fuller, and your doctor is correct in advising that some patience is required to allow the body to fully heal. However, if at 9 weeks post-op, your thighs still have significant laxity or appear unchanged, a thigh lift and reduction may be necessary to achieve the contour you are looking for.

There are different types of thigh lift procedures depending on the severity of skin laxity. If you have mild to moderate skin laxity, a crescent medial thigh lift with an incision hidden in the groin may help. However, if you have more significant skin laxity, particularly after massive weight loss, a longitudinal vertical medial thigh lift—which involves an incision from the groin to the knee—may be the best option. This procedure removes both excess fat and skin while tightening the thighs for a smoother, more contoured result.

At this stage, I would recommend continuing to monitor your swelling while also consulting with an experienced, board-certified plastic surgeon specializing in post-weight loss body contouring to evaluate whether a thigh lift is necessary. If your swelling subsides and your thighs still have significant laxity, a thigh reduction surgery may be the best solution to refine your results.

I hope this helps answer your question. Best of luck!

Sincerely,
Dr. Katzen, MD

Stanley Okoro, MD · Answer

Thank you for your question! Unfortunately without before and after and current photos, it is difficult to common on your legs. Some degree of skin relaxation is expected after any surgery where skin is pulled tight. I recommend skin tightening to most of my patients during the post operative period to help with this. ThermiRF is a way patients can tighten their skin non surgically and maintain tight skin results after lifts of any kind: arm, breasts or body. Speak with your board certified plastic surgeon if they recommend of a near by location to have ThermiRF completed.

I'm 9 weeks post op body lift, and my legs look like they did before surgery. What can be done?

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I'm 9 weeks post op body lift, and my legs look like they did before surgery. What can be done?

Answers (2)

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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.