A thigh and buttock lift reshapes the thighs and buttocks by reducing excess skin, and in some cases fat, resulting in smoother skin and better-proportioned contours of the thighs and lower body.
Reasons for procedure | What to expect | Call your doctor | Resources
Reasons for procedure
If fitness and weight loss efforts have not achieved your goals for a body that is firmer, more youthful looking and more proportionate to your overall body image, a surgical thigh or buttock lift may be right for you. A thigh and buttock lift tightens loose, sagging skin in the buttocks, thighs and hips, and improves the appearance of dimpled skin.
How to Prepare for Your Buttock & Thigh Lift Procedure:
Prior to procedure. Prior to butt lift surgery, your doctor may ask you to:
- Get lab testing or a medical evaluation
- Take certain medications or adjust your current medications
- Stop smoking well in advance of surgery
- Avoid taking aspirin, anti-inflammatory drugs and herbal supplements as they can increase bleeding
Anesthesia.
Thigh and buttock lift cosmetic surgery is typically performed under general anesthesia, and you will be put to sleep with an intravenous sedative. After you are asleep, a breathing tube will be placed in your mouth to ensure that the airway is secure during the position changes necessary during the procedure.
How is a Buttock & Thigh Lift Procedure Performed?
Incision patterns vary based on the area or areas to be treated, degree of correction, and patient and cosmetic surgeon preference. One common technique places incisions in the groin, extending downward and wrapping around the back of the thigh. The underlying tissue will be reshaped, and tightened, and skin will be reduced and redraped, resulting in more proportionate and smoother body contours. Lifting the entire thigh and buttock will require much longer incisions that start in the buttock crease, extend around the groin, come up over the side of the abdomen and reach over the flank and across the back. Deep support sutures within underlying tissues help to form the newly shaped contours. Sutures close the skin incisions.
How long will it take?
About two to four hours.
How much will it hurt?
Anesthesia prevents pain during plastic surgery. Pain following a thigh and buttock lift is typically controlled by oral pain medications. The first day of surgery, you may require injections or intravenous pain medications, but usually pain pills relieve discomfort after that.
Average hospital stay.
Buttock and thigh lift surgery is performed on an outpatient basis. Depending on the size of your lift, you may leave the hospital on the same day of the procedure or spend one or two nights in a skilled nursing facility or hospital.
What is the Recovery from a Thigh & Buttock LIft?
After your thigh and buttock lift:
- Dressing or bandages may be applied to your incisions
- Compression garments may be placed to control swelling, support the suspended tissues, and smooth and flatten the skin
- One or more small, thin tubes may be temporarily placed under the skin to drain excess fluid or blood that may collect
- Sutures in the incision closure may require removal
- Activity is determined by the progress of the healing of the incision
You will be given specific instructions that may include:
- How to care for the surgical site(s) following surgery
- Medications to apply or take orally to aid healing and reduce the risk of infection
- Specific concerns to look for at the surgical site or in your general health
- When to follow up with your plastic surgeon
Are There Risks to a Thigh/Buttock Lift?
Complications are rare but no plastic surgery procedure is completely free of risk. If you are planning to have a thigh and buttock lift, your doctor will review a list of possible complications, which may include:
- Unfavorable scarring
- Bleeding (hematoma)
- Infection
- Fluid accumulation
- Skin loss
After arriving home, contact your cosmetic surgeon if any of the following occur:
- Signs of infection, including fever and chills
- Persistent high temperature
- Redness, swelling, increasing pain, bleeding or discharge from the incision site
- Opening of any part of the incision
- Any other problem or concern
In case of an emergency, call 911.
Schedule a Consultation
For more information, call us at (508) 334-5990 or fill out our online form to book a personalized appointment with one of our expert surgeons.
Resources
American Society of Plastic Surgeons
https://www.plasticsurgery.org/
American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery
https://www.surgery.org/
VISIT the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) site for more information on thigh/buttock lift. more >>