Will Thigh Lifts Create A Gap Between My Legs?

Q: Dr. Eppley, I am interested in thigh lifts. My inner thighs run together and there are several rolls of skin that meet and rub when I walk. Sometimes this causes irritation of the skin. I would like them reduced and lifted so there is a gap between them. I also have a pubic area that hangs a bit low so combining thigh lifts with some type of tummy tuck would be ideal. Can these two procedures be done at the same time?

Thigh Lifts Dr Barry Eppley IndianapolisA: Inner thigh lifts can be very effective at improving the shape of the inner thighs near the pubic region. In most women, however, getting an actual thigh gap from the procedure is expecting too much. There is a limit as to how much skin can be removed in a thigh lift and how much fat can be suctioned from the area at the same time. The more skin that is removed, the higher the risk of scar widening and scar migration below the groin crease, making the scar more visible. While improvement is always seen in inner thigh lifts, it is a balance between the improvement in shape and the length and location of the scar.

Thigh lifts and tummy tick surgery can be combined without any vascular compromise issues between the intervening skin. (although this would depend on how long and close together the two incision lines will be) It does make one’s recovery more difficult with tightness of both the abdominal wall and bending at the thighs, but it can be successfully done as a combined procedure.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana