Please share; the good, the bad and the ugly-medial thigh lift

 I have read everything I can find on medial thigh lifts but thought I'd throw some questions back out there.  I'd love to hear from those who have had it done.  Has anyone had it done in combo with a lbl?    For you did the scar end up a good trade?  Mine would need to go to my knee for best results.  I have just enough lose skin on my knees to wobble around when I walk.    If the scar didn't need to go down so far I would feel better about the trade off.

I have also read that scarring can be worsened by having a lbl and med thigh lift at the same time.  Opposing forces.  

Anything you can share will be so greatly appreciated!  If anyone would share scar pics that would be great!

Thanks!!

I am in the same situation. I'm 5' 1" and lost 112 lbs, 3 yrs 1/2 yrs out from surgery.
I have consulted with 3 plastic surgeon and have one more final consult with a forth.
They all said that they would NOT comine a lbl with the medial thigh lift for several reasons:

#1 the timing to complete both would take the surgery over the typical 6 hr mark to around 9. The risks increase when keeping a patient under general anethisia over 6 hrs and the body also begin to swell a bit.

#2 The complication risks increases when done together and the recover can be quite extreme on the body. I was told that due to cutting around the body and possibly having to pull/stich together abdominal muscle the LBL is more painful.

#3 The comment you made about opposing forces and the healing was also mentioned.

Now you will hear of people who have had both, this may due to not have much skin to remove and the procedure can be done under 6 hrs. Also they may have recovery time 2-3 days in a hospital (the first 48 hrs after surgery being critical). So when making comparisons to what different people say, remember it is all about the details.

I plan on having the 2 procedures done 6 months apart. One PS said He could do them as close as 6 weeks apart depending on the progress of healing. I'm choosing to do it 6 months due to time off work. Minimum 4 wks for LBL and 3 weeks for Medial thigh lift.

Anyway, hope this helps. I know how it feels to want to just knock everything out at once but also understand that to get the best possilble results I'll have to space things out.

Forgot to add comment about the scar.

I too will most likely have an incision all the way down to the knee, if I choose to have the medial thigh lift.

Tne reason I want to do the LBL first is that it does pull up the on the thighs: sides, fronts and back (mostly outer sides).  I want to see the effect on my thighs.   Maybe I can live with the thighs after that.

Also I really want to see how my poor skin heals, scar wise, from the LBL before choosing to have a surgery where the scaring is more visible. (hence the 6 month wait between surgeries)

Just more facts for thought.

 Thanks for your input.  Best of luck with your surgeries!  Can't wait to hear the outcome.

Paula, as u know I had a medial thigh lift 12 days ago. I did not have the incision to the knee, only the one in the groin. So far, it has been the most painful part of my recovery. My breasts have been easiest, arms next, tummy third then thighs. I have to say I am glad that I had all done at once, but the thighs are the most irritating. I'm not sure if all surgeons do this, but I have staples in the rear half of both my thigh incisions. This, in my opinion, is why it's the most irritating. Though I am glad that I have the extra closure support because of all the horror stories I've heard about them opening. So far, mine are healing well and I've had no complications. I didn't have a LBL, but I hope this helps. I am going to send a PM, check ur inbox in a bit.

I hope you respond because I am considering a thigh lift,. I see you had one some time ago.  I am nervous about recovery and everything associated with this procedure.  Did your scar move? Do you panties cover your scar? When were you able to sit and resume all normal activities? Please can you send me a pic if at all possible.

It took about 3 weeks for me to be normal again, please remember that I had all my surgeries at once. I can say that my thigh surgery gave me the worst problems but the arm scar is the worst. My thigh scars haven't moved from where they were originally but they were the worst at first. They have healed greatly in the last year, more than I thought they would. I posted pictures under the password "losken" if that doesn't work let me know and I will figure out what it is. I will take new pictures of my thigh scars and post them as well hopefully this will help and give you some idea of my journey. Give me a day or so to get it together and check it out.

I also am thinking of having all my surgeries at once... Well I've already had the tummy tuck but that will be converted to an LBL. Any advice and insights you can provi are much appreciated. If you had to do it over would you have staged them given the recovery you had to endure?

I had abdominoplasty and a medial thigh lift at the same time.  My medial thigh lidt incision went around and under my knee.  I am one month shy of being a year out and I can honestly say that every few people notice my scars at all.  I am trying to be very careful still about sun as they say it can turn the scars brown.  I teach middle school so you know that those students are super observant and very few have even noticed. 
As far as recovery my abdominoplasty was MUCH worse than the medial thigh lift.  I even had a revision of one knee area in December and that looks no different.

 Thanks Amy!  That's reallly encouraging.