Question:
Was thighplasty surgery worth it?

I had a thighplasty 4 weeks ago with no visible scars and no tummy tuck. It was much more painful and difficult surgery than I had anticipated.The incisions are massive and pulled dreadfully and came apart in several places. I still need to heal in several places after a month! I felt like I had been butchered and splayed. Psychologically (because of where surgery is in the groin area) and physically (also because of location of incisions) this is a tough surgery and I am not a whimp by any means. It is also difficult to adjust to my new contours. Please feel free to contact me if you are considering this surgery.    — Nina D. (posted on November 1, 2004)

October 31, 2004
Nina, I had TT and medial thighlift on 3/2/04 and oh my GOD was it the worst pain I ever had in my life. I couldn't sit on the comode and I thought I was never going to survive. But today, I'm feeling great and loving my new, slimmer thighs. Granted, I'm no Britney Spears, but I love it.
   — Mrs. Rich

November 1, 2004
Nina, My medial thigh lift is next Wed (11/10) and I am well aware of the ugly surgery it will be. This was the surgery I was dreading the most until I had my 2nd PS which was an upper body lift but also lipo'd 4 liters of fat out of my upper legs (mainly above the knees) in preparation for the skin removal next week. I had the lipo done almost 5 months ago. While I did not have the drains or the incision healing issues, the swelling and pain from the extensive lipo was horrible. I woke up with the area above my knees the size of basketballs and that is not an exaggeration. Because they were so huge I could not walk right and the pain and then the black and blue was unbelieveable. However, I do not regret it. It will end up giving me the best possible results with the skin removal. The truth is I will probably also need to have one last vertical lift of the legs when everything is healed as I just have so much excess skin. I most likely will need to have the lower body lift incision opened up and everything pulled up again as the weight of the legs has loosened things some. Most likely without that final vertical lift I will have somewhat baggy knees, which I would prefer not to have. It will mean that I end up having 4 surgeries on my legs to get them to look normal (LBL, extensive lipo, skin removal and redo of LBL). Considering I carried the largest portion of my weight in my gut and legs this is understandable. <p>I know when I woke up after 10-3/4 hours of surgery for my LBL I wanted to die. The burning pain from the tight skin was horrendous. Then add in the 8 weeks of messing with drains. YIKES!! The 2nd surgery was 8-1/2 hours and when I tried to move my legs the first time I also wasn't sure I wanted to live. But given a few weeks I felt differently. By about 2 months PO from the lipo I actually liked my legs better than before. They were very baggy but they had better proportion. The surgeon told me they would look much worse before they got better, so I was prepared. <p>I went through having an open incision I had to pack for 4-1/2 months after my WLS and also had to pack the top of my butt crack for 3-1/2 months after the LBL because the area tore and had to heal itself. Areas opening up in my incisions is a nusiance not the end of the world. <p>I am not trying to down play your feelings but there is no question that for most people PS is way worse than their WLS. Especially people who have extensive amounts of skin to remove. An incision opeing up is a risk we take. Normally if it happens it will take 2-3 months to heal. It's one of the things we need to be prepared to deal with. I will have incisions down the inside of my legs. I'm not totally thrilled with the prospect but it's that or live with Sharpei legs. There is no alternative in my case. <p>You need to give your body time to heal before deciding if the leg surgery was worth it or not. My guess is in 6 months you will feel differently. Next summer when you can wear whatever you want it will have all been worth it. Hang in there! I know I will be commiserating with you come next Thursday, but I have total confidence in my surgeon that it will be worth it in the long run. I just have to keep focused on that for the first few months as I deal with all of the issues that arise. We both will persevere!!
   — zoedogcbr

November 1, 2004
I have not yet had my thigh tuck, but the doctor has warned me that it is by far the worst plastic surgery painwise because of the incision placement, and that I would be miserable afterwards. He said everything from walking to sitting to going to the bathroom is extremely painful. I still want it anyways, it will eventually be worth it after healing. I had a belt lipectomy with out my thighs being done in September. My particular doctor wouldn't do both at the same time, altho I guess others will. Mnay people warned me that it would be horrible but I pretty much sailed right thru it. I had a hernia repair last year ans sailed thru it too. The gastric bypass was the worst so far for me. How did you doc do the thigh tuck. Mine said he will do a vertical incision on my inner thigh and also around my groin to take in and pull up.
   — **willow**

November 2, 2004
I'm seeing common experiences here...there can be separations of the incision, which I and others feel are aggravated if a lot of liposuction is done at the same time. I try and get the lipo done at the first stage (i.e. along with TT), then lift the thights later without the lipo) They usually heal and dont affect scarring too badly. The back part of the incision is right on your "bottom" so sitting is difficult. A doughnut-shaped air pillow (often used after hemorrhoid surgery) avoidance of constipation, a fan to keep the area dry (yes, imagine the visual on that one), and loose underwear are all little things you can do to make this surgery a little easier. I am big on combination procedures but WONT do this one along with TT or any other abdominal work!
   — DrL

November 2, 2004
Hello Vicky, I had the same problem and first I will tell you the fastest way to heal and then I will describe my experience, it was long and painful. I had the thighplasty May of 2003 the 1st time, to heal quickly get gauze and saline solution, NOT THE ONE FOR THE EYES, make sure its sterile saline solution for wounds. Place the gauze loosely in the solution, use gloves pack the area lightly with the soaked gauze and wrap it up with whatever type of dressing you are comfortable wearing. I am alergic to tape so I had to wrap gauze around my legs. You will find a dramactic difference everyday. The healing is incredably fast. Here is what happened my doctor wanted to do one leg at a time, I was not crazy about the idea but I went with it. We did the first leg May of 2003 I went home in severe pain and healed great with 2 weeks. As soon as I was healed we proceeded to do the 2nd leg what a DISASTER. I got home and immediately the entire incision opeaned down to the bone and there was blood everywhere. Luckily for me my mom was with me and she is a nurase. I also had tons of medicAl supplies. My mom pulled the sides together and applied pressure and wrapped it the best she could. We called the doctor and he said he could not close the wound because of the chance of infection. I was so upset and depressed. Eventually I went to the emergency room and my nurse was a wound care specialist. She was the one who taught me to use the saline and gauze. I eventually healed. May of 2004 I had the thighplasty again because the leg that opeaned was sagging, this time I insisted on having both legs done at the same time. Yes I was in extreme pain again. I dealt with the pain for a few days. I used the bathroom standing up with a cup and laid in bed with pillows under both legs to provide relief from the discomfort. Now my legs look 99% better than they did. I feel it is worth the pain. Take a look at your before and after pictures you will agree. Remenber women are the stronger sex. If we can push a baby oput of a hole the size of a lemon we can handle any pain that comes our way. Take care, depression prolong recovery. Shana
   — shana1569

November 3, 2004
I had my inner thigh lift in May. My doctor warned me that this would be the most painful of all the surgeries and also the one most likely to have the most complications. I was lucky that neither happened. My scars run 1/2 way around the top of my leg between my groin and leg. The scars are now almost 6 months old. Still very noticetable, but 4 inches of skin was removed from each thigh - which my doctor told me is very aggressive. My thighs don't have that nasty drapy, crapey, skin anymore. They look like regular thighs (minus the scars). I know a year from now the scars will be less noticeable then they are currently but I also feel a little self conscious about them in the sexual sense. I know with time that will go away but for the next year, I still see them everyday and it sometimes makes me uncomfortable. However, I still feel that the scar looks better then the excess skin so I feel the surgery and scarring was worth it.
   — Patty H.