The outer thigh area is a natural area of fat deposit. After weight gain and weight loss, or with pregnancy, the outer thigh area is prone to skin stretch and stubborn fat which seem to never go away despite diet and exercise. This area is the commonly referred to as the “saddlebag area”, and for some women they are naturally prone to this being the “problem area” which makes it difficult to feel confident in swim wear and form fitting clothing.
- Non-invasive skin tightening procedures such as Exilis®, only treat the skin and do not lift the thigh or effectively eliminate the excess skin.
- Non-invasive fat freezing or heating with thermal or laser energy (Thermage, Venus Freeze etc.)does not effect the excess skin.
- Liposuction does not treat the skin; it only reduces the prominent bulge of the fat deposits, and can make the skin excess even worse. No liposuction modality “tightens” the skin.
SmartLipo uses a laser which heats the subcutaneous fat, but has been shown to be ineffective in delivering enough energy safely to affect the fat. The results primarily from the standard liposuction performed after the energy application.
- Cellulite can worsen with these easy, but expensive procedures.
For the patient who has saddlebags that smooth with lifting at the hip, or the patient who is underwhelmed with the results of non-invasive treatments, an outer thigh lift may be the right procedure to eliminate saddlebags and smooth the outer thigh.
In an outer thigh lift or outer thighplasty, the fatty deposits are thinned with liposuction and then the excess skin is tightened and removed through an arching upper hip incision. The outer thigh lift incision can be connected in the front to an abdominoplasty (tummy tuck) incision, or in the back to a buttock lift incision. A Body Lift will provide contouring of the abdomen, outer thighs and buttock region. The most difficult part of an outer thigh lift to accept for many patients is the scar, though this does fade and is placed so that it can be covered with most swim wear and under garments.
For additional questions or to set up a thigh contouring consult in Austin Texas for saddlebags call the plastic surgery office of Dr. Trussler at (512)450-1077.
