: Technique Overview and 6 - Year Experience

www.PRSJournal.com 84 Thighplasty encompasses surgical tightening of the upper leg, which leaves a scar in the groin crease1 or along the long medial axis of the thigh, or a combination thereof.2 Regardless of technique, the most difficult complications to correct are those of lymphatic origin. Lymphatics in the medial thigh run superficial to the superficial fascial system; thus, it follows that any sharp dissection beyond skin deep in the medial thigh runs the risk of lacerating the lymphatic channels.3 Liposuction can remove fat from the thigh without disrupting lymphatic flow, as evidenced in ex vivo studies.4 It logically follows that a thigh lifting procedure using skin-deep incisions and aggressive liposuction would have a lower risk of lymphatic complications. A similar procedure with more conservative superficial-only liposuction has been described recently with excellent results.5 We turn to our previous experience in avulsion brachioplasty6 and describe a similar technique for thighplasty.