Thigh and Buttock Lift in Thessaloniki and Athens, Greece

A thigh and buttock lift is the surgical removal of excess skin and fat from the thighs and buttocks, so that the skin is tightened and the contour lifted. It is usually combined with liposuction. Because it leaves scars, I choose it only when there is no other way to improve the problem.

Looseness in the thighs can come from cellulite, fat, loose skin or deep tissue laxity, and each cause needs a different solution. On the inner thighs the “sagging” is often caused by the weight of the fat, and then I choose liposuction instead. See the liposuction page.

On the buttocks, what looks like sagging is often loss of volume at the top and sides, cellulite lower down, or a hollow in the fold under the buttock. These are corrected by adding volume (fat transfer or an implant), not by removing skin.

True laxity of the skin and connective tissue, which needs a surgical lift, is seen mainly after major weight loss, when the structure of the connective tissue has broken down. In these cases a thigh and buttock lift is very useful and is often part of a wider plan, as I describe on the page on body contouring after major weight loss.

Good candidates are healthy adults with a stable weight and true skin laxity after major weight loss. When the main issue is fat, cellulite or loss of volume, I first suggest liposuction or adding volume. The final decision is made at your examination, once I have seen what is causing the looseness.

Preparation starts with a consultation, where I examine you and decide whether liposuction is enough or skin needs to be removed. You then have blood tests and a check for general anaesthesia, stop smoking for 4 weeks before and after, and we set a date once your weight is stable.

What happens at the consultation?

I examine your thighs and buttocks standing and lying down, and separate what is due to fat, cellulite or loss of volume from true skin laxity. I check how far down the looseness reaches, the quality of your skin and your weight history. We discuss whether liposuction is enough, whether skin needs to be removed and where the scars will be. I mark the incision lines on your body so you can see them. You receive a written plan and quote.

What tests and instructions apply before surgery?

You need blood tests and a check for general anaesthesia; after bariatric surgery I also check your nutrition (iron, protein). Smoking increases wound healing problems: stop 4 weeks before and 4 weeks after, otherwise I do not operate. Blood thinners are stopped only with the doctor who prescribed them. I set the date once the tests are complete and your weight is stable.

The operation is done under general anaesthesia. On the inner thighs I remove skin and fat from the top of the thigh and, if the looseness reaches lower, along the length of the thigh. On the outer thighs and buttocks the incision is placed high, along the underwear line. It takes about 2 to 3 hours for the inner thighs.

The length of the operation depends on the areas treated: about 2 to 3 hours for the inner thighs, longer for a lower body lift. Liposuction usually comes first, which reduces the weight of the tissue. Internal stitches anchor the deeper tissues, so that the scar is not pulled down.

Horizontal inner thigh lift (incision in the groin crease)

For mild to moderate looseness I remove skin and fat from the top of the thigh, usually after liposuction. The tissue is anchored to a firm deep point in the groin crease, so that the scar stays high, in a crescent shape, and is hidden by underwear. It mainly corrects the upper third of the thigh.

Vertical inner thigh lift (incision along the thigh)

After even greater weight loss, when the looseness extends towards the middle of the thigh or down to the knee, I also remove a strip of skin and fat along the length of the thigh. This adds a second scar on the inner side of the thigh, at right angles to the first. It tightens the skin in two directions and works better for the lower third of the thigh and the knee. The scar is longer and shows in shorts or a short skirt.

Two-stage lift

When the problem is very marked, I prefer to correct it in two stages. First comes extensive liposuction, and 6 months later the lift. The first operation is less demanding, and once the fat is out and the swelling has gone down, the tissue to be lifted is lighter, which clearly improves the final result.

Outer thigh and buttock lift (lower body lift)

When, after major weight loss, the looseness involves the buttocks and the outer and back of the thighs, the incision is placed high, along the underwear line (“tanga lift”). It is often combined with a tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) as an all-round operation, the lower body lift, which lifts the skin down to the knee. I describe it in detail on the page on body contouring after weight loss.

When the lower half of the buttock is flat, I prefer not to remove tissue but to move it upwards, to add volume where it is missing. The incision usually lies along the upper edge of the buttock, so that it is hidden by underwear.

Incisions and stitches

In the horizontal lift the scar lies in the groin crease and the fold under the buttock. In the vertical lift a scar on the inner thigh is added. In a lower body lift the scar runs all the way round, along the underwear line. The skin stitches are removed at 5 to 7 days. Scars mature slowly and never become completely invisible, which is why I place them where they are as hidden as possible.

Combinations

Liposuction is almost always done at the same time, because it lightens the thigh and reduces complications. A buttock lift is often combined with a tummy tuck, and after major weight loss it can be planned together with an arm lift or a breast lift, in one or more operations. For adding volume to the buttocks with fat or implants, see the buttock surgery page.

Hospital stay

You stay in hospital for about 2 nights and wear a compression garment.

You stay in hospital for about 2 nights and wear a compression garment. Most people return to work in 1 to 2 weeks and to exercise in 6 to 8 weeks. The incisions need care for 10 to 15 days, and the scars mature over 12 to 18 months.

When	How you feel	What you can do
Days 1–2	Pain and tightness at the incisions, controlled with painkillers	In hospital; you get up and walk a little early on, for your circulation
Days 3–15	Swelling and bruising; discomfort when sitting or opening your legs	Wound care and compression garment; avoid opening your legs wide and sitting for long periods
Weeks 1–2	Discomfort eases	Back to office or light work, depending on your job
Weeks 4–6	Almost normal movement	Daily activities without limits; no strenuous exercise yet
Weeks 6–8	Scars are still red and firm	Gradual return to exercise
Months 3–6	Swelling has gone and the shape is settling	Normal activity
Months 12–18	Scars mature, becoming paler and softer	We review the final result together

Plan to stay in Greece for 10 to 15 days after a thigh and buttock lift. This covers 2 nights in hospital, the first wound checks and the days before you are fit to fly. Your skin stitches are removed at 5 to 7 days, before you leave.

You spend about 2 nights in hospital, then rest nearby in Thessaloniki or Athens. I see you for checks at the practice to look at the incisions and the compression garment, the last one the day before your flight. You can usually fly home from day 10, with flights of 3 hours at most in the first weeks. On a long flight, wear your compression garment, walk in the aisle regularly, as walking early helps prevent blood clots; depending on your risk, I may also prescribe blood-thinning protection.

Once home, the incisions still need care until day 10 to 15, and you keep wearing the garment until 4 to 6 weeks after surgery. Follow-up continues by video call at 10 days, 1 month, 6 months and 1 year.

Before you travel, arrange for:

• someone to travel with you and help in the first days at home;
• 1 to 2 weeks off work, depending on your job;
• nursing care at home for dressing changes, if you would like it; all follow-up checks are done by me.

A thigh and buttock lift gives firmer skin and a cleaner contour to the thighs and buttocks, visible once the swelling settles, within a few months. The result lasts as long as your weight stays stable. The scars mature slowly, over 12 to 18 months, and never become completely invisible.

My main aim is a balance between the result and the scars. The results of a surgical lift are often striking, but the scars take a long time to fade and lie in places that, although fairly hidden, are not invisible. The scar in the groin crease can move down a little over time, which is why anchoring it to the deep tissues matters. Age and another large change in weight can bring back some looseness.

A thigh and buttock lift involves long incisions, so wound healing problems, such as small wound openings and fluid collections, are more common than after other cosmetic operations. Most are minor and are treated without another operation. Liposuction at the same time and a stable weight make them less likely.

Complication	How common	Prevention and treatment
Small wound openings	The most common complication, especially with the vertical technique	No tension on the incisions, no smoking; they heal with dressings
Fluid collection (seroma or lymphocele)	Not rare	Liposuction instead of extensive undermining, compression garment; drained with a needle
Infection	Rare	Keeping the incisions near the groin and buttock fold clean; antibiotics
Haematoma (hematoma)	Rare, in the first days	Checking medicines that affect clotting; drained if it occurs
Wide or raised (hypertrophic) scar, scar moving downwards	Not rare	Anchoring to the deep tissues, scar care; corrected with a minor procedure
Leg swelling (lymphoedema)	Rare, usually temporary	Careful technique in the groin; compression and legs raised when resting
Blood clots in the veins	Rare	Walking early, compression stockings and blood-thinning prevention where needed
Change in skin sensation	Common, temporary	Usually returns within months

Smoking. Stop at least 4 weeks before and 4 weeks after surgery. In operations that remove a lot of skin, such as a thigh and buttock lift, smoking clearly increases wound openings and skin loss (necrosis); I do not operate on heavy smokers unless they stop.

Blood thinners. Tell me if you take anticoagulants or antiplatelet medicines. Stopping them, and any blood-thinning prevention after surgery, is always agreed with the doctor who prescribes them.

We do not publish prices. The cost of a thigh and buttock lift differs from patient to patient, depending on the areas treated, the technique, whether it is combined with liposuction or another operation, and the nights in hospital. You receive a quote after the consultation, once I have examined you and we have agreed the plan together.

• The areas treated: inner thighs, outer thighs, buttocks or all of them.
• The technique: horizontal or vertical thigh lift, lower body lift.
• Combination with liposuction or a tummy tuck, and whether the correction is done in one or two stages.
• The length of the operation and the nights in hospital.
• The compression garment and follow-up checks.

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