Thigh lift During your recovery period
One of the more difficult aspects related to post operative care after thigh lift is maintaining good hygiene in the groin region and around the incision lines. A modality that works well is to use an antiseptic wash every time when going to the bathroom, to keep the perineum and groin region clean.
Dressings
Light dressings in the area can be applied and will be supported by medical underwear.
Pain
Thigh lift surgery is usually associated with mild or moderate pain and the oral medication provided on discharge controls it well. It is very important to avoid using aspirin for pain control as it will increase the risk of bleeding.
Antibiotics
Thigh lift surgery is associated with a higher risk of infection, because of the placement of the scars. Oral antibiotics are usually prescribed for the first week but may be extended.
Using probiotics with the antibiotic treatment reduces the risk of antibiotic related diarrhoea. Should this occur, it is necessary to stop the antibiotics immediately and inform your surgeon or your GP.
Mobility
After surgery, in order to reduce the risk of deep vein thrombosis (clots in the leg veins) and pulmonary embolism, early mobilisation, wearing anti-embolism stockings and blood thinning medication are used together.
Resting with the legs slightly elevated also reduces the swelling in the ankles.
Smoking
Smoking reduces the oxygen delivery through the blood stream and can lead to increased risks of infection (10 fold increase according to some authors), and increased risk of damage to the skin with significantly more scarring. Smoking should be stopped for at least two weeks before and 1 month after thigh lift surgery.
Physical activity
Return to work is typically at two weeks and return to gentle exercise at 3 to 4 weeks. Full intensity physical activities usually require six weeks of recovery from the surgery.
Questions?