MEDICAL SCHOOL
Duke University School of Medicine
Thigh Lift (Thighplasty)
If weight loss or time has left loose skin on your inner thighs, a thigh lift (thighplasty) may be the answer. In my Ann Arbor practice, I plan this surgery around your anatomy and your goals, not a template. This page helps you decide whether a consultation is your next step.
A considered introduction
What is a thigh lift?
A thighplasty removes excess thigh skin, along with some of the tissue attached to it, and repositions what remains for a smoother line. The problem it treats is skin laxity, redundant skin that has lost its snap, most often after significant weight loss and sometimes with aging.
It is not weight loss, and it is not liposuction. Liposuction reduces fat volume, but it cannot tighten loose skin; when the skin will not conform on its own, removing it is what works.
How much skin I remove, and where, depends on your exam, not a preset amount. At consultation we sort out which problem is yours.
Honest guidance
Are you a good candidate?
YOUR CONSULTATION CONSIDERS
- Skin & Fat: I separate loose skin from fat and plan what each needs.
- Health & History: I review your conditions, medications, healing risks, prior blood clots, and any leg swelling, lymphedema, or circulation problems.
- Scars & Expectations: We talk honestly about where scars would sit and the trade-off involved.
AN INDIVIDUAL DECISION
Good candidates are nonsmokers at a stable weight, in good health, with excess thigh skin and realistic expectations about scars. Nicotine in any form, vaping and patches included, impairs healing and raises complication risk, and I will not operate on anyone with nicotine in their system. If you are still losing weight, it is best to lose that weight before surgery, while maintaining good nutrition with plenty of protein.
Diabetes or another condition does not automatically rule surgery out, but your health must be optimized first, which can mean better control, more evaluation, a delay, or deciding not to proceed. When needed, we partner with your primary care clinician or treating specialist to reduce risk.
At consultation, I examine you standing and weigh three things:
The most valuable consultation is one that leaves room for every outcome: proceeding, refining the plan, staging care, or deciding that waiting is right for you.
Why Choose Dr. Ambani
ABPS board-certified plastic surgeon with more than twenty years of experience
RESIDENCY
Plastic Surgery, University of Michigan Affiliated Hospitals
FELLOWSHIP
Microsurgical Reconstruction, University of Pittsburgh Affiliated Hospitals
BOARD CERTIFICATION
American Board of Plastic Surgery
EXPERIENCE
Attending surgeon since 2017
Supported at every stage
What recovery involves
01
Early healing
Expect dressings, swelling, and soreness, so line up help at home for the first days. Early walking helps circulation, but these incisions move with you, so activity stays careful until I clear you. Drains, if used, are temporary, and I remove them when drainage and healing show it is time.
Thigh lift surgery carries real risks. These include bleeding, slow healing or wound separation, fluid collection, infection, numbness or altered skin sensation, lasting leg swelling or lymphedema, unfavorable scarring, and blood clots in the legs or lungs. I review each with you before consent.
02
Returning to routine
As general ranges, not promises: desk work often resumes around 2 weeks, driving or exercise walking around 2 to 3 weeks. Driving waits until you are off sedating medication and can sit, move, and brake safely. Heavy lifting and jogging wait 6 to 8 weeks.
03
Long-term care
Wear the compression garment I prescribe. Swelling commonly improves over 3 to 5 weeks, so judge your contour over months. Scars are permanent but typically flatten and fade as they remodel over one to three years, and I guide you on silicone and sun protection.
Clear, personalized planning
Cost & Self-Pay Philosophy
Shoshana Ambani Plastic Surgery is a cosmetic, self-pay practice, and we do not bill insurance for this care. Cost reflects the scope of the procedure, from a limited inner-thigh approach to something more extensive, along with any combined body contouring, the anesthesia and facility setting, and time in surgery.
A price only helps if it matches your actual plan, so I do not post a single figure. We review a personalized, itemized estimate with you after consultation.
Thoughtful answers
Common Questions
If weight loss or time has left loose skin on your inner thighs, a thigh lift (thighplasty) may be the answer. In my Ann Arbor practice, I plan this surgery around your anatomy and your goals, not a template. This page helps you decide whether a consultation is your next step.
What does a thigh lift cost?
It varies with your anatomy and the scope of the plan, so we share a personalized, self-pay estimate after your consultation and exam.
Is a thigh lift the same as liposuction?
No. Liposuction treats fat volume; a thigh lift treats loose skin. They solve different problems, and at consultation we sort out which one fits your anatomy.
Do I need to lose a specific amount of weight first?
No, there is no pounds-lost threshold. What matters is that your weight is stable, because ongoing loss or gain can change the result; we assess your timing individually at consultation.
Is a mini thigh lift enough for my case?
It varies, because "mini" is not a standardized term; it usually describes more limited surgery with more limited reach. The right extent depends on where your laxity sits, and we determine that together at consultation.
Which symptoms need urgent attention after surgery?
Call us promptly for wound opening, worsening redness, drainage, bleeding, fever, or fast-rising pain or swelling. New swelling, pain, or warmth in one leg needs prompt medical evaluation, and chest pain, shortness of breath, coughing blood, or fainting means emergency care right away.
Does insurance cover a thigh lift?
This is cosmetic, self-pay care in my practice; we do not bill insurance, and you receive a personalized estimate after consultation.
Plan Your Care with Shoshana Ambani Plastic Surgery
Consultation-based, self-pay plastic surgery in Ann Arbor.