What complications are associated with the medial thigh lift?
All surgical procedures can have complications. Smokers and diabetics have greater potential for wound healing problems, although this complication can occur even in healthy non-smokers. Scar migration from the groin into upper thigh is not uncommon. Potential fluid collections under the skin (seroma) may require drainage in the office. Sometimes patients have prolonged swelling of the lower extremities. This is usually an indication that one of the large veins (saphenous vein) has been injured during the procedure. The most serious complication is deep venous thrombosis. This is a blood clot which most often forms in the calf and can break off and lodge in the lung. Since this procedure limits your mobility in the immediate postoperative period, the risk does increase. In order to decrease this risk, you are placed in sequential compression stockings during and after the procedure, mobilized early in the postoperative period, and possibly prescribed a blood thinner (Lovenox).
