Preparing for your thigh lift surgery isn’t difficult, but it does require quite a few small steps along the way. These steps are important to helping both your surgery and recovery go as well as possible. Failure to adequately prepare for your surgery increases the risk of complications and could even delay it—your plastic surgeon may need lab work results or medical clearances to safely proceed. Getting them in early is much less stressful than scrambling to get everything done at the last minute.
Understand that it takes some time to prepare physically and mentally for surgery, and both facets matter. You may also need time to make lifestyle adjustments that take effect slowly. If you smoke, for example, quitting improves your circulation and thereby healing ability. But this doesn’t happen overnight or even in a few days. It can take weeks, making it vital that you plan ahead. This checklist will help guide you through preparation so you don’t miss anything.
Ideally, you will start preparing for your thigh lift even before you schedule a consultation with a plastic surgeon. The more you understand about a thigh lift, the better able you will be to ask good questions during your consultation. To that end, make sure you:
As you prepare for your thigh lift, you need to know both what to do and when to do it. This timeline can help you with that, but it may not be exact in every way. Your surgeon’s pre-op instructions may differ slightly from what you see here. If so, go with what your surgeon tells you.
You don’t need to bring much with you on surgery day, but you may need to grab a few things. Gathering these items the night before your surgery and putting them next to the door can save you a lot of time and potential stress the day of your surgery. It’s essential that you bring valid identification and any required medical paperwork.
We also ask that you wear oversized, loose-fitting clothing that won’t put any pressure on your thighs. Slip-on shoes are also helpful because bending over after a thigh lift can be uncomfortable. If your surgeon isn’t providing one, you’ll need to bring in a compression garment so that you can wear it home.
Physical preparation is vital before thigh lift surgery, but so is mental readiness. It’s important that you have realistic expectations. Your legs will be swollen after surgery, so don’t expect to see your final results right away. Although your doctor will prescribe pain medication, you need to understand that you will experience some discomfort after surgery.
After your surgery you will need to avoid sitting for long periods of time. You will only need to do this during the early phase of healing, but know going in that this can feel inconvenient, especially when your thighs are sore. You won’t want to move far, but you will need to get up periodically.
Mental preparation is essentially understanding and accepting that there will be certain limitations and inconveniences for a time after surgery. Remember that healing takes time, and prepare to have patience as you navigate the process. Your body knows how to take care of itself, so trust the healing process as it unfolds.
To help your thigh lift surgery and recovery go as smoothly as possible, it’s vital that you follow all of your pre-op instructions, prepare a recovery space, and arrange for help and care in the days following your procedure. Good lifestyle choices like taking in proper nutrition and staying hydrated before surgery help to optimize your recovery after. So does avoiding alcohol and cigarettes.
If you have more questions about preparing for a thigh lift or about the procedure in general, we encourage you to schedule a free virtual consultation with us. This allows you to get personalized answers to your questions and prepare a pre-op plan specifically for you.
Light activity is fine but avoid intense leg workouts for at least one to two weeks before surgery to prevent excess soreness.
Blood-thinning medications should be withheld at least two weeks before surgery. Confirm this with your surgeon and make sure you understand what other medications you need to stop prior to your procedure.
Focus on protein-rich foods, leafy greens, and hydrating options to support tissue repair and immune function.
No. You must arrange for someone to drive you home, as you will be under anesthesia.
Stay hydrated, limit sodium intake, and avoid alcohol to minimize fluid retention before surgery.