Buttock Augmentation

Last updated date: 17-Jul-2023

Originally Written in English

Buttock Augmentation

The emphasis placed on the breasts and gluteal areas has remained consistent over time, despite changing perceptions of attractiveness. The shape and size of these areas have long been seen as culturally significant markers of feminine beauty.

Bartelli et al. presented gluteal augmentation for cosmetic and reconstructive objectives using silicone breast implants in a patient with gluteal muscle wasting in the 1960s.

Many surgical approaches have been created and utilized since then, because of the growing aesthetic expectations and demands regarding the shape, size, and position of the implant. Gluteal augmentation has taken a significant place in cosmetic body surgery over time.

The number of patients desiring buttock augmentation and contour restoration has recently increased. Patients who seek circumferential body lifts after bariatric surgery or for cosmetic reasons want to avoid a flat buttock contour. Gluteal implants have been linked to a variety of problems and challenges. Lipografting is an efficient way to increase buttock volume in a moderate way; nevertheless, neither of these operations directly addresses ptosis. Although the technique described effectively treats the volume deficiency, it is particularly recommended in circumstances when ptosis and volume are the primary concerns. In this area, several adipocutaneous flaps for gluteal augmentation have been documented in various circumstances. The majority of these flaps originate in the superior gluteal region and maintain volume in the top half of the buttocks, failing to reach the midsection.

 

What is a Buttock Augmentation?

Buttock augmentation, also referred to as gluteal augmentation, may be a procedure that improves the shape, size, and contour of the buttocks. Buttock implants, fat grafting, or a mix of the two are used to accomplish this.

Buttock implants are silicone-filled implants surgically implanted deep within the buttock tissues. Fat grafting is used to enlarge the buttocks by transferring fat from another part of the body into the buttocks' tissues. A Brazilian buttock lift is a term used to describe this practice.

Buttock augmentation surgery helps you with the following:

  • Enhance the volume, roundness, and projection of the buttocks.
  • Improve the figure's symmetry.
  • Improve your self-esteem and confidence.

A buttock lift can be achieved through surgical excision of soft tissue in addition to buttock augmentation techniques.

 

What is a Buttock Lift?

Buttock Lift

The underlying tissue that holds skin and fat in the buttock area is improved by a buttock lift, also known as a gluteal lift.

Poor tissue elasticity can result in drooping of the buttocks due to aging, UV exposure, pregnancy, excessive weight changes, and genetic causes.

Excess drooping skin and fat are removed to provide a smoother and more attractive contour. A traditional gluteal lift will not increase the size of a butt, but it may help to smooth out a dimpled, irregular skin surface. This operation can be done as part of a body lift or as a stand-alone procedure.

Buttock lifts aren't just for getting rid of extra fat; they're also for adding volume to the buttocks. To increase volume, fat grafting, buttock implants, or auto-augmentation (where some of your own tissue is left beneath the skin) can all be used. Liposuction may be used to improve contouring.

 

Buttock Augmentation Candidates

Both buttock augmentation and buttock lift candidates should have realistic expectations for the treatment and be in good overall health. Individual candidacy can only be determined by a plastic surgeon.

With younger patients, buttock augmentation is a particularly popular treatment. People who want to enhance the size and contour of their buttocks and have enough fat to collect for the augmentation process are good candidates for buttock augmentation. The most popular operation for buttock augmentation is fat transfer, which is relatively safe and gentle. However, patients should be at a stable weight before undergoing the procedure, as weight gain or loss in the future could influence the treatments' outcomes. Candidates undergoing buttock augmentation should ideally have good skin elasticity, as liposuction is utilized to harvest fat for transfer, and skin elasticity can alter the outcome.

Candidates for a buttock lift should have drooping and loose skin in the buttocks, which affects the overall shape of the area. Patients should be told that this surgery does not enhance buttock volume and it must be combined with a fat transfer or flap procedure to get both augmentation and contouring benefits.

 

Buttock Augmentation Preparation

Buttock Augmentation Preparation

You may be requested to do the following in order to prepare for buttock augmentation and/or buttock lift:

  • Have a blood test done.
  • Take some medications or make changes to your present ones.
  • Quit smoking.
  • Aspirin and certain anti-inflammatory medications should be avoided since they can cause excessive bleeding.

Buttock augmentation surgery can be done in a hospital, ambulatory surgical facility, or certified office-based surgical facility.

If you're having an outpatient procedure, make arrangements for someone to drive you to and from the treatment and to stay with you for at least the first night afterward.

 

Buttock Augmentation Procedures

Buttock augmentation can be done with implants or by transferring your own fat, or a combination of the two. Your surgeon has a variety of incision styles and techniques to select from.

The best strategy for you will be determined by the subsequent factors:

  • Size and form of the buttocks
  • The quantity of fat you have on your body that can be used for liposuction.
  • Your objectives and level of activity
  • The amount of extra skin, as well as the quality and flexibility of the skin.

 

Buttock Implant Procedure

Buttock Implant Procedure

  • Anesthesia

During the surgical operation, the doctor will give you medications to make you relax. Intravenous sedatives and general anesthetics are two options. The doctor will advise you on the best choice to take.

  • Making an Incision

It will be necessary to make an incision. Incisions can be made near the top of both sides of the upper buttocks, toward the bottom of both gluteal creases, incisions between both cheeks, or down the middle of the sacrum, or the crease between the buttocks. The impacted areas are proportional to the length of the incision and scar.

  • Placement of the implant

On each side, a silicone implant created specifically for the buttocks is put either in the muscle or above the gluteal muscle.

The method for inserting and setting implants is determined by the type of implant, the intended degree of enlargement, the body type, and the suggestions of the surgeon.

  • Closing the incisions

Incisions in the buttocks tissue are closed with multilayer sutures, and the skin is closed with stitches, skin adhesive, or surgical tape.

  • Procedure Outcomes

The effects of buttock enhancement are obvious right away. Swelling from the surgery will subside over time, and incision lines will vanish. As you recover and realize the achievement of your goal for a fuller butt, the satisfaction with your new appearance should rise. The effects of this operation are long-lasting.

 

Brazilian Buttock Lift Procedure

Brazilian Buttock Lift

  • Anesthesia

During the surgical operation, the doctor will give you medications to make you relax. Intravenous sedatives and general anesthetics are two options. The doctor will advise you on the best choice to take.

Small, unnoticeable incisions are used to accomplish liposuction. To decrease bleeding and trauma, a diluted local anesthetic is first provided. Then, employing a regulated back and forth motion, a hollow tube, or cannula, is introduced through the incisions to release extra fat. A surgical vacuum or syringe linked to the cannula is then employed to suck the displaced fat out of the body. The surgeon may remove up to three times the amount of fat that will be deposited into the buttocks in total.

  • Fat injection

After that, the fat, tissue, and blood that were extracted by liposuction are processed. After that, the syringes are attached to a specific cannula. This cannula will be used by the surgeon to transfer fat into the buttocks through small injections all over the back.

  • Outcomes

The effects of buttock augmentation are obvious right away; however, it will take a year for the fat to take, so you won't see the ultimate results until a year following the procedure. Although this technique produces natural-looking and -feeling outcomes, the protrusion of the buttocks may diminish with time. As the fat is taken by your body, part of the initial volume you experience following your fat grafting treatment will diminish (on average patients will retain 70-80 percent of the transferred fat). As you recover and realize the achievement of your aim for a fuller butt, your satisfaction with your new appearance should rise. The outcomes may vary as you gain or lose weight since the transferred fat, like any other fat in your body, can expand or shrink.

 

Buttock Lift Procedures

Buttock Lift Procedures

Buttock lifts are surgical treatments that may necessitate a large number of incisions. The amount and position of excess skin to be removed, as well as surgical judgment, determine the length and pattern of incisions. Incisions may usually be made in strategic spots that are hidden by most types of clothing and swimsuits using advanced methods.

  • Anesthesia

During the surgical operation, the doctor will give you medications to make you relax. Intravenous sedatives and general anesthetics are two options. The doctor will advise you on the best choice to take.

  • Making an incision

An incision right below the waistline is used in one standard gluteal lift approach, which is frequently paired with an abdominoplasty incision in a body sculpting treatment. Liposuction can also be utilized to improve contouring. If your surgeon determines that you are a good candidate for auto-augmentation, some of the tissue that would ordinarily be removed is carefully hidden beneath the remaining skin.

Another method involves making an incision in the crease between the buttocks and the upper leg just below the buttocks. Excess skin and tissues are removed, resulting in a more defined crease and, in certain cases, smoothing the skin of the upper legs' back.

  • Closing the incisions

Deep sutures within the underlying tissues assist the formation and support of the new shapes. To seal the skin incisions, sutures, skin adhesives, tapes, or clips may be employed.

  • Outcomes

The effects of a gluteal lift are virtually instantaneous. The tissues must settle for the first 3-6 months, and the incision lines can take up to two years to mature.

 

Buttock Augmentation Risks

Buttock Augmentation Risks

The decision to have buttock augmentation surgery is a very personal one. You must determine whether the advantages will meet your expectations and whether the dangers and probable problems of buttock augmentation or buttock lift procedures are acceptable.

The plastic surgeon and/or team will go over the dangers of surgery in precise detail. You will be asked to sign consent paperwork to confirm that you understand the treatment and any risks or complications that may arise.

The following are some of the hazards associated with buttock enhancement:

  • The consequences of anesthesia
  • buttock Asymmetries
  • Bleeding (hematoma)
  • Cardiovascular and respiratory problems, as well as deep vein thrombosis
  • Fat necrosis (fat tissues under the skin atrophy)
  • A buildup of fluid (seroma)
  • Infection
  • Tingling or other sensation changes in the skin
  • Long-lasting pain
  • Wound healing is poor.
  • Revisionary procedure may be required.
  • Recurrent skin sagging 
  • Discoloration of the skin and/or persistent edema
  • Skin deterioration
  • Sutures may protrude through the skin, become noticeable, or cause irritation, necessitating their removal.
  • Ugly scarring

These and other dangers will be thoroughly disclosed before you give the agreement. It's critical that you ask the plastic surgeon all of the questions directly.

 

Buttock Implant Recovery

Buttock Implant Recovery

Dressings will be put to the incisions following your buttock augmentation treatment. Small, thin tubes are often inserted beneath the skin to empty any extra blood or fluid that has accumulated. You'll be taken to a recovery area and closely monitored, with the possibility of being allowed to go home within a few hours.

After the surgery, you will be required to wear a support garment for 24 hours. The surgeon will tell you how long you must wear the garment and whether you will need to wear any more garments during your recuperation.

Specific instructions are going to be given to you, which can include:

  • Following the surgery, how to look for your surgical site
  • To help in recovery, there are medications that can be used topically or taken orally.
  • Look for specific issues at the surgery site or in your overall health.
  • What to do if your drains are clogged
  • When should you see your plastic surgeon again?

Ask the plastic surgeon specific questions about what to expect throughout the recovery period, such as the following:

  • When my surgery is over, where will I be taken?
  • Following surgery, what medications will I be given or prescribed?
  • Will I have to wear bandages or dressings after surgery? When will they be taken down?
  • When and how may I take a bath following surgery?
  • Are the stitches taken out? When?
  • When are the drains going to be removed?
  • When will I be able to resume routine activities, such as driving and exercising?
  • When do I have to come back for follow-up care?

For around two weeks, you will be asked to avoid extended sitting (some surgeons prefer longer). This is critical since prolonged sitting causes fat deterioration.

You will also be urged to sleep on your side or face down. If you must sit, use a pillow or cushion behind your legs (hamstring muscles) to help lift your buttocks and avoid putting pressure on the fat grafts.

A lymphatic massage from a professional massage therapist may be recommended by your surgeon. After six to eight weeks, you ought to ready to resume exercise.

Seek medical help right away if you have shortness of breath, chest pains, or irregular heartbeats. If any of these problems arise, you may need to be admitted to the hospital and receive additional treatment.

 

Buttock Injections Hydrogel

Buttock Injections Hydrogel

The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not licensed augmentation injections. These injections have been considered hazardous by the organization.

Hydrogel and silicone, which are frequently used in buttock injections, can migrate to other areas of the body and cause granuloma masses. Infections, deformity, and scarring are some of the other problems. Stroke can happen in some instances.

There have been stories of people dying as a result of these unlawful injections. Inexperienced practitioners may inject the compounds into the blood vessels by mistake, causing them to go to the heart. Such consequences could be fatal.

Unlicensed practitioners may also work in unhygienic conditions. Infections and death may become more likely as a result of this. Illegal practices may also utilize non-medical silicone instead of the silicone sealants used in medical procedures.

 

How Much are Buttock Injections?

Buttock Injections Cost

According to 2020 data from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, the average cost of buttock augmentation with fat grafting is $4,800, the average cost of buttock implants is $5,270, and the average cost of a buttock lift is $5,480. This is only a portion of the entire cost; it excludes anesthesia, operating room equipment, and other related costs. To establish the final charge, you have to contact the office of your plastic surgeon.

The cost of a buttock enlargement procedure is determined by the surgeon's skill, the treatment chosen, and the geographic area of the clinic.

Although most health insurance policies do not cover buttock augmentation or its consequences, many plastic surgeons provide patient financing programs, so inquire.

The following items could also be included within the cost of buttock enhancement:

  • Fee for a surgeon
  • Costs of a hospital or surgical institution
  • Fees for anesthesia
  • Medication prescriptions
  • Garments to wear after surgery
  • Any specific pillows you might need during the rehabilitation
  • Medical examinations

Remember that the surgeon's skill and your comfort with him or her are just as essential as the final cost of the procedure when picking a board-certified cosmetic surgeon in the area for buttock augmentation.

 

Conclusion

Buttock implants are becoming more popular as a result of their efficacy and general safety. Even so, there are other factors to consider before committing to this sort of surgery, including cost, recovery, overall health, and desired outcomes.

Consult a physician upfront to ensure you're aware of all the risks associated with this procedure. Don't be scared to shop around until you find the appropriate surgeon; just make sure he or she is board-certified and skilled.

Injecting silicone and other materials illegally is not safe and can result in life-threatening problems. They aren't a substitute for buttock implants.