Buttocks Augmentation

People have different notions of what they believe is the right appearance for their butt. Some want to add firmness and roundness to their buttocks. Others want a better shape or contour. Still others want to tighten and lift sagging tissue on the buttocks and upper thigh. Buttocks augmentation techniques can help patients achieve all of these preferences.

Procedure
To enlarge and/or reshape the buttocks, two options are available: implants or micro-fat grafting. With implant surgery, an incision is made in the natural fold between the cheek and thigh or down the crease. The surgeon separates the skin from the muscle and tissue and creates a pocket either under or on top of the gluteus maximus muscle. A semi-solid silicone implant is inserted into the pocket above the natural sitting area so that it won't shift. Sutures are used to close the incision.

With micro-fat grafting, the patient's own fat is used to reconstruct and shape the buttocks, which alleviates any concern over allergic reactions to materials. The patient must have enough fat in a different area of the body to use in the graft as well as enough fat and muscle in the buttocks to hold the graft. Using a canula, the same tool used for liposuction, living fat cells are harvested from a donor site. These cells are prepared and then inserted into the buttocks. Not all cells collected will survive so more fat will have to be removed from the donor site to achieve a successful reconstruction.

Both implants and micro-fat grafting are conducted on an outpatient basis using light, general anesthesia. The surgeries take approximately 3 hours.

For patients seeking to reduce and reshape the buttocks and upper thighs, liposuction is used.

Recovery
For both buttocks augmentation procedures, incisions are covered with a dressing and a light compression garment is worn for a few days to help reduce swelling. There is the possibility of infection following any surgery. Your surgeon will likely prescribe antibiotics to avoid infection in addition to any pain medication. Swelling and bruising are normal and will subside over time. Sitting or lying on the back is not allowed for a short period of time. Most patients return to normal activity within 1 to 2 weeks.