BUTTOCK AUGMENTATION
BUTT IMPLANT SURGERY involves the surgical insertion of implants, typically made of semi-solid silicone, into the buttocks in order to enhance its size and shape. This surgery is frequently sought by women who are unhappy with the size of their underdeveloped buttocks, feeling that they lack shape.
Then there are others who want to have a more sensuous backside by making it larger and rounder. Singer/Actress Jennifer Lopez as well as reality television star Kim Kardashian may be the biggest influence among these women, contributing to the rise in number of butt implants procedures performed. If you're considering receiving butt implants, the following information will provide you with a good introduction to the procedure.
What are some of the most common benefits of having butt implants?
Butt implants can be quite successful in making the butt larger and shapelier. This has helped many women gain a more sensuous appearance. For those who have underdeveloped buttocks, buttock implants can now provide them with a more proportionate figure. Not only has this helped enhance their appearance, but many have also gained a boost in their self-esteem and self-confidence.
How is buttock implant surgery performed?
Typically, an incision is made in any one of the following places: where the cheek meets the back of the thigh or down the buttock crease. The incision is usually made in the buttock crease, where scars are not noticeable. However, this area does carry a high risk of infection.
The doctor then creates a pocket large enough to insert the butt implants. The implants can be placed either under the gluteus maximus muscle or on top of the muscle.
Sometimes, the doctor performs liposuction in order to further enhance the shape of the buttocks.
After performing the same procedure on both the buttocks, the doctor makes sure that they are symmetrical and looks natural and proportionate. He/she then stitches up the incisions.
Most likely, the anesthesia you receive will be general, although some doctors use a local anesthetic along with a sedative. Anesthesia type should be discussed with your doctor during the initial consultation.
How long does this surgery take?
Buttock implant surgery usually takes about two to three hours to complete. The length of the procedure varies according to the technique used, the placement of the implants, the patient's anatomy, type of anesthesia used, and whether other procedures will be performed at the same time
Do I have to stay in the hospital?
Most buttock implant surgery is performed in a surgical suite as an outpatient procedure. You'll be able to return home within a few hours of the surgery.
Is butt implant surgery painful?
Buttock implants stretch the tissues, and can be painful. This is especially true when the implants are placed under the muscle. The pain is greatest within the first 48 hours, but improves with each day. This can be relieved by pain medications. In spite of the initial discomfort, most women report that they are very satisfied with the results of the surgery.
When you wake up you may feel tired, sore, and stiff. It is important to take the medication prescribed to you by your doctor. Your surgeon may prescribe an antibiotic and an anti-inflammatory medication to be taken after your buttock implant surgery. It is a good idea to have these prescriptions filled beforehand.
What can I expect after surgery?
You will have a compression garment on after surgery to provide support, which should not be removed for the next two to three weeks following butt implant surgery.
It is important to take the medication prescribed to you by your doctor. Someone will need to drive you home, and you may need assistance at home over the next couple of days. Expect to be in bed for the next 24 hours following surgery.
What is the recovery period like?
It is critical that you review post-procedure care with your doctor. Following his/her instructions carefully will help ensure you have a speedy, healthy recovery. Also keep in mind that:
• Rest is important to the healing process, so do it as much as possible following your procedure. Drink plenty of fluids, and be sure to take the doctor's prescribed medications.
• Most likely, you will be able to resume calm, quiet work within a few days to weeks following butt implants surgery. You should still avoid physical exertion for several weeks, depending on the advice of your doctor.
• The stitches will come out within a week to 10 days, but swelling may continue, gradually subsiding over several weeks. As the swelling subsides, the results will become more apparent.
You will probably be able to resume exercise and normal physical activities within two weeks, when the soreness has subsided. You should refrain from physical activity or exercising until at least six weeks after surgery. Recovery varies from patient to patient and depends upon the technique, type of implant, and site of placement that the doctor uses, as well as the level of activities in your daily routine. Ask your doctor for more specific information.
Ideal Candidate:
In general, the best candidates for buttock implants are:
•18 years of age or older
•In good physical health
•Psychologically stable
•Realistic in their expectations
The above is only a partial list of the criteria that your surgeon will consider in determining whether or not this procedure is appropriate for you. Be sure to ask your surgeon if he/she considers you an ideal candidate for buttock implants.
Possible complications:
With buttock implant surgery, there is a possibility that the implants may shift and cause the buttocks to appear asymmetrical. However, the implants are placed above the sitting area; this is done to keep patients from sitting on them and thus reducing the risk of implants shifting. Another complication is that the butt implants may rupture or break. However, this occurrence is rare. Many times patients will not be aware of complications until days or months after the procedure has been performed.
Butt Implant Risks:
All surgical procedures carry some degree of risk. The risks of undergoing buttock implant surgery can include (but are not limited to): infection, unsatisfactory results, excessive bleeding, adverse reaction to anesthesia, and the need for second, or sometimes third, procedure.
Alternative Procedures:
LIPOINJECTION
Patients who unsure about undergoing butt implant surgery for enhancement may be better suited for a Brazilian Butt Lift – buttock augmentation via fat transfer. During this procedure, the surgeon will take fat from another area of the body, and inject it into the buttocks to increase the size and enhance the shape.
The use of fat grafting techniques has revolutionized the butt augmentation arena. In relation to implants, it is said to be safer and requires less downtime, in addition to surgery time. In using the grafting technique, the patient not only is able to use their own fat cells from their own body, but they in turn are able to have a modified liposuction.
The augmentation and contouring of the buttocks with autologous-fat transfer (lipoinjection) therapy is realized with the excess adipose-fat tissue harvested from the abdomen, flanks, and thighs of the patient. The gentle liposuction applied to harvest the autologous fat minimally disturbs the local tissues, especially the connective-tissue layer between the skin and the immediate subcutaneous muscle tissues.
Then, the harvested fat is injected to the pertinent body area of the gluteal region, through a fine-gauge cannula inserted through a small incision, which produces a short and narrow scar. Lipoinjection contouring and augmentation with the patient’s own body fat avoids the possibility of tissue rejection, and is physically less invasive than buttocks-implant surgery. Therefore, depending upon the health of the patient, the convalescence period allows him or her to resume daily, normal-life activities at 2-days post-operative, and the full spectrum of physical activity at 2-weeks post-operative.
Furthermore, the liposuction harvesting of the patient’s excess body fat improves the aesthetic appearance of the body fat donor-sites. Nonetheless, physiologically, the human body’s normal, health-management chemistry does resorb (break down and eliminate) some of the injected adipose-fat tissue, and so might diminish the augmentation.
According to the degree of diminishment of the volume and contour caused by the fat-resorption, the patient might require additional sessions of fat-transfer therapy to achieve the desired size, shape, and contour of the buttocks.
