Aging, pregnancy, and
significant changes in weight, as well as genetic factors, may contribute to
poor tissue elasticity and can result in the sagging of the buttocks. A
buttock lift reduces excess fat and skin resulting in smoother skin and
contours. A buttock can appear too low, flat or even be unshapely. A
buttock lift can improves the shape and tone of the underlying tissue that
supports fat and skin.
A buttock lift can
also improve
cellulite which can give skin a dimpled irregular appearance, as
well as skin striae or stretch marks. Both of these conditions will not
disappear but are usually dramatically diminished.
The procedure can be
performed alone or in combination with other surgeries such as a thigh lift and
abdominoplasty. The combination of these three operations is often called a body
lift. The whole
procedure improves the contour of the buttock and makes it look perkier.
For the patients who have had the undertaking of having a lower body lift, a
buttock lift can be the final stage.
Other
body contouring procedures are done at the same time with a buttock lift:
A buttock lift is
the only body contouring procedure that can restore the following:
body or buttock shape
buttock size
skin appearance
skin tone
The buttock area is made of muscle, fat, skin and
its underlying support of bone. The shape and contour of the buttock area
depends on the individual stature or frame. The volume and definition
comes from fat, and it is how the fat is dispersed that will make the difference
between an attractive buttock and one that is not.
Quality of Skin
The quality of a patient's skin will determine
whether a buttock lift, or liposuction with or without implants is needed.
Good skin quality:
no stretch marks
no droopy or excess skin
no cellulite
no skin irregularities
no looseness to the skin
If a patient exhibits good skin quality and tone
but poor distribution of fat, liposuction alone can sometimes be done alone. An actual buttock augmentation could also improve the end result, with either
fat or with implants.
If volume is the concern, then an gluteal implant
would help - if the concern is shape or contour, then fat grafting would yield a
good result.
Average
skin quality:
overall pretty good skin tone
very little skin looseness
some stretch marks
mild irregularities
mild cellulite
Patients who have average skin quality and tone
and have fat deposits in areas that exercise will not help, sometimes
liposuction alone can improve the appearance. Fat grafting and or buttock
implants will be added to the procedure to enhance the final result. For
some patients - the buttock area can be improved without the traditional buttock
lift.
If a patient has some droopiness in the lower
quadrant of the buttock area, this can be caused by excess fat or skin.
Contouring this area with liposuction is an option, but if the overhang is too
severe - then a buttock lift would be necessary.
Poor skin quality:
great deal of
skin looseness
poor skin tone
great deal of
cellulite
skin
irregularities
stretch marks are
usually present
This type of skin is
seen in patients that have had a massive amount of weight fluctuation either
weight gain or loss. It is also seen in very sun damaged skin, and in the older
patient.
Patients who have
poor skin quality will exhibit loose and excess skin. No matter how much
liposuction is done or what size implants are placed - the end result will
appear like a rock in sock. It would take
a large amount of fat grafting to "fill things up" and create a tight / toned
buttocks in a patient with massive weight loss. With skin excision, your
surgeon can reset the tone of all the skin on your buttocks, and can actually
conserve volume if you so desire.
The only procedure
that will yield good results is a buttock lift. This is the traditional
"buttock lift" in which the skin and tissue are lifted and the excess skin is
removed. Drawbacks of this procedure are excessive scarring at the upper
portion of the buttock area and extends to the sides of the abdomen.
The ideal candidate
for a buttock lift is a patient who has had stable weight for at least six
months or more, and that their weight is proportionate to their height and body
frame. Also, the patient must have excess skin and fat along the buttocks
area which is associated with cellulite.
Buttock lift plastic
surgery is typically performed under general
anesthesia. A full buttock lift typically involves small
incisions made at the top of the buttocks on the lower back, and sometimes in
the hips and groin area. This incision will be hidden by most underwear, bikini
swim wear and low rise jeans.
A buttock lift by
itself, will not increase buttock volume or fullness. This would require a
buttock augmentation with the placement of implants, or fat grafting, as in the
Brazilian Butt Lift technique.
There are
two different ways to enlarge your buttocks:
The excess sagging
skin below the incision is pulled up - lifting the buttocks and the outer
thighs. The extra skin and fat are surgically removed after being detached
from the thigh muscles. Skin is reshaped and pulled up over the muscles.
Taking care of the sagging excess tissue might not be enough, so many times a
surgeon will suggest
fat grafting or possibly gluteal implants
to make a perkier and round buttock.
If fat grafting is
suggested, this is known as a
Brazilian Butt Lift. Surgery time for
a buttock lift can take between two to three hours. If fat grafting is
done, the liposuction
might take an extra hour or so.
Most surgeons prefer
to augment the buttock using fat injections. However, if a patient is very
thin and has no extra fat in the abdominal area or thighs, then gluteal or butt
implants is recommended. Fat grafting has some advantages to implants,
such as a much lower risk of
infection and no risk of capsular
contraction occurring.
To close the incision
sutures or fibrin tissue glue are used and
drains will be inserted to help with any
fluid or blood accumulation. A supportive
compression garment is worn for
at least six weeks to help prevent any fluid accumulation and to also provide
support during healing.
Fat grafting or
micro-fat grafting is performed with liposuction with special cannulas,
extracting fat from selected areas of the body
The surgeon
collects the excess fat and purifies it with a centrifuge
The fat is then
re-injected into the upper quadrant buttocks area with the spun down viable
fat cells
Augmenting the
buttocks with fat grafting can involve hundreds of injections of tiny
droplets of purified fat
Since the fat
injections are delivered into the depths of the buttocks area, the fat cells
are able to receive adequate blood supply so that they can survive once
inside the buttocks tissue
This technique
has a very high "non-absorption" rate of the fat and is the best way to
achieve a permanent result
Once the fat cells have been injected and begin to receive blood supply,
these fat cells remain for life
The buttocks
result appears lifted and perky with a very natural shape and feel
Liposuction is used
to contour the buttock area to make it appear more prominent. The areas directly
above the buttocks, the stomach, thighs and back all benefit from liposuction to
make the buttocks more attractive.
Unlike a standard
buttock lift procedure, which involves skin and muscle tissue at the top of the
buttocks being surgically lifted and contoured - the Brazilian buttock
lift relies mainly on the injection of donor body fat into specific points on
the patient's derrière.
During fat transfers,
the fat is placed deeply in the muscle in several different layers so as to
create a smooth augmentation without irregularities. Fat grafting can look
very natural as it is the body's own substance and there is no chance of
rejection since there is not a foreign implant inside your body.
The drawbacks with
fat grafting is that the technique can be unpredictable. Approximately 30
to 50
percent of the fat will not take during the fat transfer, and will dissipate.
There is a fine line with how much fat
should be placed, as the chances of fat survival go down the more that an area
is overfilled. This is caused by the increasing pressure in the tissues.
If the pressure gets too high, blood cannot flow and the fat won't survive.
The real deciding factor of how much fat can be safely and successfully placed
in any particular patient is determined by the elasticity of the tissues and the
pressure that results from the grafting process.
However,
the rest of the fat that stays beyond the three month post operative mark can be a permanent result.
The important key to
a Brazilian Butt Lift is how the fat cells are harvested, processed and
injected. This procedure can be a long lasting result if performed
correctly.
Advantages of the Brazilian
buttock lift over the standard buttock lift or buttock
implant procedures include:
Brazilian buttock
lifts can be more natural looking with its shape and
feel, since the procedure uses the body's own natural
donor fat deposits
Shorter recovery
period, since the procedure is not as invasive as the
standard buttock lift or gluteal implants
Procedure is normally
less expensive than the cost of buttock implants
If the fat harvest is
prepared correctly, Brazilian buttock lifts can retain
most of the injected fat over time. Retention of fat
with this procedure is 50 percent.
Women who are
naturally thin and have a very low BMI, might not have enough fat to perform a
Brazilian Butt lift. The other option is to place a gluteal or silicone
buttock implant. The surgeon makes a very small incision in the crack
between the buttock cheeks. The implants are placed in the tissue of the
buttock area. Important nerves lay in this area such as the sciatic nerve,
which needs to be identified so that there will not be any nerve damage done.
The gluteal implants
will fill out the upper and outer portion of the buttock area. Implants
cannot be used in the lower portion of the buttocks because of the risk of nerve
damage. Surgeons will use fat injections to fill out this area. The
gluteus maximus muscle is the largest of the muscles that make up the area of
the buttock cheek. It is important to know however, that it does not cover
the entire buttock cheek so the implant has to be carefully calculated so it can
be camouflaged by the extent of this muscle.
Of all the body
implant procedures that are done in cosmetic surgery - the buttock implants have
the highest rate of complications. It is important that the patient is
aware of the risks and complications that can occur with this procedure
Gluteal Implants
come in four different styles:
Round gluteal
implants are available for intra-muscular or subfascial implantation.
A selection of
oval implants are provided in increasing width to height ratios and volumes
A patient's body and
buttock structure should be considered before a implant is chosen.
Balance, symmetry, size, shape, and placement are all very important factors to
consider before buttock augmentation is done with an implant. The implant
size and shape are limited by the patient's own anatomy.
The placement of
the gluteal implants are either done two ways:
Intramuscular
Augmentation: this placement
involves creating a pocket within the large gluteus maximus muscle. This
procedure generally requires the use of a smaller, round implant due to
pocket size limitations.
Subfascial
Augmentation: this placement
creates a pocket under the fascia, which is the membrane of tissue covering
the muscle. This procedure allows a implant of much larger size and shape to
be used.
Gluteal or buttock
implants are inserted usually under general
anesthesia,
epidural block or regional or under a local anesthesia
with sedation (twilight).
The implants are inserted through a vertical incision located at the upper end
of the buttock cleft. Using the subfascial or intramuscular placement will
be dependent on the size and curve of the implant needed. This procedure
takes approximately three hours. Drains are used to help prevent either a hematoma or a
seroma from forming. The incisions are closed with sutures
and a compression garment is utilized to help with post operative swelling.
What to expect
from a Buttock Lift or Buttock Augmentation
Recovering from a
buttock lift or gluteal implants surgery can be harder than most other
procedures, in as that the patient cannot sit directly on the buttocks for up to
three weeks. Most of the recovery time is spent in bed, laying down on the
stomach. This is advised to ensure a permanent result. If the
patient has to sit, one should use soft cushions when sitting for prolonged
periods. No matter what position you choose - most surgeons will ask you
to avoid putting constant pressure on the treated area. Try to change
positions every 30 minutes to make sure you don't put too much stress or
weight on any one area.
There will be some
soreness and discomfort around the surgical areas; however, this is easily
controlled with oral medications. After this procedure, the buttocks will
swell to varying degrees and slowly subside as you recover.
Loss of sensation
or numbness in the area of the surgery can happen. This is normal and will
take several months to disappear.
Skin in the area
of the surgical site might appear "shiny" due to swelling. This will
dissipate within a few weeks and the skin will return to a normal
appearance.
Tingling
sensations might occur in the surgical area. This is considered "nerve
regeneration" and is a sign that the nerves are healing. This will go
away within several months.
Most
patients normally can return to work within two weeks time. A special
compression garment is worn to control the swelling for at least two weeks.
If a patient who has
skin that was not firm and elastic can experience some dimpling of the tissue.
This can be minimized by direct massaging the fat injection areas. Daily
massage should be done three times a day for a period of six weeks.
Cleaning of the
incision site is imperative with alcohol, especially after using the restroom.
Walking is good after
this surgery to help with swelling and edema. At two weeks post operative,
exercising the upper body is allowed, but any activities like jogging, etc.
should wait until six weeks.
All symptoms of
the buttock lift or augmentation surgery will disappear within four to six
months following the procedure.
