Buttock lipofilling: the alternative to implants

Buttock lipofilling: the alternative to implants

Buttock augmentation is a very popular cosmetic surgery procedure. But why?

The buttocks are an essential part of the body. They constitute the harmony of the silhouette. No two buttocks are alike, they can be flat, round, bulging, large or small, and in the course of a lifetime they can change their appearance. The appearance of the buttocks can be altered after weight loss or gain or because of sagging or ageing skin. So why not have a buttock lipofilling?

 

What is buttock lipofilling?

It is a 100% natural cosmetic surgery technique without implants! During this procedure, your surgeon takes fat from an area where it is not desired and places it in the buttocks. The goal is to reshape this area of your body, while rebalancing the volumes. The aim is not only to increase the volume of the buttocks, but above all to obtain shapely buttocks and to rework the silhouette: at the level of the waist, the abdomen or the thighs. The fat will be removed from one or more areas with excess fat cells, such as the abdomen, the knees or the thighs, and then reinjected into the buttocks.

By removing fat from certain areas such as the abdomen and placing it in the buttocks, the surgeon restores the harmony of the patient’s body; the operation accentuates the shape of the waist and redraws the contour of the figure.

This operation combines two operations in one: lipofilling and liposuction.

As Dr. Sacha Obaid, board-certified plastic surgeon and member of ASPS, says, “We’re seeing American culture finally broadening its concept of beauty. Twenty years ago, there was only one way to be beautiful in America, and that was to be as skinny as possible. Today, we are finally beginning to understand that there are many ways to stand out, and one of the fastest growing ways is to have a fuller, rounder butt!”

 

How does it work?

First of all, you will have an interview with your surgeon to explain your project. He will ask you various questions about your motivations and your medical history, in order to rule out any contraindications.

A clinical examination will be carried out in order to know how much fat will be removed and in which area. He will evaluate the morphology of the buttocks, the silhouette as well as the amount of skin and the flexibility of the tissues.

Buttock lipofilling is a plastic surgery procedure performed under general anaesthesia and lasts about 2 to 3 hours. It is performed on an outpatient basis and may require a 24-hour hospital stay.

First of all, your surgeon will perform liposuction, he will remove fat from the areas that you have previously targeted with him. This is done with a very fine cannula and, depending on the quantity of fat to be removed, one or more micro incisions may be necessary, leaving invisible scars.

The fat will then be purified by centrifugation, decantation or simple washing. The aim of these manoeuvres is to separate the good quality fat cells from the impurities (blood, serum, cellular debris).

Then this purified fat will be reinjected into the buttocks, at the level of the gluteus maximus muscle: this muscle has many blood vessels, which favours the chances of the graft taking. To do this, the surgeon makes very small incisions into which fine cannulas are inserted to reinject the fat into the chosen areas.

This process is carried out gently, with a quantity of fat adapted to each case, in the appropriate areas to give the best possible morphology, both in terms of volume and contours.

At the end of the procedure, a support panty is put on for optimal maintenance of the grafted area.

 

Are there any risks?

Even if this procedure is 100% natural and biocompatible, as with any surgical procedure, there are associated risks.

For buttock lipofilling, you should pay attention to certain points:

  • Blood clots, pulmonary embolisms: blood clots in the legs can travel to the heart or lungs and cause serious complications. Patients should be assessed for any pre-existing risk of blood clots.
  • Infections: Surgical infections are always a risk, especially with large volume fat transfer. It is important to use a meticulous sterile technique, and all patients receive appropriate antibiotic prophylaxis.
  • Changes in sensation: any area operated on will swell and the swelling may cause nerves to stop or malfunction. Sometimes the nerves have to be cut during the operation. You may experience numbness, which is usually temporary, but in some cases it may be permanent. In this case, there will be no way to regain sensation if the nerve function does not return.
  • Poor healing: during the operation the wounds are well closed, but if your stitches pop out, the scar could widen or look bad. Fortunately, the incisions for this procedure are very small, but there is always a risk of scarring.
  • Contour irregularities: When fat is moved from one area to another, there may be some asymmetry. Your surgeon will give you very specific instructions on activity levels, sleeping positions and compression garments. You will need to follow these instructions to get the best results!
  • Fat embolism: It is possible that the injected fat can enter the bloodstream and reach other organs (lungs, brain, etc.). This risk is higher if the fat is injected into a muscle, if it is injected at abnormally high pressures or if very small cannulas are used. Talk to your surgeon about the technique he or she uses.

 

And after the buttock lipofilling?

Generally, the aftermath of this operation is not very serious. Classic painkillers can help you to bear the slight pain you may feel. Bruises and swelling may appear in the donor areas, but will disappear fairly quickly. You will be advised to sleep on your back and to sit on the lower part of your buttocks for 3 weeks. A week’s leave from work will probably be necessary if your activity can damage your scarring. Sports activities can only be resumed after 6 weeks.

When are the results definitive?

The final result will be visible between 3 and 6 months after the operation. In the first few months you will see a loss of fat that varies between 30 and 50%. However, it is recommended that you keep your weight stable. The results are permanent, but as it is fat, as for all parts of the body, if you lose weight you will also lose volume and vice versa!

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