I think I want a surgical butt lift without fat transfer or implants

Question

The Reason why I'm seeking this option is because I keep hearing that Fat Reabsorprion and Implant infection is a common occurrence. AND when I wear my lifting under garment I see a nice round improvement in my backside.

Ryan A. Stanton, MD · Answer

A surgical buttock lift actually tends to flatten and elongate the buttock, not plump it and round it more. Please read on for more details about buttock augmentation and hopefully this will rid you of your concerns over implants. In short, a combination of sculpting your waistline with liposuction and augmenting your buttock with implants provides the best chance for a long lasting "hour-glass" figure. Please read on for more surgical details: Regarding buttock/hip augmentation surgery, let me start off by saying that I currently see at least 2 - 3 patients, domestic and international,  per week that failed "brazilian buttock lift" (i.e. the fat melted away after 10 - 12+ months) and are now seeking a more reliable and permanent option (i.e. buttock and/or hip implants). Allow me to share with you some information that you may not hear elsewhere. There are only two proven safe and relatively effective methods for Buttock Augmentation and Hip Augmentation: 1) Autologous Fat Transfer (using your own fat, transferring from one area of the body to the other) and 2) Buttock/Hip Implants (semi-solid silicone rubber implants that cannot rupture &/or leak). Both are options but what it comes down to, like any surgery, is proper patient selection and long-term results. Indeed because at least 80+ % of the fat transferred will melt away within a year, most patients are not good candidates because they lack an adequate amount of fat to harvest. Another tip is that if you purposely gain weight (i.e. fat) for the procedure, the fat you lose first as you get back to your baseline weight is that very same fat that was transferred into your buttock...so don't fall victim to this recommendation. Even those patients that had adequate amounts of fat pre-operatively, still end up seeking buttock implants after a year or so because most of the fat transferred melted away leaving them with minimal result. Although overall using your own fat is relatively safe, it not infrequently melts away unevenly leaving one butt cheek bigger than the other or with dimpling or hard fat cysts.  The one serious complication that can rarely (< 1%) happen is "fat embolism" in which some of the fat gets into the blood stream and travels up into the lungs, heart, and/or brain causing serious problems. This complication is more likely to happen with the larger amount of fat being transferred. This is even more likely to happen when using fillers like liquid silicone, PMMA, Sculptra, and hyaluronic acids. Also fillers, when injected in large quantities, have a relatively high infection rate, guaranteed tendency to migrate away from the original area they were injected, and almost always stimulate a lot of inflammation with a subsequent and disastrous amount of scar tissue/hardening.Thus buttock/hip implants become a very good, safe, and long term reliable option for most patients seeking buttock/hip augmentation (at least in my practice). I prefer to insert the buttock implants through a 1 1/2 inch long incision along the inner curve of each upper buttock cheek at the level of the tailbone, similar to two opposing parentheses ")(" (concealed within the crevice between the buttock cheeks) and the hip implants through a ~ 1 inch incision just below the beltline above the hip region. The buttock implant should always be placed under or within the gluteus maximus muscle. In this position, the implant is less palpable, less visible, and does not sag or shift/migrate over time unlike implants placed on top of the muscle. On the other hand, hip implants are placed under just the fascia because no significant muscle exists in this region. However, because they are much smaller and lighter, their likelihood of migration is relatively low. Because all of this, it is extremely important to seek consultation with a board certified plastic surgeon who specializes in this procedure so that the implant placement is precise for both locations. And in this case too, at least in my surgical practice, the infection rate is minimized to

Luis A. Cenedese, MD, FACS · Answer

All surgical techniques have their shortcommings and complications. The alternative to fat injection, buttock implants and Sculptra injection is a lower body lift.  This surgery will lift the buttocks and tighten loose skin.  The body lift is a reliable alternative.  Due to a significant associated scar above the buttocks a patient has to accept the trade off of looking better in clothes to hide the scar. Please consult in person with an experienced Board Certified Plastic Surgeon prior to making treatment decisions.

Derby Sang Caputo, MD · Answer

Thanks for your question. Both techniques have their advantages and disadvantages between them. Already you mentioned two of the disadvantages of each, but fat transfer is still the most widely used technique today with proper results. You must go to a PS certificated to get the results you want.

Alex Kim, MD · Answer

I do not know how your buttocks look like, so I am not certain if you would qualify for this type of procedure, but if you like your buttocks to be lifted with fat transfer or implant, your option is to have surgical buttock lift with your own fat flap.  This procedure is typically done on a patient who lost a lot of weight, resulting in saggy buttocks.  By placing a wavy incision on the buttocks and removing only skin, but leaving fat tissue underneath, the lower buttock skin is placed over the fat giving the buttock lifted appearance and projection.  The down side is a long scar across the middle/upper portion of the buttocks.  It is a good procedure without the use of any fat transfer.  Best regards,

Arian Mowlavi, MD, FACS (license on probation) · Answer

Buttocks enhancement can be achieved with:1)butt lift2)fat transfer3)implantsWhich one you choose is dependent on your degree of skin laxity and volume loss; i understand your concerns of infection, but this is not always the case; With meticulous preparation, introperative measures, and postoperative instructions, infections are now very rare. To determine which surgery or combination of surgeries will be ideal for you, an examination is required.

I think I want a surgical butt lift without fat transfer or implants

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Answer: Surgical butt lift

Answer: Surgical butt lift

Answer: Wanting a buttocks enhancement

Answer: Wanting a buttocks enhancement

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I think I want a surgical butt lift without fat transfer or implants

Answers (5)

Answer: Surgical butt lift

Answer: Surgical butt lift

Answer: Wanting a buttocks enhancement

Answer: Wanting a buttocks enhancement

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Recommended reading

Everything you need to know about Butt Lift

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.