Detached butt implants! What went wrong? (Photo)

Question

I cannot post all photos without pants due to tattoos* had my butt implants done 2 years ago. At first I could tell it wasn’t right because I saw the whole outline and as time went on they started to drop more and I could feel them less tight to my body. When I sit they separate from my body. This is what it looks like when I sit. It hurts to sleep, I have to constantly turn sides because of the discomfort. When I stand you can see the outline too. I want to get it redone. What went wrong?

Ryan A. Stanton, MD · Answer

Allow me to answer your question as best i can based upon your photos. However, please keep in mind that an in-person, or at least a virtual, consultation with physical exam is first necessary before any legitimate evaluation or final surgical recommendations can be made.

Based purely upon your photos, it seems as though it is likely that your implants are on top of the muscle and not in a total intramuscular pocket. Make no mistake, it is indisputable that the best position (aka “placement”) for buttock implants  is in the total intramuscular tissue plane, not half and half within and on top of the muscle (aka “biplanar” or “dual plane”), not completely on top of the muscle and not “sub-fascial" which is exactly the same as on top of the muscle - so please do not be fooled by this terminology. Also, supercharging with adding fat over the implant is also likely to not make any difference other that costing you more and setting you up for more potential complications. The implant life and longevity of aesthetic, tasteful, and realistic results are all best with the “intramuscular” technique, period.

Other than placing buttock implants within the gluteus maximus and medius muscles (aka “intramuscular”) NOT on top of the muscle, “subfascial” or “dual plane”, the most important factors in creating the perfect derriere and/or hourglass figure with implants is indeed selecting the right size AND shape. I have found the best way to assure this is to simply measure the actual dimensions of the patient’s gluteus muscles (not butt cheek fat pad, which may appear “round”) and quantity and quality/density of these muscles. With these anatomical measurements, I can select an implant that not only significantly augments the buttock but also supplies the correct 3-dimensional enhancement to look as real as possible...with positional changes (eg. bending over and squatting down) and even in the most petite patients that have small/lean muscles and minimal overlying fat. The fact is, nearly 100% of the human population has a more oval shaped gluteus muscles not round.  Therefore an oval shaped implant such as the Stanton Anatomic®️ buttock implant conforms best and produces a more realistic contoured outcome better than round implants.  Contrary to what many think, a round implant placed correctly within the muscle actually sits up at the top of the butt cheek, creating an unnatural pointy or “gum-drop effect”, not at the lower part of the butt cheek and thus does not contribute to filling or rounding out of any of the lower buttock pole.

When all these principles are adhered to executed by a plastic surgeon buttock implant specialist, contrary to what some naive others have answered, buttock augmentation with implants can be extremely successful with long term outcomes and satisfaction in over 95% of patients. Final note, because an extremely few number of board certified plastic surgeons specialize in buttock implants, you may have to travel away from your local area to seek consultation with this particular type of surgeon.  Glad to help.

Matthew J. Nykiel, MD · Answer

Hi, thanks for the question.  Sorry to hear what is going on with you.  Based on the photos - it looks like the implant is not covered by muscle.  Either the implant was placed over the muscle or during the early healing period the implant migrated to above the muscle.  Another possibility is:  the implant appears to be a large implant and the sheer size/weight of the implant may have caused this issue.

Treatment options are:  1) Remove the implant 2) Replace the implant into a intra-muscular pocket - with downsizing the implant.  The implant look large and in my opinion I would want to downsize them - my average implant size falls around 300-350cc at this point.

Mats Hagstrom, MD (license on probation) · Answer

The great majority of plastic surgeons in the United States do not offer gluteal implant augmentation.
There’s a good reason for this.
The procedure has an exceedingly high complication, rate, failure, rate, undesirable, side effect rate and overall low long-term patient satisfaction.
Your outcome is unfortunately typical.
 There are a few variables that seem to improve outcomes.
The first is working with surgeons is focused exclusively or heavily on gluteal implant augmentation.
The second is placing the implants intramuscularly not on top of the muscle.
Unlike breast implants, gluteal implants cannot be placed under the gluteus muscle.
The third variable is limiting implant size and making sure the implant is never larger than what can fit inside the gluteus muscle.
Following these guidelines, increases the quality of the outcome to some degree but the number of patients who have long-term satisfaction with gluteal implants is very very small.
Most people end up having the implants removed because of low quality outcomes or complications.
The chance of having a quality outcome with the revision is probably less than if you had the procedure done well to start with.For most Patients I generally recommend simply avoiding having this surgery.
I suggest you follow up with your provider and discuss your concerns with him or her.
Best,
Mats Hagstrom MD

Detached butt implants! What went wrong? (Photo)

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Detached butt implants! What went wrong? (Photo)

Answers (3)

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Everything you need to know about Butt Implants

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