Calf implants can enhance the lower legs and create more shapely, muscular, and defined contours.
Made of long-lasting cohesive silicone, implants are surgically inserted below the skin and fascia that covers the calf muscles, also known as the gastrocnemius muscle, which extends from the back of the knee to the Achilles tendon.
Patients get calf augmentation surgery for a variety of reasons:
A board-certified plastic surgeon who specializes in body contouring with calf implants can help you determine whether you’re a good candidate for this type of enhancement. After examining and measuring your calves, they’ll discuss the best implant size and type for you, and whether you’ll benefit most from inner and/or outer calf muscle implants.
Pros
Cons
Your cost will depend on your surgeon's level of experience and surgical technique, their practice location, who administers your anesthesia, and the specifics of your procedure.Â
Insurance plans don’t cover the calf implant surgery—unless it’s done as part of orthopedic reconstruction from a club foot or an injury, in which case it may be deemed medically necessary.
The calf implant photos in our gallery have been shared by the provider who performed the procedure, with the patient's consent.
The total procedure time for calf implant surgery is about an hour and a half, but with prep and general anesthesia, you can expect to devote most of your day to the surgery. The good news is that it's an outpatient procedure, so you’ll be able to leave the surgery center the same day, once the anesthesia wears off.
Here’s how the operation typically works:
Most patients take about two weeks off work. While “recovery usually progresses at a smooth, steady pace after the initial two weeks,” says Dr. Stanton, the full healing process after calf implant surgery can take up to six weeks.Â
While every recovery is different, this is generally what you can expect post-op:
Calf implants are permanent, unless you choose to remove them or swap them out for a different size. Because calf implants are made with solid silicone, rather than gel, they cannot rupture and do not need to be replaced over the course of a lifetime, says Dr. Barry Eppley, a board-certified plastic surgeon in Carmel, Indiana.
The implant will not drop and shouldn’t change shape over time. “Calf implants are secured in place and cannot move on their own. If done properly, with an experienced surgeon, your calf implants will stay in place forever,” notes Dr. Z. Paul Lorenc, a board-certified plastic surgeon in New York City.
Soft, semi-solid silicone rubber implants in the calf are widely considered to be safe, with a low complication rate when performed by an experienced plastic surgeon, according to the journal Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.Â
However, all implants come with risks. Your provider should talk you through these potential side effects.
Rarely, the implant can dislodge. This most frequently occurs from a poorly positioned implant pocket, excessively large implants, trauma, or not strictly following post-op instructions. If this happens, revision surgery may be necessary.Â
If your implants have been placed appropriately, you shouldn’t be able to feel them once you’ve healed.
According to Dr. Lorenc, “Properly placed calf implants cannot be felt by the patient. The implants get incorporated into the patient's body image to the point that patients even forget they have had the calf augmentation surgery.”
Emsculpt is a nonsurgical treatment that creates subtle muscle definition.
Calf augmentation with fat grafting is a surgical procedure that removes fat from one area of the body (such as the thighs) via liposuction and transfers it to the calves.
Updated December 14, 2023