There are different approaches to improve the zone of the buttocks. These will depend on the objective of the patient, whether they want to enlarge the projection of the buttocks or to reshape the zone. Currently buttock augmentation (butt lift) is carried out using implants, liposuction (using the patient’s own fat) or combining both methods.
Liposuction is the most common technique for reshaping the buttocks, as it allows for sculpting the shape of the buttock by extracting selected excess fat. Furthermore, the central zone of the buttock can be increased in volume by reinserting the fat obtained by liposuction.
There is also plastic surgery which enlarges the buttocks with implants. This surgery is very common in certain parts of Latin America and it is increasingly in demand in Europe. Buttock augmentation (butt lift) with a silicone implant tries to give the buttocks the most rounded shape possible.
Buttock implants are made of cohesive silicone gel, are flatter and are more resistant than implants that are used for breast augmentation. This resistance allows the zone of the buttocks to withstand, without problems, the force that comes from the use of the gluteus maximus muscle when walking, running or jumping.
Currently there are two kinds of implants for the buttocks: oval-shaped implants or round-shaped implants. The shape of the implant is chosen depending on the shape of the buttocks and the result that the patient wants to achieve. Most women opt for the round-shaped implants, because they give more projection and round off the curves of the buttocks. In women who have flat or sagging buttocks the best option is to use oval-shaped implants, to avoid the appearance of double contours or a result that is too round and artificial.
The implant is placed below the gluteus maximus muscle in such a way that it cannot be distinguished externally. The incision in buttock augmentation (butt lift) surgery is made in the crease between the two buttocks, as low as possible so that it is hidden. The operation is done using general anaesthetic so that the muscle is relaxed and we can insert the implant easily. It is not usual to use drains.
The positioning of the implant subcutaneously or under the fascia of the muscle as some surgeons do can give very voluminous results, but this is doomed to failure and to not very aesthetic results: the implant moves out of place, it turns over, it can be seen in whatever position the patient’s body is in. This subcutaneous placement of the implant is very widespread because it is very easy to do, but it has disastrous consequences.
However, with the correct placement technique (that of the intramuscular implant) the implant can be covered over in a way that is not visible and that will not move. Due to this technique, a beautiful and well-proportioned buttock can be achieved.