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Buttock Implants: Shape Your Booty

Reviewed by Siamak Agha-Mohammadi, MD, PhD

J. Lo and Beyonce put butt implants on the pop culture radar by strutting their curvaceous, rounded behinds on stage and screen. As a result, many admirers began to follow suit.

In 2008, 853 people opted for buttock or gluteal implants, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. Of these, 87 percent were women who either wanted to emulate Jennifer Lopez or Beyonce, or were merely seeking to reverse the effects of aging in their now-sagging buttocks.

The first step is a consultation with a board-certified plastic surgeon who has experience with the various buttock augmentation procedures. During this initial visit, be open about what you are looking for out of your surgery. Discuss your goals and desires, including how large you want your buttocks to be. Your doctor will also conduct a full medical history during your consultation to make sure you are healthy enough to undergo the buttock surgery. He or she will give you extensive pre- and post-operative instructions including how important it is to quit smoking before your surgery.

Butt Implant Surgery: What a Girl Wants

Buttock implantation, also called buttock augmentation, typically involves a 3-inch incision made between the midline of the buttocks. Your surgeon creates a pocket for the solid silicone implant and inserts it through this incision. The implant is positioned between muscle and fat. Some surgeons prefer to place the implants in the main buttock muscle. This area will form scar tissue that should help keep the implant in place.

Like breast implants, buttock implants come in different sizes and shapes, and can even be customized. In general, these natural-feeling implants help round out the upper and outer parts of the buttocks; but not the lower parts.

Buttock implantation is performed under general anesthesia, typically on an outpatient basis. After placing the implants, the plastic surgeon must assure that both buttocks are symmetrical and look natural before stitching up the incisions.

Buttock implantation usually takes about two or three hours to complete.

Butt Augmentation Risks

There are risks involved with any medical procedure, buttock augmentation being no exception.
For example, butt implants may shift and cause the buttocks to look asymmetrical. Other risks may include infection, unsatisfactory cosmetic results, excessive bleeding, anesthesia problems and the need for revision surgery.

Buttock augmentation stretches the tissues, which can be painful, especially if the implants are placed under the muscle. Your plastic surgeon will prescribe an antibiotic and anti-inflammatory medication to reduce the risk of infection and help with the pain. Some plastic surgeons use temporary drains to remove excess fluid buildup during recovery. You will wear a compression garment for support for a few days after your buttock surgery.

Sometimes butt implants are paired with buttock lifts and liposuction of the lower back to yield more balanced results. Other times, liposuction with fat injections are used to shape and contour the entire buttock area. The latter procedure should not be done at the same time as buttock implant insertion because the fat injections can contaminate the implant, resulting in infection. What's more, the pressure from the implant can destroy the fat.

Shape Your Booty: Fat Injections

Buttock implants can't help shape the lower part of the buttocks. Fat injections can.

Plastic surgeons will remove fat from areas of the body where it is more plentiful (the flanks, hips, lower back, thighs or abdomen) with liposuction. This excess fat is then purified and re-injected it into your backside.

Fat injections may also be used in other areas of the buttocks to sculpt, contour and project the buttocks.

A full buttock plastic surgery using only fat grafting is called a Brazilian butt lift. In such cases, approximately 30 percent of the injected fat dissolves, meaning that the procedure may need to be repeated several months later.

Doin' the Butt: Buttock Lifts

A butt lift removes excess skin and fat that may cause sagging buttocks to add contour to the waist, hips and back of the thighs. These age-defying butt lifts are growing in popularity even as the economy lags. Buttock lifts increased eight percent in 2008, compared to 2007, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. There were 3,554 buttock lifts performed in 2008.

To perform a butt lift, a plastic surgery specialist makes an incision along the lower back, spanning from hip to hip. The surgeon pulls the excess skin below the incision to lift the buttocks and outer thighs. The extra skin is then removed.

A buttock lift is often part of a total body lift or a lower body lift, which is common after weight loss surgery. It can take about two hours to perform by itself, with general anesthesia typically being used. Most people who have buttock lifts go home the next day; however, the hospital stay may be longer if other procedures are performed simultaneously.

There is usually some postoperative pain that can be managed with medications. Abdominal binders are generally worn for six weeks to help prevent fluid buildup and provide support during the healing process. Swelling may last for up to three months, and the full cosmetic results are visible within a year.

Buttock Surgery Cost

The cost of buttock plastic surgery includes the surgeon's fee, anesthesia fee, operating room fee and implant fee (if applicable).

According to 2008 statistics from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, the national average for plastic surgeon fees for buttock implantation was $4,497. For a buttock lift, surgeons' fees were approximately $4,709. Fat transfer and injection into the buttocks may cost anywhere from $6,000 to $8,000.

Buttock surgery cost tends to increase in accordance with how many procedures are performed at the same time. For example, buttock implant as part of a total body lift is a costlier procedure, and a buttock lift with gluteal implants also increases some of the costs.

Make sure your surgeon gives you an exact quote before you decide to undergo buttock plastic surgery. If the plastic surgery cost of the procedure is too high, ask the facility about payment plans and medical finance options. For financing options and tips, continue reading about patient financing.

Choose a Board-certified Plastic Surgeon

Choosing the correct plastic surgeon can play a major role in your satisfaction with the results of your buttock surgery. Plastic surgeons should be certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. Such board certification ensures that they have extensive training and are up-to-date on new technology and techniques.

Consider viewing before-and-after photos of a potential surgeon's previous buttock surgery patients for a better idea of what you can expect.

About the Reviewer of This Article

Siamak Agha-Mohammadi, MD, PhD, is a board certified plastic surgeon in Orange County, Calif. He received his medical degree and completed his doctor of philosophy degree at the University of Cambridge in England and did his residency in general surgery, and plastic and reconstructive surgery at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center in Pittsburgh, Penn. An expert in aesthetic surgery after massive weight loss, Dr. Agha-Mohammadi has published articles in many prestigious journals and is a frequent presenter at major medical meetings.