Some patients at our Pasadena plastic surgery practice may feel less confident because of flat buttocks and thin calves. Improving the strength and tone of muscles does not always create an aesthetically full, firm, and shapely buttock or calf. If these areas are of concern to you, a Brazilian Butt Lift, or buttock augmentation, procedure may be the only way to produce a shapely figure.
Buttock & Calf Augmentation
The lack of a well-proportioned and shapely buttock may be due to heredity, loss of fatty tissue, or muscle wasting. Causes for slim and skinny calves may include birth defects (clubfoot, cerebral palsy, spina bifida), acquired diseases (poliomyelitis), reduction of muscle bulk, or fat wasting. The aesthetic impairment may involve one or both sides of the buttocks and calves.
Based on your physical examination and aesthetic goals, Dr. Sasaki will explain in his consultation the various methods to augment and shape your buttocks and calves in order to bring them in proportion to your entire body. Ideal candidates possess firm and tight skin. When there is significant sagging of the buttocks due to skin laxity, a combined buttock lift and augmentation may be necessary to attain the optimal result.
View Before & After Photos
Buttock Augmentation Options
Shaping of the deficient buttock may be accomplished by either the insertion of solid, semisoft silicone/gel implants (implant augmentation) or injections of your own fat (autologous buttock augmentation). Dr. Sasaki will provide you with the advantages and disadvantages of each technique so that you may achieve your desired aesthetic outcome in the safest possible manner.
Implant Augmentation
The usual incision for implant augmentation is a short vertical opening in the hollow between the buttocks. Dr. Sasaki uses only FDA-approved anatomically contoured implants to obtain consistent aesthetic results. He will advise you of the appropriate size and shape of the implant that will be right for your new look. Dr. Sasaki will also confirm if the implant will be located in a pocket either under or over the main buttock muscle (gluteus maximus) for the most aesthetic appearance (with implant safety).
The insertion of buttock implants should be performed in a certified outpatient facility or hospital under the supervision of a board-certified anesthesiologist. A temporary thin tube may be inserted to drain any excess fluid or blood for a few days. A pressure garment will be applied to the buttocks to reduce swelling and bruising and to hasten the healing process. Patients are instructed to wear this garment for 4 to 6 weeks. The patient is asked to keep pressure off the buttocks for at least six weeks with absolutely no sitting for 10 days (except for using the restroom).
Dr. Gordon H. Sasaki
Triple Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon
Few plastic surgeons can match Dr. Sasaki's combination of expertise, compassion, and experience. He's a distinguished educator and a renowned innovator whose work and research have influenced a generation of plastic surgeons. Dr. Sasaki will work with you to make the improvements you desire.
Although complications are uncommon with implants, Dr. Sasaki will discuss possible surgical risks that include bleeding, fluid collection, nerve irritations (sciatica), infection, exposure, and asymmetries. He will prescribe pain and antibiotic medications during your preoperative visit and answer your questions in detail.
Brazilian Butt Lift
The optimal candidate for a Brazilian Butt Lift (autologous fat grafting to the buttocks) is slightly overweight but in good health. There must be enough fat present elsewhere to obtain the quantity and quality of fat to add volume to the deficient buttocks. Usually fat harvesting is obtained from the abdomen, above the hips and back not only to contour the areas around the buttocks but also to fill the flat buttocks. In this technique, fat harvesting is performed under tumescent fluid anesthesia from the donor sites. The prepared fat, obtained by gentle liposuction, is injected primarily in the subcutaneous layer until a sculpted and contoured buttock is shaped.
In autologous buttock augmentation, complications are rare and similar to those of Lipoinjection such as surface irregularities, liquefied fat collection, nerve irritation, bleeding, fat demise, and asymmetries. However, Dr. Sasaki will discuss in detail the occurrence of fat embolism after a large volume lipoinjection session and after inappropriate level of fat delivery into the gluteus muscles or under the muscle layers. Currently, the American Society of Aesthetic Surgery and the FDA have issued strong recommendations on the use of lipoinjections for buttock augmentation. Further anatomical and clinical research are needed to improve outcomes and reduce complications from this procedure.
Lipo-augmentation involves small incisions that are strategically hidden. There may be the need for a temporary drain to remove fluid and blood. A compression garment will be applied to the buttock to reduce swelling and bruising and to support healing. This garment must be used for 4 to 6 weeks after surgery. Because direct pressure may destroy the transferred fat, patients are asked to keep pressure off the buttocks for at least six weeks. Dr. Sasaki will discuss in detail your preoperative and postoperative management. His staff will prescribe pain and antibiotic medications on your preoperative visit.
Are you ready to discover all the ways Sasaki Advanced Aesthetic Medical Center in Pasadena can enhance your appearance and confidence? Request a consultation using our online form or call for an appointment.