Buttock surgery
What is aesthetic buttock surgery?
Making your buttocks beautiful is not just for Brazilians. This surgery is being increasingly requested.
It may involve reducing the size of the buttocks or lifting them, but requests are often to increase the volume.
Buttock lift
A buttock lift is a procedure to lift sagging buttocks. Little known in France, any patient can undergo this procedure whatever their corpulence.
The principle of a buttock lift is to remove any excess skin at the top of the buttocks to lift them, in the same way as a facelift, and treat the « sagging buttocks ».
During a buttock lift, it is possible to keep the fat from the layer of skin and fat removed. This flap of fat will be buried under the skin of the buttocks to reshape them and increase the volume, thus lifting and reshaping the buttocks.
The scar will be at the top of the buttocks, along the knicker or thong line.
Before the procedure
It is important to stop smoking one month before the surgery to optimize healing and decrease the risks of thrombosis and embolisms. It is also necessary to schedule a recovery period of 2 to 3 weeks as no sick leave will be given for an aesthetic surgery procedure.
The buttock lift procedure
The procedure is performed under general anesthesia and lasts between 2 and 3 hours. The stay in hospital is generally one night after the operation. No drains are left in place.
At the end of the procedure, compression underwear is put on and must be worn for 4 to 6 weeks.
After the procedure
The compression underwear must be worn for 4 to 6 weeks after the procedure.
Showers are allowed from the day after the procedure, but baths must be avoided for at least one month.
Walking can be resumed the day after the procedure but sitting will be difficult for 10 to 15 days. Standing or lying down should be preferred.
As with any surgery, general complications are possible but the most common complication is delayed healing that can result in daily dressings being required for several weeks. The definitive scar will be obtained one year post-op.
BBL: Brazilian Buttock Lift
The BBL involves significant lipofilling; the fat tissue surrounding the buttocks is removed and reinjected into the buttocks to increase the volume and lift them without scars.
This procedure is used to harmoniously reshape the silhouette by removing excess fat (love handles, flanks, saddlebags, back…) and increase the volume of the buttocks. Between 250 cc and 2000 cc of fat can be injected.
As with any lipofilling of the body, this procedure is only possible if there are enough donor sites to collect enough fat to be reinjected. This procedure is not possible in very slim patients and buttock implants will be necessary to achieve a significant increase in volume.
The major advantage of the Brazilian Buttock Lift, other than the natural result both visually and to touch, is that autologous fat is used. It is removed from areas where there is too much to totally remodel the silhouette.
Before the procedure
It is important to stop smoking to optimize the graft take of the fat cells injected. Iron supplements can be prescribed in the case of low or relatively low haemoglobin levels.
The procedure
Buttock lipofilling or Brazilian Buttock Lift is always performed under general anaesthesia and the operation lasts between 1 and 4 hours. Minor liposuction is usually an outpatient procedure but a stay of one night post-op is necessary for liposuctions of more than 2 litres.
After the procedure
The fat reinjected will follow the natural evolution of the area where it was taken, which is why the fat must be taken from areas that do not decrease with the slightest change in weight as the weight must remain as stable as possible to avoid changing the result which will be stabilised after 6 months. The result at 6 months is the definitive result subject to keeping a stable weight.
It is also important to know that two operations may be necessary to obtain an optimum result. A second lipofilling procedure may be performed after 6 months as the quantity of fat injected is limited by the quantity of fat that can be collected (no more than 5 litres of fat).
After a Brazilian Buttock Lift, the pain is quite considerable for a week. Daily activities can be resumed after about 8 days.
Blood thinners will be prescribed for about ten days to prevent thrombosis and pulmonary embolism.
General information relating to lipofilling is available on the lipofilling page.
Hyaluronic acid injections in the buttocks
A hyaluronic acid injection increases the volume of the buttocks more moderately than implants but avoids a procedure in the operating room. Hyaluronic acid injections are performed at the office under local anesthesia and increase the volume of the buttocks by between 100 cc and 200 cc each side.
Before the procedure
No assessment is necessary. The contra-indications are the same as for all hyaluronic acid injections namely pregnancy, breastfeeding, blood thinning treatment, or any autoimmune disease.
The markings are drawn in standing position to carefully locate the areas to be treated.
Hyaluronic acid injections in the buttocks
The procedure is performed at the office. A local anesthetic is applied on each side where the cannula is inserted and then the area to be treated is anesthetised. The treatment can take between 45 minutes and 2 hours depending on the quantity of hyaluronic acid to be injected.
After the injection
The pain varies and can be treated with common analgesics such as paracetamol. Lying down may be uncomfortable for a few days after the injection. There may be bruising for a few days and edema (swelling) lasts 3 to 8 days. However, once it goes down, the final result obtained will last for approximately two years. Routine activities can be resumed immediately.
This technique is preferred to obtain a small increase in the protuberance of the buttocks and moderately fill the hollows under the buttocks that often appear in women with age and are responsible for a slight sinking of the buttocks.
Buttock implants
Before the operation
As with any operation, 2 consultations are essential before inserting buttock implants. A pre-anesthesia consultation is necessary at least 48 hours before the operation.
The procedure
The procedure is performed under general anesthesia and lasts between one and two hours. The implant is inserted either in front of the gluteus maximus or under the gluteus maximus to obtain a natural result visually and to touch. The scar is located in the intergluteal fold, between the 2 buttocks and so it is not visible.
There is no draining.
After the procedure
A compression garment adapted to buttock implants is put on at the end of the procedure and will be kept for one and a half to two months.
Post-operative care is quite simple but the pain may be severe to start with and require powerful analgesics. Sitting is impossible to start with and lying down or standing is preferred.
Daily activities can be resumed after about 2 to 3 weeks. Sport can be resumed gradually after 6 to 8 weeks.
The final results will be observed after about 6 months.
The first shower is allowed the day after the procedure. However, baths must be avoided for one month.
Possible complications other than those with any surgical procedure include:
- The infection of the implant, leading to treatment with antibiotics and local therapy and potentially the removal of the implant.
- Bruising, uncontrolled bleeding of the implant site requiring a return to the operating room to remove the blood and coagulate the bleeding vessel.
- Damage to the sciatic nerve, possible in the case of a retromuscular position.
You will be given further information during the consultation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the fat taken to be used in a buttock lipofilling?
As with any lipofilling, the fat is taken from areas where there is a little (or much) too much. In the specific case of buttock lipofilling, the fat should be removed from around the buttock to optimize the effect you want and enhance the buttock. Removing fat from love handles and saddlebags is the first step towards reshaping the buttocks. These areas are frequently used in a buttock lipofilling procedure. But of course fat can be removed from any area where it is available.
Can the fat injected into the buttocks eventually move downwards?
No, the fat injected stays put and won’t “shift” with time.
How can I add volume to flat buttocks?
You have three possible solutions:
Hyaluronic acid for a small augmentation (maximum of 200 cc in each buttock), lipofilling if possible with the body shape and enough fat is available to be transferred, and gluteal implants if there is not enough fat for a lipofilling.
How can I lift sagging buttocks?
A butt lift is an option for sagging buttocks. As with any procedure that involves removing skin to tighten tissue, a scar is unavoidable. The scar will be horizontal, above the buttocks, and can be hidden in underwear.
How can I firm up flabby buttocks?
To firm up a flabby butt, you have to strengthen the muscle tissue. Apart from implants that will harden the buttocks, no technique will improve firmness. You have to exercise to work on the butt muscles.
