Buttock augmentation today has taken on a near significance as to that of breast augmentation. It is the second most augmented body part next to that of the breasts. Debates can be had as to why this is so but it is a phenomenon that crosses many ethnic and cultural groups.
What constitutes buttock beauty is more than that of just size. The curve of the buttocks as transitions into the back and hips are features that may be as aesthetically valuable as pure size alone. A pleasing curvature from the back into the upper buttocks, increased hip volume and a rounder plumper shape are important aesthetic goals as well.
Currently injectable fat grafting offers the best method to try and achieve all of these buttock augmentation goals as the volume placement can cover a broader surface area. But not everyone is a good candidate for fat grafting due to inadequate tissue or failure of sufficient fat to survive. This leaves buttocks implants as the only other buttock augmentation option.
In the September 2016 issue of the Annals of Plastic Surgery, an article on buttock augmentation was published entitled ‘Buttock Reshaping With Intramuscular Gluteal Augmentation in an Asian Ethnic Group: A Six-Year Experience With 130 Patients’. In this paper the authors performed an intramuscular implant technique using the well known XYZ method for pocket creation and implant positioning. The buttock implants used were of the oval-shaped smooth-surfaced silicone type. Most of the patients also had lipsouction performed as well.The aesthetic results were determined using serial photography and by the patient’s own assessment on a 5-score scale.
The mean rating for patient satisfaction with the procedure was 4.6 of 5. (92%) The ratings of two independent plastic surgeons showed a mean score of 4.2 of 5. (84%) The authors conclude that intramuscular gluteal augmentation technique using solid silicone implants resulted in high patient satisfaction and good cosmetic reshaping of the buttocks.
The unique aspect of this paper is that it describes the use of buttock implants in Asian women. What is unique in buttock augmentation about Asian women is that they often do not have enough fat to harvest for a BBL procedure and implants would be their only treatment option. Fortunately their size goals are usually more modest and a rounder shape is more important than a significant increase in size. This is the type of effect that is achievable with buttock implants and explains the high satisfaction rate for the procedure in this patient population.
Dr. Barry Eppley
Indianapolis, Indiana