Gluteoplasty (Butt Lift)

Loss of skin elasticity in the buttock and upper outer thigh is a problem that can be seen with increasing age or after significant weight loss. It is very common after massive weight loss following bariatric surgery. Patients with collagen-elastic disease states may also have abnormal laxity in the perigluteal region.

The primary method to tighten the skin of the perigluteal regions by lifting and excising redundant tissue is called a Gluteoplasty or Butt Lift. A Gluteoplasty can describe several procedures including gluteal implant placement, a Brazilian butt lift with fat grafting, as well as a standard butt lift of sagging tissues. The standard butt lift will be described in this section. The most common way this is performed is by an incision that extends across the entire lower back from hip bone to hip bone. This technique allows for removal of excess skin and fat below this level while simultaneously lifting the sagging tissues in the lower buttocks and upper outer thigh. There are variants of this technique that use a less extensive incision but will give less dramatic results. One called a butterfly butt lift involves slightly shorter incisions placed more toward the center of the buttock and along the intergluteal crease. Your cosmetic surgeon will review your situation and recommend the appropriate incision type for you.

Who is a Candidate

  • Men and women with moderate to severe skin laxity of the buttock and upper outer thigh.
  • Men and women who are post massive weight loss from bariatric surgery or dieting.
  • Men and women who are in good health.

Intended Results

  • Improved contour and aesthetic appearance of the buttock and upper outer thigh.
  • Decreased skin laxity of the perigluteal skin.

Procedure Description

  • Butt lifting is usually performed in an accredited office facility, outpatient surgical facility or in the hospital.
  • The surgery is usually performed under general anesthesia but may be performed under local anesthesia with conscious sedation.
  • Liposuction may be performed above the incision in the hip region if excess fat is present but is typically not performed in the buttock during the lift.
  • The surgeon usually makes an incision across the low back from hip bone to hip bone. A less involved reduction may have a shorter incision.
  • Hanging skin and fat in the buttock is undermined and elevated to a new position using internal sutures.
  • Excess skin is removed and the incision is closed with sutures.
  • Drains are often used to decrease the chance for fluid collection beneath the elevated tissue.
  • An elastic compression garment is often placed immediately following surgery.
  • This is usually worn for 3-4 weeks.

Recuperation and Healing

  • Recovery may be at home with a responsible adult, in a recovery facility or overnight in the hospital.
  • A compression garment (girdle) may be worn off and on for approximately 2-4 weeks.
  • Bruising and swelling are normal and may take several weeks to resolve.
  • Many surgeons may require lying on your stomach rather than your back for the first several weeks.
  • Areas of numbness of the outer buttock and thigh are normal and usually resolve within 8-12 months
  • External sutures or staples, if used, are removed within two weeks.
  • Drains are usually removed within 7 days following the procedure.
  • The incisions can be treated with scar creams and ointments.
  • The scar will take 8 -12 months to look its best.

Other Options

  • Liposuction of the perigluteal area if the skin tone and elasticity are good
  • Limited incision gluteal lifts such as the butterfly lift.
  • Brazilian butt lift using a combination of liposuction of the hips and fat grafting to the buttock , assuming minimal skin laxity exists.
  • Placement of gluteal implants in cases of a very small or a flat buttock with minimal to only slight skin laxity.
  • No treatment.

Note

The specific risks and the suitability of this procedure for a given individual can be determined only at the time of consultation with your cosmetic surgeon. Minor complications that do not affect the outcome occur occasionally. Major complications such as leg weakness and severe infection are rare. Problems such as significant asymmetric pain, swelling, redness, or major bruising should be brought to your surgeon’s attention immediately.


Related Article(s)

CURVES AHEAD
Body contouring isn’t always a matter of nipping, tucking and trimming. Often it’s enhancement, not reduction, that we’re looking for, and, whether it’s adding some volume to that visage, a boost to those breasts or a curve to your bottom line, cosmetic surgery has full body options.
READ MORE


GOING FAT FREE
Who among us hasn’t stood naked in front of the mirror wondering how and when the “junk” took up residence in the “trunk” and dreaming of a way to unload it? Sure we diet and exercise, but some fat deposits—like the little jelly roll above the waistband of our low-rise jeans—just won’t budge. Tush and tummy troubles like these are examples of when liposuction is just what the doctor ordered—literally. Cosmetic surgeons stress that liposuction is not a replacement for diet and exercise, but that it is an effective way to eliminate stubborn fat pockets that defy calorie control and cardio.
READ MORE


IN THE REARS
Not since the days when Marilyn Monroe sashayed through a Pullman sleeper in her nightie has a woman’s bottom been the focus of so much attention. With full-figured stars like J-Lo and Beyoncé packing plenty in their posteriors, more and more women are wondering if it isn’t time to turn their attention from the top front to the lower backside.
READ MORE


THE ART OF SCULPTING
While fashion trends come and go, one thing that’s always in demand? Curves—when they’re in all the right places, of course. But diet and exercise alone don’t always deliver the shapely silhouette you want. Sound familiar? In the right hands, a simple tool and the right technique can create your custom contours.
READ MORE


TREND SPOTTING: 2011
At the end of each year, The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) releases their annual predictions for cosmetic surgery trends in the New Year, which are based on interviews with their plastic surgery members around the country. While these trends are developed from the surgeon’s perspective, one thing we don’t get from the ASAPS report is the real-woman’s perspective.

Here’s where I come in…
READ MORE


In This Issue

  • Spring 2012 Spring2012Cover

    Read New You Magazine’s Spring 2012 issue here