EVERY WOMAN DREAMS OF HAVING AN ATTRACTIVE AND SENSUOUS DERRIÈRE. ILL-FITTING PANTS, CHARMLESS BIKINIS CAN BE GIVEN A SOLUTION: LIPOSCULPTURE OR GLUTEAL IMPLANT. STILL, YOU MUST FIND OUT WHICH IS BEST FOR YOU.

Europeans and Americans have now discovered the buttocks. It seems that something that Brazilian women have always known now has spread worldwide: the butt adds charm and sensuality to a woman’s body, the sinuous curves of both waist and derrière are the sensual touch when it comes to trying on new clothes. Liposculpture and gluteal implant are here to help shape this area of the body. To talk about the subject, we invited Dr. Raul Gonzalez, one of the major specialists in gluteal implant worldwide, to answer some of our readers’ questions.

1. Liposculpture or gluteal implant: which is the best technique to reshape or augment the buttocks?

It depends on the problem one wants to solve. Liposculpture shapes the body by reducing the size of the hips, the outer thighs, the back and the area above the butt, significantly increasing the gluteal volume, plus the fat graft adds to the results providing an effective increase. However, it can never be compared to an implant, which gives a defined volume and, very important, with very predictable results since the fat graft is absorbed in variable amounts and it is impossible to know exactly how much of the graft will take. Thus, whenever the idea is to ensure an effective increase, the best option is a gluteal implant.

2. How big an increase can an implant provide?

There are implants of several sizes and shapes. Although some are not very big, the help fill in the depression that often appears on the lateral part of the buttocks. The implants can provide and increased projection ranging from 1.8 to 3cm. Implants that are too big should be avoided on very thin patients or those with very little muscular tissue because if we place implants that are exaggeratedly big and projected they may be visible when the patient moves, which is unacceptable in a gluteal implant. One of the major charms of a gluteal implant is that, unlike breast implants, they are totally invisible.

3. What is the difference between liposculpture and fat graft?

Liposculpture is the name given by French surgeon Pierre Fournier to define a new concept of liposuction: fat is aspirated from outside in, superficially, reshaping the area more effectively than a deeper liposuction. At the same time, it was also discovered that one could graft the aspirated fat which, added to the superficial liposculpture introduced in Brazil by Dr. Ewaldo Bolívar, was named liposculpture, that is superficial liposuction + graft. The graft is a liposculpture component.

4. Is the fat graft permanent?

Yes. Fat is absorbed in the first six months after the graft, especially during the first month. After that, all the fat that “took” is permanent. Cells also remain capable of getting fat, which is why when the patient gains or looses weight, the grafted cells follow the same effect.

5. Can fat grafting be performed in any patient?

Yes. As long as there is enough fat to aspirate. One must not forget that in order to obtain 100g of fat, sieved, filtered, ready to be grafted, one must aspirate at least 200ml, because part of the fat is lost in the process. Also very important is the technique used to prepare the fat and to aspirate: if the technique is not properly done, the fat can be completely absorbed.

6. What are the advantages and disadvantages of fat grafts and implants?

The major advantage of a gluteal implant is that results are more predictable, more certain. The disadvantage of a gluteal implant is the higher price. When we perform a fat graft the results are less predictable, that is why when shaping the buttocks is not the main focus, liposculpture with graft may be good enough.

7. Could the implant durability be seen as a disadvantage?

Yes, indeed it could. But it is not a real big problem because current implants are expected to last for about 20 years or even much more. If an implant should burst due to trauma, this should not be considered an emergency because a ruptured implant (due to a car crash or other trauma) can be left in place until a proper opportunity comes up, in no hurry.

8. What are the risks of implants and of fat grafts?

Practically the same, and similar to any medium surgery. For both techniques, the complication rates are very low, in fact among the lowest in plastic surgery as a whole. But of course one must always consider the risks which may be infection, hematomas, seromas or local inflammation. Anyway, the esthetic gains compensate for the risks.

9. Does this mean that both fat grafts and implants are very safe techniques?

Yes; there are risks but they are minimal. One may say that the techniques are safe and particularly well developed and very well known. Both started to be performed around 1984: we are talking about 20 years of experience which makes us very confident about both techniques.