Buttock Lift

Buttock ptosis is a natural consequence of aging, but also of weight loss in younger ages. In order people, the main cause of this is skin turgor, due to decreased production of collagen and elastic fibers, as well as reduced muscle tone and degeneration of fatty tissue. All these changes overall lead to the gradual ptotis of the buttocks, which lose their vigor and youthfulness. As a solution, over the last few decades, plastic surgery has been dealing with the problem by removing the lax skin and making incisions in hidden places. In the beginning, the incisions were made in the gluteal crease, since back then, women wore shorts to the beach. Later on, the incision was moved a bit higher, so that it could be hidden inside underwear. The greatest problem, however, is that over time, the scar moves downwards. Lately, the incision has been moved horizontally to the upper limit of the buttock crease so that it can be covered even by a thong. The procedure involves removing the excess skin, by preparing the cutaneous-subcutaneous flap downwards. Since in most cases there is atrophy of the buttocks, depending on the aesthetic result, the cutaneous-subcutaneous flap is buried in the lifted buttock. In other cases, and mainly in younger patients, liposuction has to be performed.

The procedure is simple and the postoperative course is not very painful. It does not last longer than 1 hour and is performed with general anesthesia or an epidural. Drainage catheters are placed for the first four days, while an elastic compression garment has to be worn for a month. Patients will experience discomfort when bending and sitting in the first few days. There are never any serious complications. The most common topical complication is the splitting of the surgical wound, which may require re-suturing.

When the prosis is minimal and the excess skin very little, a dilemma arises. Should an incision and subsequent scar be made for such a small problem? Plastic surgery was unable to solve this problem until recently. Nowadays, though, the buttock lift can be performed even if the problem is minor, as special silicone meshes are used and the incision in the buttock crease is just 5 cm (2 in.) long. The buttocks regain their youthful shape and become more attractive. And since the mesh is elastic, it follows the movement of the body.

Buttock lift surgery for mild ptosis using the silicone mesh technique is a simple procedure, which is not much more severe than a liposuction. An elastic compression garment has to be worn for 20 days, as is also the case with liposuction, but it a bit more painful than the latter.