Many patients have asked how liposuction, or as it’s also known, Body Contouring Liposculpture Liposuction can affect the final result of the gluteal augmentation procedure. The answer to this question is that it can greatly affect the outcome. The reason? There’s more to achieving the desired “look” of buttock implants than merely inserting the implant itself. In some cases, a prosthesis isn't even used. It can also depend on one’s cultural background—their ethnic makeup—and desired expectation.

Because other factors come into play when performing gluteoplasty (butt implants), an experienced surgeon will allow for the ethnicity, or cultural background of the patient and the desired outcome. For instance, patients of latin descent generally prefer a plump, more robust result. Caucasian patients generally opt for medium to full butt implants, with liposculpture to accentuate the curvatures of the lower waist region. Asian patients generally, because of their more diminutive size, are more pleased with smaller, less rounded buttock appearance. African-Americans usually prefer larger, more volumetric sizing, hence a robust manifestation. In every instance, liposculpture, combined with correct implant size, can accent regions of the buttocks.

As well, liposuction can help remove impacted fat, specifically those areas that have resided years on end, and are now immune to traditional method of weight control. It can also give you the new body contours you've always wanted. Smaller waistline, more detailed thighs, inside and out. Also, a smaller wasteline, or some thigh sculpting can accentuate the buttock implants and overall “look.” It’s important to note, however, that liposculpture and body contouring is not a substitute for weight reduction in an obese individual. Liposuction sculpts hips, thighs, the abdomen and love handles, knees, ankles and necks. It can also treat large breasts in men, often termed gynecomastia. One of the best things, is that liposculpture can often be applied to several areas during a single operation.

Your surgeon will mark the areas to be sculpted prior to the surgery. A small incision is made in the skin. Through this incision the surgeon will inject a special solution, usually called tumescent fluid. It consists of saline (salt water) and other medicines to help minimize bleeding, swelling (edema), pain, and provide for easier and more efficient fat removal. A thin hollow stainless steel tube, called a Cannula, is inserted through this same small incision. The other end is connected to a vacuum pump machine that suctions the fat and tumescent solution while the Cannula is moved in a back and forth pattern under the skin by the surgeon. This is the most common method of removing fat. There are additional medical instruments and variations in liposuction instrumentation, with some machines using ultrasound (sonic waves) to help rupture the outer layer of some fat cells, to enable them to be more easily liquefied.

Moving fat, for use in another part of the body, as it applies to buttock augmentation, is called Micro Fat Grafting and the fat is obtained by “harvesting” the adipose tissue (fat), then preparing it for transfer—using either transfer syringes or centrifuges—and re injecting the harvested tissue to the desired location. Also known in medical terms as “Free Fat Transfer”, or FFT, the method has been used for at least a decade or more. It is used to enhance lips, reduce nasal folds and to plump-out wrinkles. Whether it’s called FFT, or Micro Fat Grafting, the concept is to use the body’s own tissue as a volumetric filler. Once perfusion occurs (when circulation to the new tissue occurs), the grafts generally will “take” and the tissue won’t be absorbed, or discarded by the body. Buttock augmentation using fat grafting techniques varies from surgeon to surgeon—techniques usually kept guarded—and each have their own methods of harvesting transfer tissue and preparation of the tissue for reinsertion. Most surgeons use a specialized Cannula during the harvesting . . . one that will allow large, unsegmented sections of fat to be collected, enabling them to quickly vascularize (develop new blood capillaries). In some cases, the harvested fat is treated with protein solutions, sugars, or other chemicals to help aid in what is commonly referred to as the “retention” rate of the fat graft. The most widely received complaint about Micro Fat Grafting is that it isn't suitable for large volumetric transfers where implant prosthesis is preferred. Micro Fat Grafting is applicable where smaller amounts of adipose tissue are needed and can be utilized without repeating harvesting and transfer due to lower retention rates.

After surgery you'll be sore and will need to wear a special compression garment to reduce swelling and bruising from any liposuction. The garment will also help shrink skin to its new contours. The garment should be worn for about four weeks and is not noticeable under your normal everyday clothes. Any discomfort can be controlled with pain medication prescribed by your surgeon.

If liposuction is performed without buttock augmentation, to sculpt the body only, recovery is fairly rapid after surgery. You may return to work in two to three days and resume your normal exercise routine in two weeks. If buttock implants are used, the recovery time is significantly longer. The final result of your surgery will be apparent in about six to eight weeks when most of the swelling is gone.