Dr. Thomas Pane is Atlantic Coast Aesthetics’ founder and Chief Medical Officer, and there are few things he enjoys more than “talking shop” with patients and online viewers. This week’s ACA Question of the Week came in from Facebook, and asks, “What are the different surgical ways to get a butt lift?” Dr. Pane particularly enjoys questions like this, because southern Florida was doing this procedure regularly before most of the country even knew Brazilian butt lifts were a thing. As such, Florida has been an epicenter for this type of surgery for a long time!
Dr. Pane started by pointing out that in addition to southern Florida’s rich history of pioneering cosmetic surgery such as butt lift procedures, the number of celebrities such as actresses, singers and others who have undergone butt lifts has fueled the popularity and recognition for the procedure dramatically. In a butt lift, generally the tissue is not actually “lifted” as it would be in a face or breast lift. Instead, implants or adipose tissue, or fat, are placed in the buttocks to increase the volume of the area. This makes the butt protrude more and gives a wider profile, as well as the coveted “big booty” celebrities like Kim Kardashian flaunt.
Dr. Pane said the preferred, easier and by far safer way to perform this procedure is by implanting adipose tissue. To do this, fat under the skin, otherwise known as subcutaneous fat or subcutaneous adipose tissue, is removed using liposuction and implanted into the buttocks. The reason this procedure is considered to be safer is because with prosthetic implants, no matter how hypoallergenic they are, there is always a risk of the body rejecting them. With adipose tissue harvested from the patient’s own body, this risk is greatly reduced because the body is much less likely to reject its own tissue, although it is not unheard of. This is the variation on butt lift surgery commonly known as a Brazilian butt lift.
In a Brazilian butt lift, the adipose tissue is reintroduced into the patient’s buttocks at various target points, depending upon the look and profile the patient desires and anatomical factors. Generally, this is determined in tandem with the patient during an https://acplasticsurg.com/contact-us/and consultation to help establish the patient’s current physical profile and the desired outcome. Another benefit of this method is that it offers a more natural look and feel to the area, and is not restricted by the shape and design of a prosthetic.
The other method, using artificial implants, is generally employed only when the patient does not have enough subcutaneous fat to make harvesting and transfer a viable option. Dr. Pane observed that prosthetics tend to lead to more post-operative problems than he prefers to see, including shifting, implant rupture, rejection and other issues. It also lacks the versatility of fat transfer, which is why he prefers adipose harvesting to traditional implants.
Dr. Pane said that an actual buttock lift, where the tissue itself is not being enhanced or increased in volume but treated more like a facelift, is relatively uncommon and done only on patients who have lost a significant amount of weight such that the tissue is sagging. This is typically seen in patients who have undergone gastric sleeve, bypass, ring or similar bariatric procedures. This is a more invasive procedure, because it requires making incisions within the back and then physically lifting the tissue into the desired position and attitude before securing it. He also observed that if he was asked to rank the procedures from easiest and most desirable to most difficult and least, he would place fat transfer at #1, followed by the actual butt lift and prosthetic implants a very distant third. These three types of procedure, with minor variations, are the most common methodologies for cosmetic surgery in place today.
If you have a question about plastic surgery but haven’t been sure who to ask or whether you’re going to get a straight answer, Dr. Thomas Pane and Atlantic Coast Aesthetics welcome the opportunity to speak to you about your interests. You can send in your questions on our Facebook page, call us at 561-422-4116 or contact us by email at https://acplasticsurg.com. We are always happy to answer your questions, and it’s even possible that you might be the author of our next ACA Question of the Week, to be answered by Dr. Pane live on an upcoming Google Hangout. Remember, there’s only one bad question, and that’s the one you DON’T ask!