Introduction
More and more people are interested nowadays in getting help from plastic surgery to enhance their buttocks. While up until a few years ago most people thought that getting dream buttocks was just a matter of putting in the physical efforts, now most people know that physical exercises are not enough to get the buttocks of your dreams, especially if your genetic inheritance is not helping.
With the modern of plastic surgery, butt augmentation surgery is safer than ever and delivers good results for a vast majority of patients. There are two procedures that can be performed for butt augmentation purposes: implants and fat transfer. The procedures are different in terms of the results and also the healing process.
In this article, we will discuss healing after butt augmentation surgery.
Butt augmentation surgery
Augmenting the size of the buttocks can be done either with gluteal implants or by transferring fat to the buttocks. The procedures are performed differently, but butt implant surgery is considered more invasive and complicated compared to fat transfer. Moreover, the recovery period is different for each type of procedure, depending on the type of trauma that occurred.
When butt implant surgery is performed, the patient will receive general anesthesia before the plastic surgeon makes one or two incisions on the intragluteal fold. The incisions are used to create pockets inside or under the gluteal muscles as this is where the implants are inserted. Butt implants are special medical devices that are completely safe to be used inside the body and don’t trigger allergic reactions or other types of complications. These implants have similarities with breast implants; however, their consistency is much harder and they don’t have a limited life span like breast implants. The recommendation is to remove and replace breast implants after ten to fifteen years when the warranty expires, while gluteal implants can be kept inside the body for a lifetime.
The implants are inserted in a pocket created inside or under the gluteal muscles. These are the muscles of the buttocks that are involved in most movements of the lower part of the body. This means that when trying to move or even walk after undergoing butt implant surgery, the patient might be confronted with pain and discomfort. The pocket created inside the muscles needs to be big enough to accommodate the implants, but also small enough not to allow them to shift or move inside the pockets as this might create asymmetries of the buttocks, especially when oval implants are used.
After the surgery, the plastic surgeon will suture the incisions and dressings are applied. The patient is moved to recovery and can leave the hospital upon making a complete recovery from the effects of the anesthesia. This means that the patient gets to go home the day the procedure if no complications occur.
The healing after butt implant surgery is more painful and associated with more discomfort compared to undergoing fat transfer. The first two to three days after butt implant surgery, the patient can find it difficult to move, especially when not taking analgesic medication. Analgesic medication and antibiotics are prescribed to promote fast healing and help patients avoid potential complications.
Sleeping on the tummy is recommended for at least three weeks post-op. For the same amount of time, patients are not allowed to sit directly on the buttocks or even drive. After a few weeks, driving and sitting down can be resumed but only when using a special pillow that is placed under the hamstring. This is important for the success of the procedure and to avoid wound opening. Keep in mind that unnecessary pressure applied on the buttocks can trigger wound dehiscence.
After the first two to three days after butt implant surgery, the pain will be much reduced and patients are already used to the routine and requirements of the recovery period after such a complex procedure. After the first week post-op, the risk of developing an infection also decreases considerably as the wounds start to close and heal. Avoiding an infection is essential to have a smooth healing process and for this, patients must take antibiotics as per the doctor’s orders and follow his post-operative instructions to the letter.
Two to three weeks after butt implant surgery, patients can resume work, but only if it doesn’t entail intense physical efforts. Strenuous physical exercises should be avoided for a minimum of six to eight weeks post-op to ensure good healing.
A few months down the line, patients can consider the healing process completed; however, this is not necessarily the case. It is true that two to three months post-op most of the side effects such as swelling and bruising will disappear. The surgical incisions will also be closed, but the cicatrization process can take up to nine months and even more, especially considering we are talking about a very delicate area where the incisions are localized.
Healing after butt lipofilling
Many patients know about butt lipofilling or fat transfer to the buttocks, but the procedure is more commonly called the Brazilian butt lift. Butt lipofilling entails the use of general anesthetic to make the patient oblivious to the surgical trauma and eliminate all possible discomfort and pain. Once the general anesthesia takes effect, the plastic surgeon will start the first stage of the procedure, namely liposuction.
Liposuction is performed on areas with an excess of adipose tissue as the plastic surgeon needs to collect the fat from somewhere on the patient’s body. After the necessary amount of fat is collected, this fat will go through a thorough purification process so all the blood and other impurities will be eliminated. Once the surgeon is satisfied with the quality of the fat cells left, fat transfer to the buttocks can begin. The transfer is performed with a special syringe that will be inserted into the buttocks through small incisions.
The incisions performed for butt lipofilling both on the donor areas and the buttocks are no longer than 3 to 4 mm. This means that we have a reduced risk of bleeding and less likelihood for the patient to develop infection or wound dehiscence. In other words, the recovery period after butt lipofilling procedure is shorter and associated with fewer risks than in the case of butt implant surgery.
However, patients need to be aware of the need to follow the post-op instructions just as strictly as in the case of getting butt implant surgery as the results of the fat transfer can be otherwise affected and even completely altered. This means that patients need to avoid sleeping on the buttocks, sitting for at least three weeks post-op and also not smoking as it can cause the death of the fat cells grafted. There is less pain and discomfort associated with fat transfer; however, patients are still prescribed pain medication and even antibiotics treatment.
Most patients can resume daily activities within the first few days after the procedure, but the recommendation is to take at least a week (preferably two) off from work to get some rest and to allow the body to restore after the surgical trauma. Keep in mind that wearing the compression garments can reduce the swelling and bruising that will occur after fat transfer.
Conclusion
When it comes to healing after butt augmentation procedures, it is important for patients to understand that the time frame is different from patient to patient and also differs depending on the surgical plan followed during the surgery. When it comes to using butt implants or combined procedures such as butt implants with fat transfer, the healing time can be longer compared to undergoing just a simple fat grafting to the butt. As a rule of thumb, the more invasive the procedure, the longer it might take for the tissues to heal. Also, fat transfer to the butt procedure only affects the fat tissues of the donor areas and the rear end, compared to butt implant surgery that affects the muscular tissue of the buttocks leading to more pain during the recovery period.
To ensure a fast and smooth healing after butt augmentation surgery, patients should follow the recommendations of the plastic surgeon and give the body enough time to rest and restore after the surgical trauma.