With changing times come changing body shapes and sizes. The advent of social media and the ease of availability of online images makes international trends more accessible in Australia.
The aesthetics of the buttock in Australia have been rapidly changing from a thinner buttock (liposuction being the surgical mainstay) to a more full buttock particularly in the upper pole. (See opinion piece on Buttock Augment) The South American aesthetic is now becoming highly enviable to female Australia.
Previously a volume enhancement of the buttocks was in the form of an implant which has rapidly gone out of favour for a number of reasons including a high complication rate of pain, implant exposure and infection. Over the past few years fat grafting has improved in popularity and is now a commonplace practice in many reconstructive procedures. (Link to Whats New – Fat grafting) This technology has been utilised to enhance the buttock volume whilst at the same time contouring the upper thighs and love handle regions to improve the overall shape of the mid-body.
The simple principles of the Buttock Augment are to remove fat through liposuction in unwanted areas (commonly the upper thighs and waistline) and transfer the fat into the buttock fat pad to enhance the roundness and projection of the buttock.
(Figure 1)
Figure 1 – Buttock Augment is a combination of body contouring through liposuction of unwanted fat deposits and augmentation of the buttock with fat injection.
Whilst it sounds simple, high volume fat transfer through injection is not the same as liposuction. The fat needs to be harvested in a more gentle manner and then processed before being transferred back into the buttock via multiple tiny injections. It is a much more time consuming process and the technique of the transfer is a science all on its own. The Buttock Augment is a minimally invasive procedure done through tiny incisions with stable long lasting results and without the downsides of implants.
As with all procedures it has its inherent complications and these will be discussed with you in detail during your consultation.
