Procedure stages
Pre-operative markings are carried out by Dr. Petit before the procedure.
This one is achieved under general anesthesia requiring hospitalization of one night at the clinic.
The procedure begins with the liposuction of the hips and the saddlebags in order to reshape the contour of your buttocks. Then, a horizontal cutaneous spindle is removed from the upper half of the buttocks while preserving the fat in this region, which is mobilized downward (in the central area of the buttocks) in order to give volume and to make the buttocks more curved.
A scar concealed in the panties is necessary, located above the bottom and extending from the gluteal furrow up to the flanks.
The skin closure is performed with sub-cutaneous resorbable sutures.
A dressing modeling the buttocks is performed at the end of the procedure.
What to expect after surgery
The buttock lift is a little or moderate painful procedure. Pains are well soothed by analgesics.
Ecchymosis (bruises) are classical and subside within 2 to 3 weeks after the operation. An oedema (swelling) is constant and of variable duration, gradually subsiding within a few months.
Daily nursing care after your shower with a soft soap are necessary over 15 days.
Three preventive measures against phlebitis are established after the procedure: the affected leg elevated as well as the walk, the wearing of compression stockings and the daily injection of an anticoagulant (medicines which thin the blood) over 15 days.
The sitting position is not recommended over 10 days to limit the cutaneous tension on the scar, especially in the intergluteal furrow area, a fragile area for the healing. The standing and lying positions should be preferred initially.
The wearing of a compression garment is recommended during 1 month in order to reduce the post-operative œdema and fostering a good retraction of the skin in the treated areas.
The resumption of daily activities is possible the day following the procedure.
The resumption of professional activities is possible two weeks following the procedure.
The resumption of sports activities can be done within 6 weeks following the operation.
Procedure risks
The complications of a buttock lift are weak and will be mentioned by Dr. Petit during the consultation.
Main risks are the following
In the first hours following the surgery:
A haematoma (blood pooling), a rare complication requiring a revisionary process in order to drain it.
In the post-operative month:
- Healing problems, resulting in one or several localized disunities (opening of the scar) requiring a directed healing.
- A seroma (collection of fluid), requiring a drainage in consultation.
- Transitory troubles of skin sensitivity.
- An infection, a cutaneous necrosis: rare complications.
- A phlebitis, a pulmonary embolism: exceptional complications with the preventive measures established previously.
In the long term:
- A scar expansion, requiring a revisionary procedure.
- A pathological scarring (hypertrophic scars or keloids).
Long-term result
The final result of buttock lift surgery is obtained between 3 to 6 months after the procedure, when the post-operative oedema has disappeared.
The scars initially are inflammatory (red and swollen) the first months, then they will fade gradually without disappearing. The final aspect of your scar is not predictable and will be known at the end of the scarring maturation (between 1 and 2 years after the procedure). The result is long-lasting except in case of significant changes in body weight or pregnancy.