Buttock Lift In Ballynacarriga

Your first discussion with a surgeon should clearly set out your expectations and whether the operation can give you the results you desire.

Careful discussions regarding the reasons for wanting a buttock lift and your suitability for this type of surgery are very important at this stage. Make sure that you obtain as much information as is necessary to enable you to make a fully informed choice and make sure you receive satisfactory answers to all your questions. If you feel uncomfortable, ask more questions, or try another surgeon.

If, for example, you have good skin quality and tone, but your buttocks are flat rather than rounded, buttock implants, or fat transfer may be recommended to help produce a more rounded shape to your bottom.
 
For patients with excess fat around the sides of the buttocks who, again, have good skin quality and tone, liposuction alone may provide the best results in helping to reshape the buttocks. In such cases, the excess fat can simply be sucked out of your rear.

A medical history should also be taken to make sure that there are no reasons why you shouldn’t have this operation. You would normally be asked to sign a consent form which means that you have understood the potential benefits and risks associated with a buttock lift.

Photographs may also be taken by the practitioner as a "before and after" comparison at a later date.

The surgeon may also wish to write to your G.P. giving details of the operation so that if there are any problems associated with surgery in the short or long-term, your doctor is aware of the procedure and can help you to recover.

Anaesthesia

Buttock lifts are usually performed under a general anaesthetic. Alternatives to this include an epidural anaesthetic injection (sometimes used in childbirth) which will numb the area from the waist down, combined with a sedative to make you drowsy, so that you remain awake but feel very little discomfort.

Please take into account that a general anaesthetic carries more potential risks than an epidural. This should be clearly explained by the surgeon before you make any decisions about the anaesthetic.

The operation

If you make a decision to go ahead with a buttock lift, the actual procedure may take place in an outpatient surgical clinic, but most surgeons and patients prefer a hospital setting where you can recover overnight.

A buttock lift usually takes several hours, depending on the extent of work required, and whether any other procedures such as liposuction are involved.

The nature of this operation means long cuts need to be made in your skin and these will obviously leave long scars afterwards. The length of the scar will depend on how much excess skin you have. Typically, the scar will be all across the upper buttock; it might also go round the sides and possibly onto the front. Your underwear can usually hide the scar, however.

Nearly all types of excess skin can be improved with the traditional buttock lift as described above. However, sometimes, if you only have a small area of excess skin, especially in the lower buttock area, then surgeons can perform a limited cutting of the skin, and the scars are then left in the buttock crease. In this operation, the surgeon is not really lifting the buttock but rather giving a small area a gentle tightening.

During the traditional operation, half-moon shaped segments of skin and fat from underneath the surface of the skin are removed from the buttock area. The remaining skin and tissue are lifted to achieve a tighter and smoother effect.

Although the operation is often combined with liposuction, it is designed to tighten the skin and deep tissue.

After a buttock lift, dressings will be applied, and a temporary tube may be put in to drain excess fluid from the area of surgery. Firm elastic bandages are then applied to support the area.

Bruising after the surgery is usually quite light but swelling is considerable and it can take up to three or four months to disappear. You may also experience numbness of the skin around the buttocks and it may take several months for the sensation to return.

Like all surgical procedures, there is always a possibility of side effects and, although rare, these can include infection, risks of a reaction to the anaesthetic, blood or fluid collection underneath the skin, nerve damage, blood clots, and an irregular or a “lop-sided” appearance of the buttocks after the operation.

The surgery does produce a permanent scar which, depending on the extent of the cuts, may stretch from hip to hip across your buttocks. Your scars may actually appear to worsen during the first three to six months as they heal, but this is normal. Expect it to take nine months to a year before your scars flatten out and lighten in colour. While they'll never disappear completely, they can usually be hidden by underwear.

Too much scar formation, however, can occasionally occur where the scars broaden and thicken.

It may take you weeks or months to feel like your old self again. If you start out in top physical condition, recovery from this procedure will be much faster than if you are out of shape when you have the operation.

There are few absolute medical reasons why you should not undergo a buttock lift as long as you are in good general health and have realistic expectations of this treatment.

If you have had phlebitis (inflamed blood vessels) in either of your legs, you may not be a candidate for lift surgery.

A buttock lift, however, is not an alternative to losing weight. In fact, many surgeons will suggest alternatives to surgery for patients who are more than 15 percent over their ideal body weight.

Also, if you are considering losing weight, you should wait until after your target weight is met before having a buttock lift. Otherwise, you may need extra surgery to remove the excess skin after your diet which would mean that the money spent on the previous operation has been wasted.

If you have experienced healing problems with any past surgical treatments or if you are prone to keloid (red, angry, raised) scars, your surgeon may not recommend a buttock lift or may advise you that scars could be raised and very visible.

It is highly unlikely that anyone considering a buttock lift would be able to access this free of charge on the National Health Service.

However certain regions do make special cases, and we would always recommend that you visit your General Practitioner before embarking upon a cosmetic procedure involving surgery. As well as their advice and guidance they may also be able to refer you to a local NHS Hospital who can treat you.

The NHS has set out the following guidelines on how to get cosmetic surgery through the NHS:

"To qualify for surgery on the NHS you must meet specific criteria as set out by your local health authority. The NHS will not pay for surgery for cosmetic reasons alone. Reconstructive and cosmetic surgery to correct, or improve, congenital abnormalities and injuries will usually be carried out free of charge.

NHS reconstructive surgery is performed by plastic surgeons who have had extensive training and belong to the British Association of Plastic Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons. Surgeons who carry out cosmetic surgery through the NHS also belong to the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons.

To receive cosmetic surgery from the NHS, you will normally need a referral from your GP. You will have a consultation with a plastic surgeon and an assessment by a psychiatrist, or psychologist. It will then be decided whether there is enough social, psychological, or physical benefit to be gained to justify surgery."

Traditionally a buttock lift procedure is performed on a patient that has already had a tummy tuck, or some other sort of body re-shaping surgery. Nevertheless, some patients do specifically request this type of operation alone.

As well as the lengthy recovery time, the long visible scars are the major drawback for this procedure. However, in the hands of a skilled surgeon, the results from this operation can dramatically improve the appearance of your droopy buttocks!

It is very important for you to describe exactly how you want to look after the operation with an experienced surgeon who also performs liposuction and buttock implants so that they can assess you properly and recommend the most appropriate procedure, or combination of procedures, for you.