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Advances in proper buttock implant placement have allowed surgeons to minimize the risk of this procedure. For years, buttock implant augmentation was plagued by a near 20% complication relating to implant infection and extrusion.
Today, optimizing proper buttock implant placement, have been reduced to less than 5%. The most important advancement has involved sealing the buttock implant within the gluteus muscle.
Specifically, the implant is placed in the superficial muscle fibers, although the muscle lining, i.e. fascia, is completely repaired following a single insertion site located medially along the muscle.
Advantages of a Proper Buttock Implant Placement
The placement of the implant in the muscle provides several advantages. The first includes another physical barrier thus minimizing the risk of implant extrusion. The second is that when the implant is completely covered by the muscle fascia, it is less likely to be felt from the outside or that the implant edge will become visible.
This is because the implant surface although rounding over the top is flat at the bottom and thus its edge is palpable. This is mostly observed over the lateral edge of the buttocks mound just medial to the lateral gluteal depression.
Finally, placement of the implant within the muscle minimizes the risk of infection.
This is because the muscle fibers are well vascularized which means the muscle fibers have excellent blood flow. Excellent blood flow results in the delivery of antibodies and white blood cells that police the body and do not allow an infection to take hold.
Finally, the placement of the implants in the superficial rather than deep fibers results in avoiding injury to or direct compression of the sciatic nerve. The sciatic nerve travels through the deep gluteus muscle fibers and provides sensation to the lower leg.
When injured or even compressed on, it can cause radiating pain down the leg, making buttock augmentation painful and not desirable. Proper placement in the superficial plane will provide maximum projection and avoid this complication.
In summary, proper buttock implant placement is critical to achieving optimal cosmetic results while avoiding unnecessary complications.
Please see a 44-year-old female who has successfully undergone buttock augmentation following proper buttock implant placement.
