Are there different types of Butt Lift?

The term “Butt Lift” is used frequently in discussions of Plastic Surgery, but it’s a fairly non-specific term. There are actually three different surgical procedures that can all be referred to as a Butt Lift. Today I’m going to explain the differences between the three, and talk a little bit about what each type of operation can accomplish.

• Butt Lift: The standard butt lift could be considered the posterior version of a tummy tuck. This type of surgery involves excision of excess skin, and is most commonly done in patients who have lost significant amounts of weight. The goal of a butt lift is to lift the butt and make it rounder. This is done by removing only the outer layer of the excised skin, a process called de-epithelializing. The underlying tissue is left attached, and tucked down into the buttock to provide volume. A butt lift will leave a scar at the top of the buttocks, which is generally hidden well by underwear or a bathing suit.
• Butt Implants: The goal of placing butt implants is to make the buttocks fuller. A silicone implant is placed under the gluteus maximus muscle, in a process similar to breast augmentation. Buttock implants have a higher complication rate than breast implants, however. One reason may be that it is difficult to avoid pressure on the area (i.e. sitting) while it is healing. Implants may have to be removed if they become infected, if they form firm scar tissue around the implant (capsular contracture), or if they rupture. The implants are placed through a small incision hidden in the gluteal cleft (i.e. the butt crack).
• Brazilian Butt Lift: The Brazilian Butt Lift is really a method of sculpting the entire buttocks and lower back area. The goal of this surgery is to create a round, perky posterior enhanced by a narrow waist. This is accomplished by first sculpting the back and waist with liposuction, then injecting the removed fat into the buttocks as a graft to add volume and enhance the shape. This may also be done in combination with buttocks implants for patients who don’t have enough body fat. The fat that is injected takes as a graft. Some of the fat is resorbed during the healing period, but the fat that survives stays there permanently. The only incisions for a Brazilian Butt Lift are the very small incisions that the liposuction is done through.