Buttock Implants

Q: Dr. Eppley, I am a male to female transgender patient and I am interested in buttock implants. I have been on hormones for 2 years and have already had facial feminization surgery. I have a flat butt and large rib cage.  I also have a little fat around my mid section and flanks. I inquired about a butt lift by fat injections but after an examination they said that I do not have enough body fat. They do not do implants and said that they are extremely painful. Your website said that you do them and that there is not so much pain.  Any info would be helpful——Thanks !  

A:I have done many buttock implants and the key decisions are implant pocket placement (subfascial vs intramuscular) and the implant size and style. Implant pocket placement has a lot to do with the desired size one is after and the type of recovery what is prepared to got through. I am not sure where you read that buttock implants are not that painful as that would be untrue, particularly the intramuscular location. They do have a modestly long recovery since you do have to sit on the result at some point after surgery. They are uniquely different than breast implants for example because of their anatomic location and their functional significance in the short term. In short, buttock implants can provide a successful buttock enhancement result but it requires a motivated patient who can tolerate the 3 to 4 week total recovery process.

Dr. Barry Eppley
Indianapolis, Indiana