Tailbone Fat Grafting

Q: Dr. Eppley, I am interested in tailbone fat grafting. I am very thin and have a prominent tailbone. It sticks out and is painful to sit for any period of time. I have seen an orthopedic surgeon who suggested I have it removed or reduced but that procedure scares me and i hear it is very painful afterwards.

A: I have done numerous cases of soft tissue augmentation to the coccygeal area for coccygeal pain (coccydynea) using fat. There are two fat grafting approaches to adding fat to the tailbone, injection fat grafting and the placement of a dermal-fat graft. The type of fat graft chosen depends on the coccygeal area one is trying to build up. If it is directly over the tailbone prominence then a dermal-fat graft is best used. That may or may not be combined with some end of the tailbone reduction.  If one is trying to buildup in the peri-coccygeal area (around the tailbone) then fat injections would be better as they can cover a broader coccygeal area.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana