Can Complete Buttock-Hip Implants Be Done with Existing Intramuscular Buttock Implants?

Q: Dr. Eppley, I hope you’re well. I am loving my rib removal results. I would like to know if complete buttock hip augmentation can be done if my current buttock implants are intramuscular? Can the size of my buttock implants be increased at the same time? How common is hip implant shifting and malposition? How much hip Augmentation can be achieved with custom implants?  And my last question is have you done thigh augmentation with quadricep muscle implants? 

A: Good to hear from you and I am glad to hear that the rib removal surgery has been successful. In answer to your questions:

1) I am not completely sure what you mean by complete buttock-hip augmentation but I assume you mean a confluent augmentation as the buttocks cross into the hip area. Having hip and buttock implants in the same tissue plane is really only most relevant to very thin individuals with little subcutaneous tissue for implant camouflage. Thus I think you are alright in that regard and a hip implant that extends back over the lateral buttock area, even with intramuscular buttock implants, will work just fine.

2) Secondary buttock implant enlargement can always be done as the first implant acts like a tissue expander. As a general rule up to 50% volume increase can secondarily be done.

3) For hip augmentation a maximal thickness over the defined central projection point can be 2.5 to 3 cms per side. But don’t let that number fool you as the surface area hip implants cover is much greater than buttock implants and thus their effects are more impactful than that linear number alone would suggest.

4) I have done thigh augmentation numerous times and have a specific thigh implant design to do so.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana