Hip Augmentation

Q: Dr. Eppley, I do not like the indent on my hips and would like hip augmentation which is my main concern. Perhaps a fat transfer would be necessary but you would know best as you are the expert. With the fat transfer from my stomach my waist will become even smaller giving me an illusion of bigger hips but I am not so sure that the indent will be gone. I am concerned about scarring; I have a keloid on my left buttock and I would hate to have anymore scarring. 

A: For the treatment of hip indentations, there is no question that fat injections are the best treatment provided one has enough fat to harvest. I have no concerns about adverse scarring from the injection or the harvest sites. While the take of fat grafts is always unpredictable, it always preferable to the use of an implant for hip augmentation regardless of its percent of take.

While hip implants do exist they are reserved for discrete hip indentations in patients that do not have enough fat to harvest. Since they require an incision for placement, one had to accept a small scar at the top of the hip. Fat injections allow for better blending of the augmentation into the more posterior buttock region.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana