Buttock lift

During a buttock lift procedure, the excess skin and fat tissue are surgically removed via an incision on the lower back. This incision runs from hip to hip and can run, in some cases, on to the waist. This type of surgery improves the contours of the waist, hips, and buttocks. A downside of a buttock lift is that the procedure leaves a large scar. The scar will be below the so-called bikini line, but it will be visible. The visibility depends on how your body heals.

A buttock lift can also be performed to improve the contours of the buttocks, hips, and waist when there are too large fat deposits on the buttocks and hips in combination with excess skin. When this is the case, the buttocks often have a square appearance. This procedure is combined with liposuction.

Buttock lifts at Aesthetic Center Jan van Goyen

• Treatment plan based on your complaints
• Our plastic surgeons are affiliated with the Dutch Societies for plastic surgery (NVPC and NVEPC) NVPC and NVEPC
• Both male and female surgeons

The first consultation

During this consultation, the attending plastic surgeon will determine whether you are a suitable candidate for a buttock lift procedure and he or she will discuss your wishes. The surgeon will also discuss with you which method would be most effective in your situation and he or she will explain more about the risks and possible complications.

Preparing for the procedure

This is an outpatient procedure. It is important that you arrange for someone to collect you after the surgery as you are not allowed to go home unaccompanied. You also need to make sure that you are in a good physical condition before the surgery. If you smoke, we advise you to stop smoking three weeks before the procedure takes place as this type of surgery involves a large scar area and smoking has a negative effect on the healing process.

Buttock lift: the operation

The surgery is performed under general anaesthesia. The procedure consists of the removal of excess buttock skin and, when present, excess fat tissue. In some cases, the procedure will also be combined with liposuction or lipofilling. The incision is done on the lower back, below the line of the waistband, or on the bottom side of the buttocks, depending on which method you and your attending surgeon have decided on. The incision is closed with dissolvable stitches. The procedure takes about two hours.

After the surgery

You will have a bandage on the wound area of the buttocks for one week and you will need to wear a special pair of underpants. These pants give pressure to your buttocks in order to reduce any swelling as much as possible. They also protect the wound and will prevent too much strain on the edges of the wound. As the pants compress the area, it may feel uncomfortable and tight. One week after, you will need to come back to have the bandage removed and wound checked. The compression pants must be worn for six weeks; the first three weeks they must be worn day and night and the last three weeks only during the day. On the first day after the procedure, you will have to observe a full day of bed rest. After buttock lift surgery, you should be very careful when moving during the first few weeks. Avoid as many bending movements as possible as it is important to get a minimum amount of strain on the scar area. You can resume light work activities after two weeks. Depending on the wound area, you may not be allowed to sit on your buttocks for two weeks. You will be able to move normally and do sports after six weeks.

Result of buttock lifts

When the swelling has disappeared completely, you will be able to make a proper assessment of the result. The swelling will go down gradually over the course of six weeks. The scar can feel sensitive for a longer period of time. The end result will be visible after a year as it will take this much time for the incision wound and the subcutaneous tissue to heal completely. With a buttock lift, it is not possible to remove all the excess skin as there will otherwise be too much strain on the scar when you move. This would result in a very wide scar. This is why more skin than you may have envisaged will be left after surgery.

The scars that are a result of the surgery can look a bit inflamed or red. The redness will fade and the scars become less noticeable over the course of a year. Ultraviolet radiation is not good for scars, it may cause them to stay red for an unnecessarily long time. If you want to go sunbathing, be sure to apply sun cream with a high UV protection factor on the scar area, but we advise you not to expose the scar to sunlight during the first 3 months. Naturally, we will aim for complete symmetry, but we cannot give a 100% guarantee that this will be achieved.
Sun. Full symmetry is strived for, but can never be guaranteed for 100%.

Risks and Complications

With any surgical procedure, there is a chance of an infection that can cause pain, swelling, redness, or pus coming from the wound. There can be some bleeding and/or bruising, which usually includes swelling. If you experience sudden problems, such as an infection, increased pain, bleeding, or a wound that doesn’t seem to be healing as it should, please contact the clinic.

The way scars heal differs for every person. In rare cases, the scar can become very thick. If this happens, hypertrophy (excess growth or enlargement) or the formation of keloids (excessive scar tissue) can occur. Patients with an Asian or Creole skin type have a greater risk of this complication. If you suspect that your scar shows signs of hypertrophy or the formation of keloids, please contact your plastic surgeon for further treatment.

Other risks that are specific for the buttock lift surgery are the damaging of cutaneous nerves in the buttocks and a lasting numbness in (part of) the buttocks. People who smoke during this period run the risk that the wounds will heal badly or even open up again.