Gluteal Augmentation in Oriental Population

INTRODUCTION: While gluteal augmentation has been a common surgical procedure in western society, it was not as popular as mammoplasty or liposuction in Asian countries. However, as the perspective of beauty changes, more and more oriental women prefer curvy figures than skinny ones. As a result, gluteal augmentation with silicone implant has gained its popularity in our country over the past few years. OBJECTIVES: We present our experience of gluteal augmentation in oriental patients and compared that with previous series in occidentals. MATERIALS & METHODS: From May 2008 to April 2014, 289 patients (all female) received gluteal augmentation with cohesive gel implant (natrelle). We chose the intramuscular plane with the XYZ method presented by Dr. Gonzalez. However, we used cohesive gel implant only, and was mostly under 200 ml. No drainage tubes were inserted and all patients were discharged later on operation day. RESULTS: The majority of patients were satisfied with the result. No major complications were encountered. Minor complications included implant malposition, palpability and wound dehiscence. 12 patients (4.1%) required revision and 8 patients received ancillary procedures to correct deformity. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with previous occidental studies, we used smaller and cohesive gel implants for softer and more natural looks due to the smaller frames of Asian women. While implants larger than 300 ml were usually inserted in occidental patients, we used only implants under 200 ml. Dissection was more limited as a result, so that patients can enjoy a faster recovery without the need of drainage insertion.