This 42-year-old female demonstrates successful buttocks augmentation using round vs. oval buttock implants.
“Round vs. oval buttock implants?” is a common question that we are asked during buttock implant augmentation consultations. To answer this question, we must consider where the implant is positioned.
Do You Prefer Round vs. Oval Buttock Implants?
First, the position of the implant is over the central buttocks making the implant pocket vulnerable to frequent compression and shear forces. It would help if you remembered that the buttock implant is positioned directly over where we must sit. In addition, the buttock implant is positioned inside the major gluteus muscle, where it will be exposed to continual compression forces resulting from the routine action of this muscle when you move and walk.
Following placement to the buttock implant in the muscle, a natural scar will develop and even tighten around the implant, similar to capsular contracture that occurs with breast implants. Despite this natural scar tissue that should stabilize your solid silicone implant, butt implant surgery is plagued by unavoidable forces that will rotate your gluteal implants.
It is not shocking to consider that every active individual will likely place asymmetric forces on the implant causing it to rotate. The vulnerability of buttock implants to rotate is why it is critical to consider round instead of oval implants. Over the last two decades performing buttock implant augmentation revisions, we have witnessed far too many oval implants that have rotated and created a visual deformity and asymmetry between the two buttocks’ cheeks.
As such, we universally recommend my buttock implant patients consider round vs. oval buttock implants. The round implant is superior as it can rotate continuously and maintain its shape.
Choosing a round implant will eliminate any rotational deformity complications. Although recent attempts have been made to use tabs to keep oval implants from rotating, these attempts have failed since the tabs tend to rip out of their fixation points. The fixation points are in soft tissues and do not adhere to immobile bony anatomical landmarks.
The advantage of the round vs. oval buttock implants is that it matches the shape of the gluteus major muscle more favorably. Remember that the implant is placed inside a square-shaped gluteus major muscle that will accommodate a round shape better than an oval shape. A single edge of the buttocks implant rips through the muscle; the implant edge will be visible, creating a contour deformity. The difficulty with an oval implant is that it will extend too low along the inferior edge of the buttock cheek, making it prone to palpation.
