When you work in the media, you get used to getting press releases like the one below. Still, if you give yourself a little distance, you realize that such things actually portend the end of the world. Enjoy:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NO IFS, ANDS OR BUTTS: BACKSIDE IMPLANTS GROWING IN POPULARITY

Contact: Vince Heald or Brittany Umland (858) 453-9600

With interest in buttock augmentation steadily growing, fueled in part by low-rise jeans and the popularity of the "J-Lo" figure, prominent Beverly Hills plastic surgeon Robert Gutstein, M.D., FACS, is performing the specialized procedure with greater frequency and obtaining quality results, using a solid silicone implant he recently developed and patented.

The specially developed buttock implant is more anatomically correct than any previously available, which Dr. Gutstein says helps vastly improve the procedure's outcome. And, because it is solid and not composed of the silicone gel used in breast implants, it won't leak, rupture, deflate, or ooze into the body. The implants provide a firm, natural feel, and improve contour, size and shape of the buttocks.

"Implants are recent additions in our ability to contour and refine the body," Dr. Gutstein said, "and solid silicone implants are gaining in popularity as a method of enhancing everything from buttocks to pectorals to calves." Custom implants for lateral thighs and lower legs are also used.

Dr. Gutstein says the basic objective of the buttock implant procedure, which is called a subgluteal augmentation, is to raise the maximum point of projection of the buttocks. During the approximately two and one-half hour, out-patient procedure, general anesthesia is administered and an incision is made in the natal crease, until the buttock muscle is reached. The muscle is then incised and an implant pocket is created below the muscle. The buttock implants are inserted into the pockets and the muscle is closed over the implants. The scar is completely hidden from view.

Once the gluteoplasty is complete, patients who desire additional contouring may decide to opt for liposuction to reduce surrounding areas with or without fat injection to the buttock mounds.

Post-operatively, patients are encouraged to apply ice and wear a post-surgical wrap over the area for several days to reduce swelling. They should be most comfortable lying in the prone position, however sitting is permitted for limited periods of time immediately following surgery. Recovery time can vary, and walking comfortably may be possible as early as three days or as much as 10 days after surgery. Full activity and exercise should be expected in four to six weeks.

Dr. Gutstein says that gluteoplasty has been available for many years but has not gained in popularity in the U.S. until very recently, emphasizing that both men and women are inquiring about the procedure. He is one of just a handful of surgeons in the country who offer this latest body contouring procedure.

"The growing popularity of implant augmentation, when combined with liposuction and body lifting techniques, clearly demonstrates that the era of true body sculpting has arrived," he said. "And with the knowledge and experience we've gained in this area over the years, and the advanced materials and technologies available to us, the future is filling out nicely."

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The Plastic Surgery Centers of Beverly Hills and Agoura Hills is a highly regarded cosmetic and plastic surgery center specializing in body enhancement, facial sculpturing, skin improvement, breast reshaping, penile and vulva enhancement, liposuction, anti-aging and male body contouring. For additional information, please call 310-277-0910 or 818-991-6436. Visit the Plastic Surgery Centers of Beverly Hills and Agoura Hills at www.plasticsurgerycenters.com.

(August 13, 2003)