Body sculpting and aftercare

Over the last few years, I have seen a steady increase in the number of people coming to see me to discuss fat transfer procedures, particularly moving excess fat cells from the waistline and thigh area and repositioning the cells in the buttocks. This creates the ‘ideal’ feminine hour glass shape with the classic 0.7 ratio of waist to hips. The more traditional version of buttock enhancement – basically creating larger buttocks with the emphasis on size rather than shape and contour – is steadily losing popularity in favour of a more sophisticated natural approach. I call my procedure ‘The Venus Lift’.

The good news about the procedure is that it can be done on women who are older so struggle to get rid of fat deposits around the waist and midriff because of hormonal changes and reduction of muscle mass as they age. After puberty, we all have a finite number of fat cells spread around our bodies. These fat cells can expand to 1000 times their original size, which means that people are overweight or obese, but their numbers never change. Once the cells have been removed, they can never regenerate in a specific location on their own. So people only need to have this procedure done once in a lifetime, or at the most, twice. It is not a continuous process of revision.

Once a patient has undergone the procedure, the success of the operation is optimised if the patient follows strict guidelines. The fat cells that have been transferred are alive and need to be given time to regenerate a local blood supply and adhere to the surrounding tissue. For the first two weeks, the traumatised fat cells need to be treated very gently and protected from compression. This means that patients should avoid spending long periods sitting down, which may cause too much pressure on the buttocks. Of course, there are cushions available which spread the weight, but even these do cause pressure on outer areas. Sleeping should be done on one’s front, not one’s back and care should be taken not to roll over in the night.

Patients are also advised not to take part in any vigorous activity which could increase swelling or encourage fat cells to migrate. Of course, we don’t ban sex completely but it needs to be done very carefully. For the first four-six weeks, patients need to wear a special undergarment which acts a bit like a corset and helps to ensure that the body sculpting is smooth and the fat remains in exactly the right position. This corset, which has to be worn night and day, is designed to put no pressure on the buttocks but does come down over the thighs. It has special flaps to allow the wearer to go to the toilet.

If a patient follows guidance, swelling around the waist and buttock area will usually start coming down after two weeks but it can take six months for the final effect to be seen. Someone who wants to undergo a Venus Lift procedure will need to budget between £6,000-£8,000.