[Buttocks enhancement using silicone implants: a national practices assessement about 538 patients].

UNLABELLED: Buttock enhancement using gluteal silicone implants is known as a high risk of complications procedure. However, few studies have attempted to quantify the rate of overall complications. The aim of this work is to analyze the rates and types of complications encountered by French plastic surgeons practicing this procedure, and to review their technical choices about incisional access, implant plane, implant type, postoperative instructions, and drain use. We also tried to assess patients global satisfaction rate.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: A survey of 17 questions was emailed to French Plastic Surgeons (sent through the channel [email protected] and emails), the criterias studied included information about number of cases performed, surgical approach used, implant placement plane and implant type, drainage, postoperative instructions, complications experienced and patients satisfaction.

RESULTS: Thirteen participants provided data on 538 patients, 84.6% of surgeons used a single incision, 100% favored the intramuscular dissection plane over the subfascial plane, 38% have experienced complications (all types included). The main complications encountered were wound separation (4,4%), seroma (2.2%), infections requiring explantation (1.4%), caspular retraction (1.3%) and asymmetry (3.3%). The global patients satisfaction rate was 8/10.

CONCLUSION: Our results show that this procedure remains reliable, and serious complications are rare. It also helps providing an assessment of French plastic surgeons practices with the aim of popularizing this procedure.