After major weight loss the buttock loses the fat that gave it projection, and the skin that held it does not recover. The result is a buttock that is flat, sits lower than it did, and often has loose skin hanging above it at the lower back.
It is a common complaint and a rarely raised one, because patients assume nothing can be done about it.
What has actually changed
| Change | What you notice |
|---|---|
| Volume loss | The buttock looks flat and square rather than rounded |
| Descent | It sits lower; the fold underneath is deeper or doubled |
| Skin excess above | A roll at the lower back, above the buttock |
| Outer thigh descent | Often present at the same time, since the tissue is continuous |
What corrects it
A lift, as part of a lower body lift. Skin is excised in a band around the trunk and the buttock tissue is resuspended, which lifts it and removes the excess above at the same time.
Where projection also needs restoring, tissue that would otherwise be discarded can be kept, folded under and secured to rebuild fullness — auto-augmentation, using your own tissue rather than an implant. Buttock lift and auto-augmentation.
Why it is not treated alone
The looseness runs continuously from the abdomen around the flanks to the buttocks and outer thighs. Lifting the buttock in isolation leaves the surrounding areas untouched and the junctions looking worse. That is why the buttock is addressed within a circumferential operation rather than on its own.
It also means the scar is the body lift scar — a band around the trunk, positioned to sit under a waistband — rather than an additional one.
What does not work
- Glute training. It builds the muscle underneath, which genuinely helps a deflated buttock look better, and it is worth doing. It does not lift descended skin or remove the roll above.
- Weight gain. It does not return to where it was, and it works against the rest of your plan.
- Fat transfer to the buttock. A different procedure with a different risk profile, which Dr Kumar’s practice does not offer.
- Non-surgical devices. They do not remove skin.
Medicare
Where the operation is a circumferential excision after weight loss, item 30179 applies. A smaller non-abdominal excision falls under item 30169. The functional criteria still apply: recurrent rashes or skin breakdown in a fold, or interference with daily activities. The full criteria.
Recovery
Two weeks off work, a gradual return over the following four weeks, full clearance at around twelve. Drains are used and a compression garment is worn for six weeks. The specific issue is sitting — you will be advised how long to limit direct pressure, which affects work, driving and travel. The week-by-week timeline.
Common questions
Can my buttocks be made bigger? Auto-augmentation restores shape using what is there. It is not a way of producing a larger buttock.
Will it last? Repositioned tissue responds to gravity and weight change. Further substantial weight loss is what most often undoes it.
Are implants an option? Not in this practice for this indication.
Is the outer thigh done too? Yes, as part of the same circumferential operation.
When am I ready? Weight stable six months. Background at My Weight Loss Journey.
Next step
Bring a GP referral — it is required to see Dr Kumar — and raise the buttocks specifically, since a plan focused on the abdomen can leave them out. He operates at Westmead Private Hospital and consults at Westmead, Penrith and Orange. Call 1300 267 726.
The initial consultation with Dr Kumar is $400, with a Medicare rebate of approximately $88 where you have a GP referral. Surgical fees are quoted individually after your consultation, in a written itemised quote.
All surgery carries risks, and individual results will vary. Read more about the risks of surgery here. A GP referral is required to see Dr Kumar.
Dr Rohit Kumar (MED0001630444) Registered medical practitioner, specialist plastic surgeon (specialist registration in surgery – plastic surgery).
