In the past decade, due to all types of media, patients are becoming more educated regarding different types of implants they can choose from in order to improve specific parts of their body. El Salvador offers the beauty of choice in many regards.
I strongly believe that any food connoisseur would passionately fall in love with a restaurant in which the décor had the enchantment of a Japanese garden, the aroma of spices in the air would remind one of Italy, the appetizer was made by the most talented Spanish chefs, the entrée was prepared by an authentic French chef, and the dessert tasted like the very best Belgian chocolate. It is very difficult to find different dishes from the best gastronomy in the world all in one particular restaurant that would satisfy even the most demanding customers.
El Salvador, a country with barely 21,000 square kilometers of land, gives you the opportunity, in a matter of hours or minutes, to have the luxury of discovering spectacular beaches where you can delightfully feel the sand between your toes; algid mountains where one can breathe fresh air and smell exotic tropical flowers while tasting wild berries; astonishing glowing lakes and archeological sites that takes anyone to a different mind set.
El Salvador is without a doubt the pink diamond of Central America. Located only a couple of hours away from the United States, El Salvador is a country that is experiencing a big bang explosion in terms of tourism. There are many reasons that could be attributed to this phenomenon, such as the high cultural influence in the United States.
But dollarization is another very good reason since El Salvador uses the American dollar as currency. In my opinion, the reason El Salvador is experiencing a booming tourism industry relies in our honesty, our kindness and our tireless passion of making visitors feel even more comfortable and cherished than in their own countries.
The excellence in taking care of tourists’ needs and exceeding their expectations is expanding to the medical arena. El Salvador, such as an efficient small company, is able to consolidate its efforts and work with a select group of physicians in order to raise the bar and offer the highest standards in medicine.
A Standard of Beauty
A cultural standard of female beauty that has changed over the years is the presence of beautiful buttocks. If we go back in time and have a look at the renaissance era, we can observe masterpieces like the “Venus at the Mirror” by Peter Paul Rubens, where we can see how the concept of beautiful buttocks has changed over time.
The most common implants world wide are breast implants. In countries like Brazil, gluteal implants are very popular. This type of surgery is performed as frequently and as safely as breast implants. This is one of the countries in which I did part of my plastic surgery training program and where I had the opportunity to work with Dr. Raul Gonzalez, an eminence in Body Contouring and specifically in Gluteal implants.
Anthropology
An interesting fact is that humans are the only species that have a wide gluteus major muscle. Apes have a smaller gluteus major muscle that works as a tree climber, and not as a muscle for walking and standing.
History
The first gluteoplasty (Gluteal Implant Surgery) performed was in 1969 for reconstructive purposes in a patient with gluteal atrophy (absence of soft tissue). Ever since the first gluteoplasty, different techniques have been performed in which the implants are placed in different areas of the gluteus. The safest technique and the one that gives the best long-term results is the XYZ Intramuscular Technique.
Gluteus Maximus Muscle
The gluteus maximus muscle is the largest muscle in the body. This muscle helps us walk and stand when we are in a sitting position. It is measures 5 to 7 cm in thickness and has an inverted triangular shape.
XYZ Intramuscular Technique
This technique uses a geometrical plane with three points of reference. These points serve as guidelines in the surgical area to determine the depth and the lateral extension to undermine the intramuscular major muscle pocket in order to place the implant.
Indications for this type of surgery are: Platypygia (Lack of gluteal projection), asymmetry due to congenital or traumatic deformities, and previous gluteal implant surgeries.
This surgery is performed under epidural anesthesia (Similar to a C-Section type of anesthesia). The incision is hidden in the intergluteal fold, which is the reason why it is imperceptible. Surgery takes about 1.5 hours and patients are able to lay down over the implants immediately after the surgery. There is no need for compression or special garments.
Post Operative Care
Since the patient is allowed to sit over the implants at the immediately following the surgery, there is no need to sleep upside down. The patient is allowed to drive 12 days after the surgery and perform physical exercise 30 days after the surgery.
Type and Volume of the Implant
The most common size of implant used is 300cc, made of cohesive silicone gel (FDA approved since November 2006). Implants can be round shaped or oval shaped with a smooth surface. The shape and size of the implant that a body needs, depends on skin type, shape and size of the patient’s buttocks.
Conclusion
Intramuscular gluteal implants are as safe and as reproducible as breast implants. They even have a smaller rate of capsular contracture compared to breast implants.
Dr. Gerardo Flores-Lima is a plastic surgeon graduated from Pontificia Universidad Catolica Argentina in Buenos Aires, and Clinica Dr. Raul Gonzalez in Sao Paolo, Brazil.Dr. Flores-Lima also has a fellowship in plastic surgery from Indiana University, Purdue University of Indianapolis (IUPUI) Medical Center in Indianapolis, Indiana. He is one of only four plastic surgeons world wide who has published articles regarding Intramuscular Gluteal Implants. You can reach him by email at clinica@doctorgerardoflores.com and his website is www.elsalvadorplasticsurgery.com
