When buttock implant goes wrong

A shocking video shows a grotesque bulge in a woman’s buttock apparently caused when her botched silicone implant “flipped inside out”.

Instead giving her a smooth, plump appearance, the implant has popped out and is left protruding in an ugly disc shape at the back of her cheek.

In the 20-second clip, the unidentified woman slowly manipulates it back into place while explaining: “This is my implant flipping backwards.”

She adds: “I don’t think an implant’s supposed to do that. It shouldn’t be able to flip.”

The video has been “liked” by 278 people on Facebook and shared nearly 20,000 times.

It is difficult to establish whether the video is genuine and no details are known about which clinic the woman went to or exactly what type of procedure she had.

But BAAPS Member Adrian Richards, a consultant plastic surgeon at Aurora Clinics in the UK, believes the clip is authentic.

He said the problem occurs when the implant is not secured firmly enough in a “pocket” the surgeon creates either between the buttock and the pelvic bone or on top of the gluteus maximus.

“It is a complication which is relatively common following buttock implants. It shouldn’t really happen because the pocket should be snug so the implant stays where it is.

“This lady’s implant is flat on the bottom and coned on the top, but this one has flipped over.”

He said it wouldn’t be painful, but would likely need to be removed or the pocket closed up to stop it shifting around.

Buttock implants are popular in South America, where plump bottoms are regarded as sexually desirable.

In recent years, plastic surgery experts have been warning women not to have operations in unapproved clinics after a string of deaths and dodgy practices.

In April last year, a 42-year-old mother-of-three died after buttock implant surgery at a backstreet Las Vegas clinic.

Elena Caro’s family begged her not to have the operation, saying she was beautiful as she was, but she went ahead with the surgery.

She was found crying in agony and begging for help after an unlicensed Colombian doctor allegedly dumped her by the side of the road when the procedure went wrong and she died in hospital a short time later.

In December 2009, a former Miss Argentina who was obsessed with maintaining her youthful looks died following surgery to make her buttocks firmer.

Solange Magnano, 38, was rushed to hospital with severe breathing problems after the cosmetic operation.

She died from a blocked lung artery after spending three days in a critical condition in intensive care.

Atlanta woman Kimberly Smedley was jailed for three years in July after injecting customers’ buttocks with commercial silicone in hotel rooms and using glue and cotton balls to prevent the substance from leaking out.

Federal prosecutors believe Smedley made at least $1.3 million while operating her illegal practice out of hotel rooms in Baltimore, Washington, Detroit, Philadelphia and New York.

In cases where silicone jabs are used, the procedure can cause a blood clot to the lungs known as a pulmonary embolism.

Butt implants: how it’s done

To insert the implant, an incision is usually made where the cheek meets the back of the thigh or in the buttock crease where the scars are less noticeable.

The surgeon then creates a pocket large enough to insert the silicone either under the gluteus maximus muscle or on top of it.

Sometimes fat is taken by liposuction from another area of the body to enhance the shape of the buttocks.

The surgeon will then make sure both buttocks are symmetrical before stitching up the wounds.

But if the pocket is made too big, the implant can slip out.

The procedure is normally performed under general anaesthetic.

An alternative method involves injecting fat into the buttocks.