Patient-Friendly Explanation

After a large weight loss the skin around the buttocks can sag, leaving the area flat or drooping even when the underlying muscle is healthy. A buttock lift removes a crescent of stretched skin and tightens what is left, so the buttocks sit higher and firmer. It is often done together with other body-contouring surgery in the same operation.

Clinical Definition

Gluteoplasty (buttock lift) is a contouring procedure performed under general anaesthesia, usually through an upper-buttock incision that allows excision of redundant skin with suspension of the underlying soft tissue. In post-bariatric patients it is frequently combined with a lower body lift or circumferential abdominoplasty. Volume can be restored with autologous fat grafting or implants in selected cases, and drains plus compression garments are used during recovery.

Why It Matters

Sagging buttocks after bariatric surgery are caused by excess skin rather than remaining fat, so diet and exercise alone will not correct them. Knowing this helps patients set realistic expectations and time surgery only after their weight has been stable for several months.