Jan 11, 2006 12:11 am US/Eastern
Cosmetic Surgery: Calf Augmentation By Implant
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
Sheila Simmons hasn't shown off her legs in years. "I started not to wear skirts, mainly sticking to pants, boots," she explained. She feels her calves look too thin. "They lack structure and shape," she said.
Now, Sheila's about to undergo a cosmetic procedure that will permanently plump up this part of her leg. It's called calf augmentation and cosmetic surgeon Dr. Leonard Grossman says he's performed about two dozen of these operations on both men and women in the last year.
"There's a lack of proportionality in the body. Their calves look skinny or scrawny compared to the rest of their leg," Dr. Grossman explained.
First, unwanted fat is liposuctioned from Sheila's hips and waist. The fat cells are washed, placed in vial and injected to beef up the calves. Results, Dr. Grossman says, are immediate and lasting. "They will continue to live just like in the area they were removed from."
Another way to add contour to the calf is inserting silicone implants, like breast implants, behind the leg muscle.
However, Chairman of Plastic Surgery at Hackensack University Medical Center, Dr. Stephen Colen, is cautious. "There have been cases reported where people have gotten terrible infections from calf implants," Dr. Colen explained.
But with fat transplants, many doctors agree, there's little risk of infection and absolutely no scarring, allowing patients like Sheila to be back on their feet, in a skirt, on the same day. The cost for calf augmentation is about $3000.
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