Calf Implants
Calf implants can be used to add bulk and definition to calf muscles, dramatically improving the appearance of the lower legs calf muscles to give the look of having been in the gym for hours working out the calf muscles.
For those who feel their calf muscles would look more attractive and proportional with added mass and definition, calf implants may be the answer. Calf implants not only enhance the appearance of the legs, but can help improve the look of the entire body as well. Calf implants are best suited for lower leg sculpting and can be used to correct muscle imbalance as a result of physical defects. Calf implants create proportionality and improve the appearance of not only the legs but the entire body.
- Who Is a Good Candidate for Calf Implants?
Ideal calf augmentation candidates are men and women who would like to have more developed looking muscles. Patients should be in good overall health, psychologically stable, and aware that calf implants are intended for aesthetic improvement, not perfection. Patients should arrange a consultation with a qualified cosmetic surgeon to determine whether they are good candidates for calf implants. During this plastic surgery consultation, they should discuss their cosmetic goals and expectations and ask whatever questions they might have about calf implants.
- Calf Implant Benefits
After calf augmentation, legs can appear fuller, more muscular, and better defined. For patients with underdeveloped calves, calf implants can restore balance and proportion with the rest of their bodies. Many calf implant patients report an increased sense of self-confidence after the procedure, and many are able to wear clothes (such as shorts and swimsuits) they otherwise would feel uncomfortable in.
- Calf Implant Risks & Complications
Complications may occur particularly in patients who do not follow instructions well and insist on returning to work or to the gym too early.
The outside scar will heal in about 10 days but the area surrounding the implants will take about 6 weeks to heal. Therefore the patient needs to be careful with his activities. Significant complications from calf implants are unusual, however. Once the implants are healed in place, it is unlikely that they will shift unless the patient receives a severe blow to the area (one that would normally do injury to a muscle or break a bone).
- Post Surgery and Recovery
The patient will be more comfortable if a long acting (usually about 10-12 hours) local anesthetic is left in each implant compartment. Compression stockings are placed and these will be worn for about 2-3 weeks. There are generally no bandages. When the patient is ready to leave the recovery room, they wear a shoe with a 1.5 to 2 inch heel (clogs). This will cause the calf muscles to relax and the discomfort will be less. Patients are advised to go home to bed for 24 hours. After that they can get up for eating or the bathroom but they still need to be off their feet for about a week with the legs elevated. This may stretch into 2-3 weeks if there is unusual swelling or bruising. Their post-surgery activities are restricted severely for about 6 weeks, especially gym activity.
Discomfort following the surgery can be quite variable. Women seem to have less pain than men, but that is across the board in all surgical procedures. Pain is to be expected, especially for the first 48 hours. The long acting local anesthetic helps with the immediate post-surgical pain. Keeping the legs elevated will reduce the swelling and therefore reduce pain. An antibiotic, something specifically for pain, something to reduce inflammation, possibly something for muscle spasms, and occasionally something for sleep will be prescribed by the Plastic surgeon. Take medications exactly as prescribed and with no other drugs. Follow-up visits - patients are usually seen 2 days postop, then weekly for 3 weeks, then at 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, 1 year and annually thereafter.
