When your calves feel too slim, or the two sides do not match and you hesitate to wear shorts, a fuller and more balanced shape can help you feel more at ease with your legs.
Calf augmentation with gel implants is surgery that places an implant beneath the deep fascia of the calf (the membrane that wraps the muscle) to add volume. It suits some people more than others, and your consultation is where your surgeon can assess that clearly.
It all begins with a consultation. Your surgeon will review your general health, measure volume, and look at how balanced your two calves are. You will have the routine tests done before surgery, and an anaesthetist will see you for a pre-anaesthetic check to confirm whether the chosen method of anaesthesia is right for you.
Before the day of surgery, you will need to stop medicines containing aspirin for 10 days and fast for 6 hours. The implant used has a firm, elastic silicone shell, and inside it holds a soft, highly cohesive silicone gel; this gel does not spread into the surrounding tissue if the implant ever ruptures. Your surgeon will choose an implant with a clear origin, carrying a certificate that names the manufacturer and where it was made.
The surgery takes place in a hospital, under general or spinal anaesthesia, and usually lasts about an hour. The surgeon makes an incision about 3 cm long in the skin crease behind the knee (the back of the knee), opens a space beneath the deep fascia of the calf, controls any bleeding, and rinses the area.
Once that space is ready, the surgeon places the implant in position and closes the incision in two layers. Because the incision sits in a skin crease, it is less visible. You will usually stay in hospital for 1 to 2 days.
The goal of this surgery is to add volume to a slim calf and bring the two sides into better balance. Being clear about what this method will not do matters just as much as describing what it can do.
Recovery happens in stages, and the timings below are rough estimates. Every body heals at its own pace, so pay attention to how you feel and follow your surgeon's guidance.
As with any surgery, calf augmentation with gel implants carries risks you should understand before you decide. According to the source, complications are generally very rare, but they can still happen.
The surgery is carried out in a hospital, under general or spinal anaesthesia, with an anaesthetist who sees you for a pre-anaesthetic check beforehand. Your surgeon measures volume and assesses how balanced your two calves are right from the consultation, then places the implant through an incision of about 3 cm in the skin crease behind the knee so the scar is less visible.
We use only implants with a clear origin, carrying a certificate that names the manufacturer and where they were made. To keep the risk of complications and an unwanted result as low as possible, this surgery should be performed by a properly trained specialist in plastic and aesthetic surgery, at a licensed medical facility.
The surgery is done under general or spinal anaesthesia, so you feel no pain during the operation. Afterwards you will take pain relief for about 5 days to manage any discomfort.
The surgeon makes an incision about 3 cm long in the skin crease behind the knee, that is, the back of the knee. Because this sits within a natural crease, the scar is less visible.
You will usually stay in hospital for 1 to 2 days. You begin walking from the next day with crutches for support over the first 15 days or so, wear compression stockings for about 30 days, and can return to sport after about 3 months. When you go back to work depends on the nature of your job, so talk it through with your surgeon.
The implant is placed in the space beneath the deep fascia of the calf to add volume in a balanced way. The aim is a fuller and more even shape, though the result will be different for each person.
The implant has a firm, elastic silicone shell, and inside it holds a soft, highly cohesive silicone gel. Unlike the liquid silicone that has been banned, this gel does not spread into the surrounding tissue if the implant ruptures. We use only implants with a clear origin and certificate.
You will have a general health assessment and the routine tests done before surgery. You will need to stop medicines containing aspirin for 10 days before surgery and fast for 6 hours. An anaesthetist will also see you for a pre-anaesthetic check.
The surgery works toward bringing the two sides into better balance of volume, but it cannot promise a perfect match. Unevenness, or an implant shifting out of position, are risks that can occur.
According to the source, you can begin sport after about 3 months. Before then, walk gently and follow your surgeon's guidance on how much activity is right for you.
As with any surgery, this method can involve complications from general anaesthesia, spinal anaesthesia, or the surgery itself, such as a collection of blood, a collection of fluid, infection, compartment syndrome, capsular contracture, unevenness, or a shift in position. According to the source, complications are generally very rare.
Book a consultation to find out if this is right for you.
The content on this page is for reference only and does not replace a direct examination and consultation with a specialist physician. Surgical outcomes vary from person to person.