MALE IMPLANT
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a muscle augmentation implant for men?
Male muscle augmentation is a surgical procedure where silicone implants are used to increase the size of muscles. We have various implants that we offer for men. Our most popular ones are biceps, triceps, and pectoral implants. However, we also offer calf and buttock implants for men along with deltoid implants.
Does the surgery require general anesthesia?
We always ask that patients are placed under anesthesia for muscle augmentation procedures as we are working in very sensitive regions and manipulating tissues that can cause discomfort even with the best numbing medicines and nerve blocks. To keep our patients comfortable, we feel that having an anesthesia provider present for the procedure is a must.
How long is the surgery?
Each muscle implant surgery takes between 2-3 hours to complete. When adding more than one muscle group, the surgery can extend to 4-5 hours.
Is this considered an outpatient procedure?
All muscle augmentation procedures are outpatient surgical procedures. We typically perform the surgery in the morning and by afternoon you are set to go home in the care of a friend or family member. For those patients that are coming from out of town, we offer suggestions of various hotels in the area as options for your stay. Also, we do work with Cambrian Care, a home health agency, to provide post-operative nursing care for those patients seeking a professional care for them after their surgery.
What is the recovery time after surgery?
Within approximately 1 week, most muscle augmentation patients are able to get back to daily activities and light work duty. To return to full activity, including exercise and vigorous activity we recommend waiting 1 month. Patients having hip or buttock augmentation procedures typically have a longer recovery period initially, requiring almost 2-3 weeks before returning to daily activities and closer to 6 weeks before returning to vigorous exercise.
Is there a follow up after surgery?
We do see all our patients after surgery to ensure proper healing and lack of complications. For patients coming in from out of town, we typically will see you the day after surgery and at one week, prior to being cleared for travel again. Again, with buttock and hip implant patients we recommend staying locally for closer to 2 weeks prior to being cleared for travel.
What patient qualifications if any are required?
Each patient is evaluated not only for suitability for the surgery but also being of sufficient health to undergo a major surgical procedure under anesthesia. We do perform a basic physical examination and review of medical history along with basic lab work and electrocardiogram. For those patients that may have other major health concerns, a medical clearance from your primary physician may be required.
Is there an age restriction?
We ask that all patients be at least 18 years of age to undergo surgery. For those under 21, we do ask for parental/guardian consent to proceed with surgery. As for as the other end of the spectrum, there is no restriction per se but we want to make sure that you are of sufficient health to undergo the procedure with minimal risk to you.
Can I get more than one area completed at the same time?
Yes, you can have more than one muscle augmentation procedure at the same time or even other procedures added. However, this decision is at the discretion of the surgeon.
How long will the implants last?
The implants are meant to last. They are made of a solid silicone and there is typically no need for implants exchange in the future.
Are there scars?
There are always scars for these types of procedures as with any surgery. For pectoral, biceps, and triceps implants the incision is placed in the axillary crease (arm pit). For the calf, we place the scar in the popliteal fossa (behind the knee). For the buttock augmentation, we place the scar in the intergluteal crease (fold between the butt cheeks). For the deltoid augmentation, an incision is placed directly over the deltoid muscle on the outer aspect of the arm. For all surgeries, we recommend beginning scar gels for the incisions at one month to improve the over all appearance of the scar. While the scar gels will not remove the scar, they will help the scar fade over the months immediately after surgery.
Can scar tissue grow around the implant?
Scar tissue will always grow around an implant as it is something “foreign” to the body. However, in some people that scar tissue can grow quite thick and cause something called encapsulation. Milder forms of encapsulation can be treated conservatively with massage and medications while thicker and more tenacious capsules may require surgical intervention. In the post-operative period, we will show all patients various massages that can be done to help minimize the risk of capsular contracture.
Will the implants feel hard or soft?
The implants we use are a semi-solid implant with NO LIQUID COMPONENT. That being said, they are a bit firmer than a standard breast implant that can be filled with saline or silicone gel. The implants we use are rigid but have give to them, making them feel a bit more natural and like muscle tissue. The advantage of having solid implants is there is NO RISK OF A LEAK. While implants can fracture in rare occasions (less than 1% as per the manufacturer provided data), this can be avoided by avoiding overly aggressive or traumatic activity to the areas where the implants are placed (avoiding full contact sports and other activities that may cause undue trauma to the implant).
Is this procedure like breast augmentation where you can choose the incision location?
No, this procedure does not offer variability for implant placement. In rare cases, where a prior surgery or trauma has occurred, we may elect as surgeons to place the scar in a less conspicuous/already incised area. However, we use the incisions mentioned (see incision placement above) as they are tried and true and well hidden.
Are the implants round like breast augmentation?
No, the pectoral implants are not round like breast implants, but they do have tapered edges to allow for a softer edge. For those seeking more dramatic V-shaped lines, the implants can be trimmed to create a more aggressive angle. This of course is discussed between the patient and surgeon prior to surgery.
Will they look like women’s breasts?
Our goal is not to leave pectoral implant patients looking like breast augmentation patients. Remember that for a breast augmentation you are aiming to set the implant directly behind the nipple. This is in contrast to a pectoral implant which should be placed behind the muscle without violating the inferior edge of the pectoralis muscle. This then leaves the nipple at the lower border of the implant much like a natural pec would look. Previously, we used more egg shaped or rounded implants but have converted in the past decade to implants that are squarer shaped for pectoral augmentation to provide a more masculine and sharp demarcation of the edge of the pectoral region.
Will I lose sensation in the areas of implants?
Sensory loss is a real risk in ANY implant surgery as you are cutting through nerves that are not always visible to the naked eye. We do our best to minimize sharp dissection to avoid cutting through nerves. Most of our implant procedures are dissected using blunt instruments to spread and separate tissues rather than cutting through them, thereby preserving the natural anatomy. Despite this, however, there is a risk of temporary sensory loss in the immediate post-operative period. Within 6-8 months, the vast majority of patients have a return of normal sensation either by recovery of the nerves or re-connection of nerve segments. In a very rare percentage (Less than 1%), there is a risk of permanent sensory loss to areas into which implants were placed.
Do I need to restrict the type of exercise like running after healing?
We ask all patients to avoid vigorous activity for 4-6 weeks after a muscle augmentation procedure. Assuming that all is going well, and healing is going according to plan, patients are able to return to FULL/UNRESTRICTED ACTIVITY at the 4-6-week mark. Patients are asked to start slow in their return to exercise regiments. Walking and daily activities can typically be resumed one week after most surgeries. Buttock augmentation, however, does require a longer recovery period closer to 2-3 weeks.
I go to the gym regularly to work out, will anyone call me out as fake?
While we try to camouflage the implants as best, we can in every patient, there is always the risk of implant visibility, particularly in those that have less fatty tissue or thinner muscle or fascia. This fact will be discussed with you by your surgeon if there is a concern of muscle implant visibility.
Can I still work out to build natural muscle?
The hope is that the patients will continue to work out after muscle implant surgery to further enhance their results. Whether performing buttock augmentation or biceps augmentation, continued muscle training will only improve the results of the surgery. We do ask that patients wait 4-6 weeks before re-engaging in muscle building/vigorous exercise activities.
Can I choose silicone or saline?
We only offer SOLID SILICONE implants for muscle augmentation surgery.
Are there precautions to take to ensure the implants last?
There are no special precautions taken to ensure that muscle implants last. They are solid silicone and should last assuming that all healing goes well. We do caution patients about the risk of capsular contracture of the scar tissue around the implant. Massages in the early post-operative period along with good use of compression garments can help minimize the risk of capsular contracture development but cannot absolutely avoid it.
Can they rupture?
Muscle implants CANNOT rupture as there is no liquid or gel component. According to manufacturer data, there is a small risk ( less than 1% ) of implants fracturing. This was shown to occur in areas of forceful and repeated trauma to the implant over a period of time rather than just with a solitary incident.
I’m overweight, can I still add implants?
Patients who are overweight can still have implants placed. However, we typically recommend weight loss or body contouring procedures to minimize the amount of fat in treatment areas to enhance the appearance of the muscle implant. Many men ask about liposuction of the chest concurrent with muscle implant placement. We elect to stage this in two steps to minimize excessive trauma to the skin and improve the overall healing and post-operative results.
What are the general risks?
Please see the PDF’s of the muscle augmentation procedures to better understand commonly occurring risks with these procedures.
Is there a special degree required for surgeons to perform muscle augmentation?
There is no “special degree” required to place muscle implants. All of our surgeons are diplomates in their primary specialty and are diplomates of the American Board of Cosmetic Surgery. Furthermore, our surgeons are frequent lecturers on the topic of body implant surgery. Dr. Paul Chugay and Dr. Nikolas Chugay are considered authorities in the field of body implant surgery/muscle augmentation surgery and were asked by Springer to publish a text on the matter entitled “Body Sculpting with Silicone Implants”.
How many male patients have you worked with for muscle augmentation?
We have performed hundreds of muscle augmentation procedures and have actually designed some of the procedures currently used for muscle augmentation surgery. For more information, please see our published articles and our textbook from Springer entitled “Body Sculpting with Silicone Implants”.
Do you deal with patients from different countries other than the United States?
We deal with patients from within the US (in various states) and with patients from outside the US. We do offer assistance in planning surgery if you are from outside the area. Not only can we recommend local airports and hotels for your trip; but we can also put you in touch with local home health agencies to help in caring for you after your surgery.
Do I need to book a consult first if I’m from another country?
We ask all patients from outside the country to at least have a preliminary consultation via email by sending photos to us for evaluation. All patients, however, are encouraged to have a face to face consultation to ensure that they have all their questions answered, are able to better understand risks and complications, and are able to actually feel the implants used for the surgeries.
I’m coming from another country, how many days should I book for?
For patients coming from out of the country, we typically recommend staying locally for 7-14 days to ensure proper healing prior to returning home.
Do you offer financing?
We do offer financing through care credit. Click to view our financing options.
Do you require a down payment?
Patients wishing to book a surgery have to pay a deposit of $1500 to lock in their surgical date. Payment of the balance of the surgical fees is due one week prior to surgery.