Cosmetic Question: I am a tall, slender woman with skinny legs. I had calf implants. My surgeon says they are the popular look. But I have huge rock-hard bulges at the back of my leg. I get teased that I look like a stork on top and Russian weight lifter on steroids below. Help!
Cosmetic Answer:
I am very sorry about this. It sounds as though your plastic surgeon specializes in the hard, bulky implants desired by certain groups, including the professional sports people. He would be unlikely to have the artistic eye for the long, tapered implants needed for a natural look.
First, you need to find a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon who does implants in the average woman and man who wants better shaped skinny legs.
When I see calf implant patients, I first want to know the look she or he wants. Then I measure, and next I see what comes closest in the available off-the-shelf implants. The width of your muscle and the length of your leg are important.
(Custom made implants cost a lot more). I show my patients various shapes and sizes available.
I like the Aiache or similarly tapered, asymmetric calf implants for women and for most men. They go over the muscle and extend about 2/3 the way down your leg. The average size is 130-170 cc volume in each implant. The implants should be made with super soft silicone. (Durometer is the measurement for silicone softness but the silicone in calf implants is softer than the standard durometer range.)
There are various manufacturers of calf implants. The ones I use most often are from Allied Biomedical (www.Implantech.com) and Spectrum (www.Spectrum.com)
Once the right implant is selected, (cost ranges from $350 – $540 for each of 4 implants), surgery is done to remove the old implants, extend the implant pocket if needed and replace with the new ones. Yes – you need time to recover. Allow yourself 2 weeks – and more if your job requires a lot of walking.
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