Calf Implants

Calf augmentation through the use of calf implants represents a thriving portion of the cosmetic plastic surgery market. For reasons that are not entirely clear, calf implant surgery is more common in Mexico, Central and South America than it is in the United States and Canada. Part of this reason is cultural but may also stem from the fact that many primary care physicians do not realize that calf augmentation is available. Also, the calf area is not usually a focus of many diagnostic physical examinations. Regardless of the reason, calf implants are available and many plastic surgeons have experience in this cosmetic surgical procedure.

 

 

A calf implant is placed in the region of the calf muscles, primarily the gastrocnemius muscle. The substance used in the calf implant has changed over the years; switches have been made between silicone rubber blocks and silicone gel calf implants. The decision as to which calf implant surgery is available depends on a plastic surgeon’s comfort and experience. The calf implant material type tends to change depending on geography as well.

 

There are several reasons for why people would seek out calf implant surgery. Some people are born with developmental disorders that lead to a small gastrocnemius compared to other muscles of the leg. Examples of congenital abnormalities include cerebral palsy and spina bifida. Alternatively, patients can acquire certain disease states that result in an atrophy or deterioration of the calf muscle. These diseases include Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, scleroderma, traumatic nerve damage, and even polio.

 

Beyond these congenital and acquired defects, some patients simply wish their calf area to be larger for cosmetic purposes. Commonly bodybuilders will be able to build the quadriceps and hamstring muscles through weight lifting exercising but the calf muscles lag behind in this development. For body builders that participate in body building competitions the relative underdevelopment of the gastrocnemius can be detrimental to success. Thus many body builders seek calf implant surgery.

 

Despite a large fraction of body builders seeking calf implants, plastic surgeons are reluctant to perform this particular surgery on this particular patient population. Calf implants, for all patients, do not always provide the calf augmentation that people are seeking. Moreover, body builders request exceptionally large calf implants commensurate with the muscles in the rest of the body. Because of less than ideal results and the desire for enormous calf implants, most plastic surgeons discourage or scale back calf implant surgery in these patients. Also, since body builders place extreme stresses on the calf muscles through weight lifting, the chance for implant complications is relatively high. Since the calf implant under these conditions can contribute to a dangerous condition called compartment syndrome, surgeons are cautious in the patient population.

 

Recovery from calf implant surgery usually takes about two months before full exercise can resume. Patients can expect moderate pain after calf implants, but severe intractable pain often means a more serious complication (like compartment syndrome). Unlike most cosmetic surgeries, patients undergoing calf implant surgery are kept in the hospital overnight. This overnight stay can contribute significantly to the calf implants cost. The cost of calf implant surgery can vary with geographical region but most patients can expect to pay between $4,000 and $7,000 for the procedure.